Match 42
24th April 1920
Norwich City (h)

Plymouth and District League
1st Devon’s (a)

EXETER CITY 2 NORWICH CITY 1,
AT ST JAMES'S PARK.
PLAYED ON SATURDAY, APRIL 24.


The crowd was slow in rolling up, but nearly five thousand were assembled when play commenced. Martin beat Pym in the toss, and the Grecians kicked off towards St James's Road. There was a big thrill in the first few seconds, for Dockray made ground on the Exeter left, and the ball came over to Makin, who cannoned the ball against the foot of the post with a fast drive.

EXETER CITY:

Pym; Coleburne, and Strettle; Crawshaw, Popplewell, and Mitton; Oldacre, Makin, Goodwin, Lovett, and Dockray.

NORWICH CITY:

Skermer; Gray, and Hope;
Wilkinson, Jennings, and Martin;
Laxton, Cullum, Broadhead, Hawes, and Frosdick.

End to end play followed, and Exeter became dangerous. Makin was robbed in the penalty area, and Goodwin was pulled up for offside when going for goal. Then Mitton sent Dockray away on the left, and the winger transferred to Lovett, whose shot flashed a yard or so over the crossbar.

Eight minutes before the interval Norwich opened the scoring with a very fine goal. Frosdick took a lofted pass from Jennings on his chest in midfield, and the winger beat Coleburne with a neat pass to Hawes, who got round Popplewell by heading the ball over him then running round. Now facing the goal, and with only Pym in front of him, Hawes steadied himself and directed the ball into the net with a hard low drive.

At half-time the Canaries were leading by this goal. Exeter made headway on the restart, and Goodwin was charged over in the penalty area as he was in the act of shooting, but no award was given.

Pym was applauded for a fine save from Broadhead, and when the City made their next advance Goodwin was just wide with a swerving shot. Lovett headed over from a corner taken by Dockray, and once Goodwin just failed to score by about a foot.

Game Full of Thrills.

Exeter were fighting hard for the equaliser, and midway through the second half it came. The City gained a corner on the right, and from Oldacre's flag kick Dockray headed across the goal, and the ball was cleverly turned into the net by Goodwin. Exeter were now going "all out," and Dockray struck the side netting with a fast shot, while a header from Makin went over the bar.

With a quarter of an hour to go, and with both sides striving for the mastery, the game was full of thrills. Pym held a chance shot from Laxton, and at the other end Dockray rounded Martin and Hope and flashed the ball into the goalmouth, but Makin was given offside.

Ten minutes from the end Oldacre dribbled cleverly up the wing and passed inside. Skermer came out and tried to smother the ball but missed, leaving Lovett the simple task of running the leather into the empty goal.

IST DEVONS V EXETER CITY RESERVES.

Continuing their Plymouth and District League programme, Exeter City Reserves met the 1st. Devon Regiment at the Brickfields, and were defeated by two goals to one.

Sanders opened the scoring in the first half, but Shirley got two goals for the Soldiers.

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