COBBLERS KNOCK LAST NAIL IN CITY CUP HOPES AND DIXIE MCNhEIL GETS THE WINNING GOAL

Monday, December 15th 1969.

NORTHAMPTON T 2-1 EXETER

F.A.Cup second round, played at Swindon.

In the third match Exeter City were put out of the F.A.Cup and it is a matter of some irony that the final, decisive blow to their hopes was delivered by a man Exeter let go on a free transfer three years ago, Dixie McNeil, none other! McNeil went from Exeter City to Corby Town, the Midland League side, and thence to Northampton, and at the end of Monday's tie at Swindon was understandably in high spirits. It was only his second senior game of the season, having been out of the side mainly because of injury. And he was only picked to play in this match because Lines and Weaver were both unfit.

EXETER RUED THEIR MISSED CHANCES.

So this second replay did not work out in the way that the Exeter supporters had hoped it would, and as the team walked off at the end in the Swindon mud they must have mused on the time when they allowed the first game to slip away from them five minutes from the finish at Northampton, and how they missed their chances in the first replay on the St James's Park ground. Yet when the City took the lead on Monday from a penalty, converted by John Mitten, hopes were indeed high. Exeter needed to consolidate this in the next fifteen minutes or so, but they failed. Within six minutes Northampton had equalised. Less than five minutes later they scored again and this proved enough. The City began quite promisingly, but once Northampton had equalised it lifted their game, and for the last twenty minutes of the first half they were the better and more dangerous side. Over the whole 45 minutes of the first half Exeter did not play well and Northampton went close to increasing their lead on two or three occasions. Parker did not come out for the second half because of an injury to his thigh, and he was replaced by the substitute, Jimmy Blain, who went to left back with Balson moving up. The City had the better of the second half without really creating much. With their bigger share of play it was always hoped that they would be able to get an equaliser, at least, but in front of goal they lacked the killer instinct.

BRILLIANT SAVES.

Balson forced Book into making one brilliant save, and he brought off another one from Walker following a corner. He also did well to keep out a lightning shot from Mitten, but the Northampton goalkeeper was not troubled as much as he should have been, although the Cobblers were physically a hard and strong side who played it tight. And three minutes from the end they almost scored a third goal, but Fairbrother failed to get enough power behind his shot with the result that the ball stuck in the mud. Exeter fielded the team which beat Workington last Saturday, except that they took Blain with them as 12th man.

NORTHAMPTON TOWN
Book; Fairfax, Brookes; Clarke, Rathbone, Kiernan; Felton, Ross, Large, Fairbrother McNeil,

EXETER CITY
Shearing; Crawford, Balson; Morris, Sharples, Parker; Gadston, Banks, Wingate, Mitten Walker,

Attendance 2,434.

RETROSPECT OF EXETER v NORTHAMPTON CUP TIES.

Season 1926-27 City 1 Northampton 0 at Exeter, second round.

Season 1933-34 Northampton 2 City 0 at Northampton, first round. 

Season 1947-48 City 1 Northampton 1 at Exeter, first round.

Season 1947-48 Northampton 2 City 0 at
at Northampton, replay.

Season 1969-70 Northampton 1 City 1 at Northampton, second round.

Season 1969-70 City 0 Northampton 0 at Exeter, replay. 

Season 1969-70 Northampton 2 City 1 at Swindon, replay.