REHEARSAL SET-PIECE COMES OFF AT LAST AND GIVES EXETER THE WINNING GOAL

Wednesday March 11th 1970 

Exeter City 2 Colchester 1.

All this season Exeter City have been trying their pre-planned manoeuvres from free kicks when a few yards outside their opponents' penalty area. After many attempts, it came off for the first time on Wednesday evening at St James's Park, and from it the City scored their late winning goal. Briefly, the plan is for Alan Banks to run on over the stationary ball, which is then played by Mitten to Parker. Parker then pushes the ball across behind the "defensive wall" in the penalty area for Banks to try a shot. The ploy, which came off at last in this match, resulted in Banks hitting the City's second goal in the 81st minute, and it gave the City their much-needed two points after their dismal failure last week-end.

Exeter City:- Wilson; Crawford, Blain; Morris, Sharples, Parker; Giles, Banks, Gadston, Wingate, Mitten.

Colchester:- Smith; Cook, Howe; Joslyn, Howlett, Wood; Cram, Gibbs,
Whittaker, Jones, Hall.

Subs: Walker (Exeter) Massey (Colchester).
Referee:- Mr T.Reynolds of Swansea. Linesmen: Messrs T.Payne and C.H.Bond.

Accurate football on the heavy and treacherous surface was more or less impossible but Exeter, the stronger and heavier team, took the lead albeit rather luckily in the 28th minute when Smith misjudged the flight of the ball from Mitten's shot from outside the penalty area. In the next minute Mitten missed from the penalty spot for the first time this season. Colchester equalised in the 73rd minute when Jones scored for them.

Official attendance 4,017.

Friday March 13th: 

EXETER SIGN BINNEY.

Exeter City paid Torquay United £5,000 for the transfer of Fred Binney, the centre-forward who played eighteen matches, which yielded him eleven goals, for the City last season while on "loan transfer" from the Torquay club. Binney, who is 23 years of age, is a native of Plymouth, and was spotted by the Torquay management when playing for Plymouth Electric three years ago.