WEDNESDAY 18th MAY 1966.

FAREWELL TO THE THIRD DIVISION.

READING 4
Dixon; Foulkes, Meldrum;Thornhill, Spiers, Evans; Scarrott, Allen, Silvestor, Terry, Maidment,

EXETER CITY 1
Shearing; Smyth, McDonald; Mitchell, Harford, Buckingham; Blain, Evans, Curtis, Banks, Ley,

Scorers:
Reading: Allen 2, Scarrott, Terry
Exeter: Banks,

Attendance: 4,160.

Two years ago Exeter City rode a promotion wave to the Third Division, Now they are on their way back to the Fourth and to be quite honest on this performance, they don't deserve to be anywhere else. Instead of building on their promotion rock, City have blundered steadily downwards until reaching this ultimate shambles, The City defence just panicked and crumbledThe attack hardly managed to make a few tiny dents in Reading's defence. Exeter City were just not good enoughPart of the trouble was that they tried to play promotion style football with relegation class ability, Arnold Mitchell stroked a ball across his own penalty area to give Allen a 5th minute gift goal, The midfield men and forwards played short passes across the field or backwards, giving the Reading defence all the world to cover, Goal number two came after 12 minutes through Terry who beat three City defendersScarrett got a third goal in the 30th minute after a cross should have been cut out. The only good goal was the last one which Allen whacked in from 16 yards in the 37th minute. In the second half Reading eased up and made City look better, but though Alan Banks snatched a 69th minute by following up a Jimmy Blain shot which Dixon beat down, they were not that much improved, It was the same old story near the end of the game with a panicky City display.

CRITICAL DAYS FOR EXETER CITY.

With only eleven days to go to the end of the season, Exeter City's future in the Third Division is still balanced on a knife edge. Even if they won all their remaining three games, they would still not be certain to avoid relegation, With York City certain to drop into the Fourth Division, it is a five horse race to keep away from the remaining three relegation places, between Exeter City, Brentford, Oldham Athletic, Southend United and Mansfield Town,

THURSDAY 19th MAY 1966.

WESSEX YOUTH LEAGUE CUP FINAL 2nd Leg.

EXETER CITY 1-2 BRISTOL CITY 

City Team 
Davis; Davey, Goad; Mustard, Hartnell, Balson; Baglow, Rice, House, Richardson, Ellis.


Scorers:
Exeter Balson,
Bristol City :