TUESDAY MARCH 6TH 1956:
EXETER CITY v BIDEFORD.
DEVON PROFESSIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP SEMI FINAL.

This match, played under the St James's Park floodlights, and attended by fewer than fifteen hundred spectators, was more like a "Grecians Past and Present" than anything else, with almost half the Bideford side at one time or another having been on the Exeter City payroll. Sword scored two grand goals in the first 23 minutes, but was injured soon afterwards and spent the remainder of the game on the left wing. Paddy Doyle found Ellaway, who had moved to centre-forward, less of a menace than Sword had been, and Bideford were able to set about laying the groundwork for a revival. Heagarty scored for them in the second half.

EXETER CITY:- Hunter; B.Doyle, Mitchell; John, Harvey, Packer; Simpson, Ellaway, Sword, Farnell, Rees.
BIDEFORD:- Scott; Hocking, Rowe; Booth, L. Doyle, Harrower; Heagarty, Dunlop, Jones, Higgins, Blatchford.

Result:-
Exeter City 2 Bideford 1,
Referee:- Mr E.Baskerville.

Match Report 2

TUESDAY 6th MARCH 1956.

DEVON PROFESSIONAL CUP SEMI FINAL. CITY REACH FINAL.

EXETER CITY 2
Hunter: Doyle, MitchellJohn, Harvey, Packer; Thomas, Ellaway, SwordFarnell, Rees
BiIDEFORD 1.
Scott: Hocking, Rowe; Booth, Doyle, Harrower, Heágarty, Dunlop, Jones, Higgins, Blatchford,
Scorers Exeter City Sword 2,
Bideford Heagarty.
Attendance 1,430
Receipts £109. 12s 6d

Battered, beaten but by no means disgraced, Bideford were beaten in the Devon Professional cup semi final, beaten by two goals from Sword in the 16th and 23rd minutes in a hard fought game. The first was a bullet like header through a ruck of players after Thomas had crossed Brian Doyle's quickly taken free kick. The second was a low drive from 18 yards after former City player Les Doyle had been outpaced in a race for Mitchell's lob. Two goals up in 23 minutes and it looked as if Sword was going to be the leader in cutting to pieces of the Bideford defence, but soon after he was injured and spent the rest of the game on the left wing, The edge went out of the City attack and Bideford set about layng the groundwork for a revivalThe visitors missed two good chances before half time, it was not until the 72nd minute that they puled a goal back. Les Doyle headed Blatchford's corner down for Heagarty to score, Hunter then had to save from Heagarty , Booth and Booth again as Bideford strained muscles they did not know they had to score again, it looked as if Mitchell's 60th minute penalty miss was going to prove costly, but the North Devon men had left it to late in a game which was entertaining for 70 minutes and had threatened to become really exciting in the last 15,

WEDNESDAY 7th MARCH 1956.

Derek Digby former Dawlish, Exeter City and Southampton winger suspended early this season by Weymouth is interesting Bideford.

FRIDAY 9th MARCH 1956.

CITY SIGN ANOTHER FROM ARGYLE.

Schoolmaster and Plymouth Argyle outside right Keith Thomas waited until lessons were over at the Villetort S.M school today to sign for Exeter City for a reasonable fee, Shropshire born Thomas, tall and well made, joined Argyle from Cardiff City in 1953 for £4,000, He has made more than 30 first team appearances and scored ten goals. Thomas 25, spent two seasons with Sheffield Wednesday before playing for Cardiff, For the time being he will continue to live in Plymouth, but wants to become a full time professional next season and then hopes to move to Exeter.