Saturday September 22nd.

CITY TAKE AWAY A POINT (IN HOT SUNSHINE!)  

Reserves Match Off: Ground Waterlogged

NORTHAMPTON TOWN 1 (Draper)
EXETER CITY 1 (John)
Half-time Northampton 0 Exeter City 0. Attendance 9,431.

NORTHAMPTON:
Pickering
Coleman Marston
Yeoman Gale Smith
English Mills Draper Woan Fowler

Referee:- Mr S.W.Barber of Bexley Heath.

Rees Willis Currie John Beer
Porteous Harvey Mitchell
Ferrier Doyle
Hunter
EXETER CITY

Northampton, who beat Plymouth Argyle by 2 goals to nil on Monday evening, started this game without a goal having been scored against them at home this season. Exeter kicked off and two Northampton raids on the left were repelled by Harvey, but the City were all at sea when English spurted through on the right, beat Ferrier for speed and cut the ball inside. Mills, receiving the pass, shot weakly and out of play. Again Northampton tried to get through on the City's left, and a free kick was conceded by Porteous in stopping Mills. This was cleared, but a hard centre from Marston caused Exeter more trouble. The ball reached Woan, who tried a header which Ferrier cleared well.

TWICE OFFSIDE.
A header from Rees into the centre started a City attack but with two forwards waiting in position Willis shot straight at Pickering. Mills squared the ball perfectly for Yeoman to shoot powerfully over the bar and at the other end Beer wasted a good chance by running the ball over the goal-line when he was clean through. Beer's next effort
was better, though he put the ball to Currie, who was offside. Harvey did well to hook away a lob from Draper, and generally Northampton were having more of the game at this stage. Exeter had a narrow escape when Hunter came out of his goal to cut out a centre from Mills. He could not reach the ball and Woan shot over an empty goal. A centre from Beer found Currie in front of goal, but once again he was offside. Yeoman again came through to shoot over the bar, but his two attempts had been the best so far. The game was quickly becoming a struggle between two strong defences and two weak forward lines. Exeter had another escape when Draper completely missed his kick right in front of goal. Hunter saved well from Mills, but with the defences so much in command there was very little good football to applaud. What there was came from Northampton, for the City's forward changes seemed not to have improved the attack very much. Willis was out of touch at inside left and John seemed to be lost at inside right. The spectators sweltered in the hot sunshine and the players were only too obviously feeling the effect as well. Half-time No Score.

CITY MORE DIRECT AND JOHN SCORES.
Smith tried a long shot when Hunter was out of his goal but the 'keeper ran back to hold the ball calmly under the bar. No matter how much Northampton had of the ball they still insisted on passing and re-passing, and that suited Exeter perfectly. The City's much more direct style was obvious when Currie following a throw-in rounded Gale and shot inches over from the edge of the goal area. Pickering had to run out to sweep the ball away from John and Hunter turned over another long-range effort from Yeoman, and then fielded Fowler's corner-kick perfectly. In the 65th minute John drove the ball home from close range after a move started by Porteous and carried on by Currie and Willis. a Nineteen minutes later Draper cracked the ball in following sharp goal-mouth scrimmage to level the scores. Northampton attacked strongly in the closing minutes, Doyle, Ferrier, and Harvey each making last-ditch clearances. The City can feel very pleased with their point from Northampton, and they were the first visiting team to score on the County Ground so far this season from the end. and the equalising goal did not come until six minutes

• Exeter City Reserves' friendly match with the Plymouth and District League XI at St James's Park was called off this morning. The reason given was that the ground is water-logged.