SATURDAY MARCH 30TH 1957.

EXETER CITY 5
(THOMAS, CURRIE 2, MITCHELL 2)
SHREWSBURY 1.

ST JAMES'S PARK, EXETER,

Exeter City's attendances looked like taking another drop today. A quarter of an hour before the kick off in their Third Division game against Shrewsbury at St James's Park there were fewer than 1,000 spectators inside the ground and the turnstiles were barely moving.

CITY:- Hunter; Doyle, John; Lackenby, Harvey, N.Simpson; Thomas, Mitchell, Currie, Churms, Divers.
SHREWSBURY:- Curran; Bannister, Hobson; Wallace, Maloney, A.Simpson;
Kerr, O'Donnell, Weigh, Russell, Whittaker.
REFEREE:- Mr S.W.Barker, of Bexley Heath.

What a tonic this match was for jaded and exasperated City fans. The City were much the better team throughout and played some delightful football. The defence did all that was asked of it. The half-backs were better than they usually are, with Noel Simpson outstanding again, and this was easily the best City forward line for many a week. Taking the goal-scoring honours were Mitchell and Currie, while for ball trickery John Divers stood in a class of his own, and he was
given a special cheer as the players left the field at the end.

Southern League 
Hastings v Exeter City Reserves

Exeter City Reserves lost their "battle of Hastings" and were soundly beaten at the Sussex resort by 3 goals (Girling 2, Green) to nil.

BRILLIANCE FADED

HASTINGS UNITED 3-0 EXETER CITY 

Saturday's game was like climbing a mountain, only in reverse. We started at the peak, and from then followed a gentle downhill course, with a slight rise to a minor peak late in the game (writes the "Observer" Association Football reporter).

You can use any words you like to describe the first 10 minutes. Bewildering, dazzling. sparkling-it was all these things. Using the ball, along the ground, with long, sweeping precise passes alternating with delicate, short range stabs, halves and forwards combined as though they had been play- ing together all the season, and the Exeter defence was shocked into humiliating submission.

Less than two minutes had gone when Taylor found Green with a long pass. The inside- man's centre was diverted by Bell, but Girling cleverly and gently lobbed the ball in. The second goal came the same way, with the opening being made on the right, and Girling head- ing in. As if this was not enough, Hernon, with a quick dribble and a neat pass, made the perfect opening for Green to pull out one of his best scorchers