Saturday 22nd August 1964
Division Three
Exeter City 4
Peterborough United 2
Attendance: 10,218

Exeter City stuck to the same playing system that had won them promotion at the end of the previous season and it paid dividends again. They got away to the best possible start in the Third Division by defeating Peterborough United and boosting their confidence for the season ahead. From start to finish, this was a team performance, but two men were outstanding. Arnold Mitchell seemed to be everywhere, rallying his players, and Dermot Curtis, had never worked so hard or so efficiently as he did in this game. With Alan Banks missing through injury, supporters began to wonder whether City relied on him too much when Peterborough took a 16th minute lead through Smith. It was a lead that lasted only four minutes though, when Keith Harvey struck home the equaliser from the penalty spot. In the 30th minute, Graham Rees, who had a busy match, put City into the lead which they held at the interval.

Peterborough hit back to equalise ten minutes into the second half when Smith scored again, but ten minutes later Mitchell put Exeter back in front again, and Curtis clinched the game for the Grecians with a goal in the 75th minute. City won because of their speed in attack and a solid defence and these more than offset a shaky period at the start of the second half. am Peterborough were not an easy side to beat, so the future looked good for City, if they could continue to play like they did.

City team: Alan Barnett, Cecil Smyth, Les MacDonald, Arnold Mitchell, Keith Harvey, Des Anderson, Eric Welsh, Dermot Curtis, Wilf Carter, Dave Hancock, Graham Rees.

Peterborough team: Duff, Singleton, Birks, Crowe, Rankmore, Wright, Barnes, Conmy, Dougan, Smith, Crawford.

Exeter City came gloriously back to Division 3 with thrills, goals, two points, and a beautifully fine and sunny afternoon for a crowd of 10,218 to enjoy it all in. And this display should calm any worries about the City's chances in the Third Division. Generally they played as a smartly-thinking unit which defended resolutely and broke away to attack quickly. The City's real strength was in their half-back line where Harvey, Mitchell and Anderson all excelled themselves. Carter had a quiet debut and the forward successes were Curtis, Rees, and Welsh.

Western League 
WEYMOUTH 2 (Robertson 2) 
CITY RESERVES 1 (Wembridge og )

At Weymouth.

Weymouth:- Donnery; Sheppard, Parsons; Macdonald, Wembridge, Hall; Cribb, Tizard, Robertson, Nugent, Greening.
City Reserves:- Shearing; Fulton, Patrick; Edmunds, Gillard, Higgins, Pope, Thorne, Riding, Rutley, Ley.

Exeter City Reserves scored first when one of the Weymouth players put through for them, but were unable to hold their advantage.