THOMPSON PUT PAID TO EXETER'S HOPES. 
BUT THE CITY MISSED CHANCES AT OLDHAM.
MONDAY SEPTEMBER 15th
OLDHAM 2 EXETER CITY 1.

Oldham fans have had little to cheer about in the opening games of this season, but at the Boundary Park on Monday evening they were ready to give the freedom of the town to local boy Jimmy Thompson. It was the strapping six-foot inside left who, with two goals, won for his team the first point of the past six games, and gave Exeter every reason to make a strong note of his name.

Oldham:- Teece; Naylor, West; Hall, Taylor, Neale; Bazley, Spurdle, Bourne, Thompson, Phoenix.

Exeter City: Hunter; Foley, MacDonald; Mitchell, Oliver, Harvey; Stiffle, Rees, Calland, Nicholls, Dale.

Referee:- Mr Martin.

It was the same Thompson who sparked that Oldham revival last week at St James's Park which almost won them a last-minute point, and in the return match his efforts made sure the point did not evade his team again.

A PENALTY AGAINST FOLEY.

Rees had given Exeter a deserved lead in the 36th minute, but just one minute before the interval Thompson stepped in. A through pass to Spurdle brought a desperation tackle from Foley and without hesitation Mr Martin pointed to the penalty spot. Up came Thompson, and as Hunter dived one way he cracked his shot into the opposite corner to put Oldham on level terms. It was a lucky break for the Latics, who so far had made scarcely any impression on the Grecians' defence. In fact only Stiffle knows how he failed to increase Exeter's lead with two great opportunities in the middle stages of the first half. But then up came the Thompson boy again. In the 76th minute Spurdle pushed a good ball through to his centre forward, and a well-timed flick forward put Thompson through. Holding off a challenge from Mitchell he drew Hunter out of his goal and calmly slammed home the winner. Oldham are in the middle of a bad spell, and as usually is the case the odds were against them from the beginning. Their form could not be compared to that which shook Exeter at St James's Park a week ago, but thanks to Thompson, who has now collected six of the club's eight goals, it was good enough.