STOCKPORT COUNTY 1 (Ritchie)
EXETER CITY 0 

Played at Edgley Park.

MONDAY 24th AUGUST 1959.

BLOW AS CITY LOSE AT STOCKPORT.

City were on the threshold several times of getting an equaliser, where they played a lot of entertaining football but the poor use of some excellent chances was little short of astonding. For instance Rees and Calland could not hit the mark at all. Most of Exeter's hard work came from Micklewright and Dale who were a constant menace to the Stockport defence. Dale saw one shot hit the bar but City's inability to penetrate the defence was worrying,

All told the sides were evenly matched, Stockport also hit the City crossbar and Lobbett made thee or four grand saves under pressure, Oliver was the outstanding man in a strong Exeter halfback line but City's chance of an equaliser faded when eight minutes from time Oliver was carried off with an ankle injury, a bad blow so early in the season, Things were even all round except for what happened in the fifth minute. A brilliant move which started in the Stockport half ended with Ritchie finding the back of the City net without an Exeter player touching the ball.

Stockport:- Lee; Betts, Webb; Porteous, Murray, Lowis; Wilson, W.Kelly, Ritchie, G.Kelly, Davock.

City: Lobbett; Foley, Whitnall; Mitchell, Oliver, Thompson; Stiffle, Rees, Calland, Micklewright, Dale.

Referee:- Mr J.Finney of Hereford.

Attendance 5,000.

Southern League
26th August 1959
Rugby Town (h)

Rugby Kept On Defensive

Exeter City Res. 2. Rugby T. 0.

Rugby Town got off to a bad start in their Southern League game at Exeter last night and never really improved. They found themselves on the defensive for most of the game and in fact only put in one real shot-from Knox- a few minutes from the end. which hit the crossbar. Spratt, Griffiths, and Walters. were the best of the defenders, and Griffiths certainly saved a goal just before half-time when he coolly positioned himself to head off the line from Exeter right-half Butterworth.

But inside three minutes of the second half insic-left Birch scored for Exeter and 20 minutes later, centre-forward Rapley made it 2-0 after Spratt had punched a corner kick straight to his feet. Luckily for Rugby the rest of finishing was poor. Rugby's attack got very few chances. The halves and inside- forwards did their best to get a grip in a midfield second half spell but most of the moves were quickly broken up and the few that did reach Exeter goalmouth had no one to round them off.

Left-winger Beckett made the worst miss just after Exeter's second goal. Goalkeeper Jones tipped a centre down to his feet but he hit it feebly back against the upright.

Exeter City Res.: Jones; Rutter, Macdonald: Butterworth, Harvey, Cleverley: Atkins. J. Emery, Rapley. Birch. Rackley.

Rugby Town: Spratt; McNab, Walters: Jamieson. Mooney, Griffiths; Roberts. Wyer, Knox, Tate, Beckett.

Report from Coventry Evening Telegraph