TUESDAY 26th DECEMBER 1961. HARVEY STARS AS CITY FAIL ONCE MORE.

The time honoured tradition in the Football League of home and away matches against the same opponents seems to have gone by the board, and this season nothing was played on Christmas Day. Gillingham came to Exeter on Boxing Day for the first of the two Christmastide fixtures and returned with the points.

EXETER CITY 1,
Tinsley; Hudson, MacDonald; Hughes, Harvey, Sullivan; Welsh, Gordon, Blue, Rees, Jenkins,

GILLNGHAM 3.
Simpson; Hunt, Cockburn; Farrall, Hughes, Proverbs; Ridley, Livesey, Johnston, Waldock, Pulley,

Scorers
Exeter City Rees,
Gillingham Waldock 2, Cockburn, Attendance 4,326,

Not only were City beaten but they were disgraced by a Gillingham side which had not won more than once in an away match this season. Disgraced, because after they had taken a quick lead, City threw it away through nothing else but lack of thought. Gillingham's main idea of defence was the offside trap, when that broke down they were in a hopeless mess, the sort of tangle that enabled Blue's low 15th minute cross to reach Rees who shot into the net.

Repeatedly City fell into the Gillingham trap, they never really found a way to beat it, Gillingham played some neat football but it was ineffective. Then suddenly two quick breaks ended with Waldock beating Hughes twice in the 42nd and 48th minutes to put Gillingham in front, Even after this City should have been in with a chance, but Gillingham scored a third goal, Cockburn's free kick from 40 yards evading everybody before floating past Tinsley.

City tried to come back but the forward line as still inefficient and by this time Gillingham had gained so much confidence that it became twice as hard to score, Man of the match was Harvey, he did not put a foot wrong, his tackles were steady, his clearances accurate, he was worth a Xmas bonus.