CITY LOST A MATCH THEY COULD HAVE WON. THE MORE POWERFUL SIDE BUT FAILED TO TAKE CHANCES.

Saturday August 27th 1960.

ROCHDALE 3 (Hepton, Lord 2)
EXETER CITY 1 (Wilkinson) 

Played at Spotland, attendance 2,514, gate £314.

Rochdale:- Jones; Milburn and Powell; Phoenix, Aspden, and Bushby; Barnes, Hepton, Lord, Cairns, and Collins.

Exeter City:- Jones; Foley and MacDonald; Mitchell, Harvey, and Thompson; Harrison, Gordon, Wilkinson, Rees, and Dale.

Referee:- Mr E.Crawford of Doncaster.

The match at the Spotland ground could have gone Exeter's way just as easily as Rochdale's. For most of the match the City were the more powerful side, who displayed better ideas on a waterlogged pitch. But they failed because they could not take their chances, and it was not merely the case of the odd opportunity being wasted. They came in droves in the first half only to be turned down until the 21st minute of the second half, when Wilkinson netted with a fine header from Foley's centre. Wilkinson's goal was the equaliser to the one scored for Rochdale in the first half by Hepton, and it came at a point in the match when Exeter were so much on top that it seemed they must win. But having Rochdale on the run they let their big chance slide away by missing yet more goals.

• At St James's Park Dorchester Town beat Exeter City Reserves by one goal to nil in a Western League match.