OLDHAM'S NEW STRIKING POWER TOO MUCH FOR EXETER. BOBBY JOHNSTONE OF MANCHESTER CITY MAKES THE DIFFERENCE.

Saturday October 15th 1960.

OLDHAM ATHLETIC 5  (Liddell 2, Johnstone, Bazley, Rackley)
EXETER CITY 2 (Donaldson, Harrison)

Played at Boundary Park,
attendance 17,116.

Oldham Athletic:- Hardie; Branagan and McCue; Phoenix, Greenall, and Hall;
Bazley, Johnstone, Birch, Liddell, Rackley.

Exeter City: Lobbett; Whitnall and MacDonald; Wilson, Harvey, and Thompson; Welsh, Gordon, Donaldson, Rees, and Harrison.

Referee:- Mr J. Powell of Rotherham.

Exeter City went down 5 goals to 2 to a "new look" Oldham Athletic team but they were not disgraced. The visitors from Devon had a good share of the play after the shock of being two goals behind in the first quarter of an hour. The Oldham team had an unmistakable "Exeter City" look about it with two ex-Grecians in their attack. Brian Birch went there last season and Rackley only this month, via Bristol Rovers. And until the end of last season Oldham's manager was Exeter's old boss, Mr Norman Dodgin. Another link between the clubs concerns Jimmy Thompson who came to Devon from Lancashire in exchange for Ray John, who was not in the "Latics" team today. Exeter this afternoon went down to Oldham's tremendous new striking power at inside forward, with Bobby Johnstone, of Manchester City, the inspiration in his debut match. And the virtuoso performance from this player made all the difference, because, man for man the City worked more consistently for much less reward. How a player of Johnstone's brilliance can be in the 4th Division is a mystery.


Western League
Exeter City v Weymouth 

SNAPPY STOCKER GOAL v. CITY RESERVES 

By TONY COURT (Express and Echo) 

Exeter City Reserves had six amateurs in their Western League side to meet Weymouth at St. James's Park this afternoon. In the visitors' side was former City player Ray Cragg, playing at right-half. Cragg, who comes from Plymouth, was one of the youngsters that City discovered through their South Western League side, but who was sacked at the end of last season.

Exeter City Reserves: Jones: B. Turner, Packer; P. Williams: Grant, K. Parsons; T. Irons. D. Symes, Bennett. J. Vanstone, Dale.

Weymouth Beale, Bryan. McManus: Cragg, Hancock. Peacock: Thorne. Skinner, Stocker. Middleton, Greenslade.

Referee: Mr. W. M. Webster (Torquay).

Straight from the kick-off Beale came out to block a Bennett shot as the City centre-forward fastened on to a bad back pass. But in five minutes Alan Jones was diving to. hold a Middleton drive. In the sixth minute MIDDLETON gave Weymouth the lead as he beat Jones with a close-in shot-the visitors' second scoring attempt of the game. City looked dangerous with a Dale free kick about 20 yards out, but though he landed the ball on Bennett's head. the centre-forward couldn't steer it goalwards.

ON DEFENSIVE

Tony Irons sent in two good crosses from City's right but no one met them. Then the Reserves found themselves defending for a while, and Weymouth's speedy forwards gave them a hard time, though they didn't get in another clear shot at Jones. Phil Stocker, the former St. Luke's student. was doing a lot of damage in Weymouth's attack, but luckily for City the visitors lacked finish.

DALE DRIVE
Generally, though, it was poor-class football from the City side that made Weymouth look better, and when Bennett did get through with a chance to equalise he blasted it him and wide. Then he shot a foot wide from 20 yards. City's first direct shot in 30 minutes came from Gordon Dale, who ran on to a Bennett pass, and only a flying save from Beal stopped the winger's drive. Just on half-time STOCKER made it 2-0 to Weymouth as he robbed Williams of a ball that Jones had thrown to him to clear, and hammered it back in over the City 'keeper's head.

Half-time:-
EXETER CITY RES. 0 WEYMOUTH 2

Five minutes after the second half started Bennett jumped and nodded a Williams free-kick downwards, but Beale dived and clutched it on the line. A few minutes later Bennett moved back to right-half. while Williams went to centre-forward with an injured ankle. The swap was a short one, for Williams soon recovered.

RUN RAGGED
For a while Weymouth ran City ragged in midfield, but they still lacked finish. except for shots from Cragg and Thorne, which went just over. Then Dale decided to liven up the City's attack, and he ran through to crash a shot into the side netting. Grant also shot-low and wide.

Symes managed to get his head to a Vanstone corner on the left, but as it curled past Beal, McManus nodded it off the line. Stocker again got Weymouth going; from his cross Greenslade, the left- winger, hit the ball inches wide. Weymouth-really on top in this half-hammered the City for the next few minutes. Thorne once shot into the side netting.

EQUALISER-NO!

Seven minutes from the end the Reserves replied with a Dale-made goal. From his perfect cross SYMES, the young amateur, nodded past Beal. A minute later Bennett cut in and hammered in a shot which Beal held.

It looked as if Exeter had equalised when Irons cracked in a shot which Beal pushed out to Dale's feet. Dale hammered it back into the net but referee Webster had already whistled up for offside.

Result :-
EXETER C. RES. 1-2  WEYMOUTH TN