Newport County 3 Exeter City 2.

TUESDAY 27th DECEMBER 1966.

TOO SLOW.

NEWPORT COUNTY 3
Beswick; Williams (D), Rowland; Woods, Williams (A), Smith(A); Thomas, Pugh, Jones, Morgan, Smith (G),

EXETER CITY 2
Jones; Smyth, Blain; Wilkinson, Harford, Thompson; Keeley, Kennedy, McLean, McNeil, Godfrey.

Scorers:
Newport: Jones (0) 2, Morgan,
Exeter Kennedy, McNeil,

Attendance: 4,082,

It has not been a particularly happy Christmas for Exeter City. On a heavily sanded pitch City were beaten by the better side on the night, Newport are not a great team by any means just a side of hard workers, who keep chasing City were hardly ever in the game in the first half and it was 44 minutes before they provided a shot, Exeter could never really get going. In the second half when they came more into the game, too many moves were breaking down because of poor passing, City were often too slow and did not move well off the ball, Cecil Smyth and Jimmy Blain were quite sound in defence but when it came to attack they could not get the ball over the top of the Newport County defence, Newport were two goals in front at half time bot scored by Jones in the 25th and 37th minutes City tried for an early goal after the interval and got one. Jack Kennedy scored in the 48th minute but Morgan netted Newport's third goal after 80 minutes with Dixe McNeil reducuing the arrears five minutes later.

Summary 

This has not been a particularly happy Christmas for Exeter. Many of the club's supporters expected them to do much better after their recent form, yet all the City got from their two games against Newport County was just one point, and not such a convincing one at that. Exeter missed their chance at St James's Park in the first leg on Boxing Day, when they were held to a draw. Even then many supporters gave them a good chance of winning the return. More than a hundred of them travelled to Newport for the match, but Exeter were beaten 3-2 and it could easily have been more. Jones (goal) and Harford (centre half) replaced Smout and Harvey, in the return game.

City team:- Jones; Smyth, Blain; Wilkinson, Harford, Thompson; Keeley, Kennedy, McLean, McNeil, and Godfrey.


WESTERN LEAGUE

SALISBURY CITY 1  EXETER CITY 0,

Exeter Team 
Trump; Embery, Goad; Mustard, Balson, Buckingham; Baglow, Elliott, Wingate, Richardson, Smith