EXETER CITY 0
SHREWSBURY TOWN 1 (Ross)

Wednesday September 16th at St James's Park.

Its back to the drawing board for a disgruntled and disallusioned Exeter City manager Jack Edwards after City's home defeat by Shrewsbury Town, He was unhappy by the way some of the more experienced players performed and promised changes for the next game. The game itself was quite entertaining, but its results that count and City did not get one.

There was not much let up in all the 90 minutes of the match and it could have gone either way. Short sharp raids by both teams had the crowd and both defences on edge, but that is as far as it got, In the second half shots and headers were getting through at either end and Boswell and Shearing both stopped certain goals. City lost to a good side who were made better by a tremendous amount of power on the wings.

A waspishly dangerous Shrewsbury scored two minutes from time which made the defeat even mor galling, as Ross got his head to a cross, Anderson proved a capable deputy for the injured Harvey and Shearing on his home debut gave a good all round performance, Banks was a constant menace to the Shrewsbury defence and was unlucky to see a shot cleared off the line by Wright, 

Exeter City:- Shearing; Fulton, MacDonald; Mitchell, Anderson, Hancock; Welsh, Banks, Curtis, Carter, Rees.

Shrewsbury Town:- Boswell; Wright, Turner; Hemsley, Dolby, Brodie; Meredith, Ross, Clarke, Boardman, Taylor.

Referee:- Mr D.W. Smith of Stonehouse.
Linesmen: Messrs R.F.Prichard and B.Grey.

BIDEFORD 4
(Long 2, Chappell, Arbury own goal)
EXETER CITY RESERVES 0

At the Sports Ground.

Bideford: Gibson; Burnett, Marsh; May, Whitfield, Higgins; Long, Barnes, Chappell, Court, Penny.

City Reserves:- Davies; Smyth, Arbury;
Grace, Higgins, Rutley; Stuckey, Redwood, Riding, Hurst, Thorne.

The return game with Shrewsbury Town was exciting and entertaining but another home defeat was a set-back and greatly disappointing. The supporters got their money's worth in thrills, but it's points that are needed, and the City could not really afford to drop two more on their own ground. Only three of Exeter's players were exempt from criticism as many mistakes were made, Anderson, who successfully deputised for Keith Harvey, Shearing, with a good all-round performance and two saves of international class in the second half, and Banks, who has made a miraculous recovery from his broken toe. Shrewsbury's goal, by Ress with a header, was scored two minutes from the final whistle.

• Bideford, Western League champions last season, easily disposed of the City Reserves at the Sports Ground.