EXETER CITY 1 (Banks)
SCUNTHORPE UNITED 3 (Hutton, Thomas 2)

Friday January 8th 1965 at St James's Park.

Exeter City:- Shearing; Smyth, MacDonald; Mitchell, Harvey, Anderson; Rees, Banks, Carter, Curtis, Thorne.

Scunthorpe United:- Reeves; Harper, Hemstead; Lindsey, Neale, Scott; Hutton, Bramley, Thomas, Kirkman, Ratcliffe.

Referee:- Mr J.T. Powell of Newport. Linesmen:- Messrs E.J.Gollop and D.J.Saunders.

Played on Friday under the St James's Park floodlights, this match was brought forward on account of tomorrow's attractive cup ties at Plymouth and Torquay.

Exeter City were lifeless with pretty well every player off form at the same time, and Scunthorpe were presented with an easy victory. Scunthorpe won the match in the first half hour, Hutton scoring in the fifth minute and Thomas following his first goal in the 23rd minute with another one sixty seconds later. They had the ability to strike quickly, from a reasonable depth, and every time they did this they caught the City completely on the wrong foot.

Exeter's attack, on paper, was the most experienced they can put into the field. But their moves were built up so slowly that all element of surprise had vanished long before they were near to the Scunthorpe penalty area. All they could do then was to attempt to bludgeon their way through, and they hadn't even enough weight to do that. They were already three goals down when Banks got their only point three minutes before half time.

• On Saturday afternoon the City Reserves playing at Barnstaple for Western League points, were beaten by Barnstaple Town, 3-1.
• In the cup-ties Torquay United held Tottenham Hotspur to a draw at Plainmoor, and Plymouth Argyle beat Derby 4-2 at Home Park.