Saturday February 6th 1965

EXETER CITY 2 (Banks 2)
PORT VALE (Poole) 

at St James's Park.

Exeter City:- Shearing; Smyth, Patrick;
Mitchell, Harvey, Anderson; Welsh, Banks, Curtis, Hancock, Thorne.

Port Vale:- Davies; Alcock, Wilson; Rawlings, Nicholson, Sproson; Rowland, Miles, Mitchell, Poole, Mudie.

Referee:- Mr T.Wells of Luton.

Linesmen:- Messrs A. Newman and E.Garfield.

Exeter City have most likely lost the services of top-scoring Alan Banks for some time. He was carried off five minutes before half time with a suspected fractured shin-bone. Before his injury Banks had already given the City the two goals which eventually won them the points. The Banks incident was a tragedy for which no-one was to blame. The City had been playing well, looking good for several more goals and Banks was at his most effective. Reduced to ten men in the second half Exeter fought well, with Curtis and Thorne prominent in their depleted forward line.

Western League 
WELTON ROVERS 2(Allen, Boxley)

EXETER CITY RESERVES 2 (Riding 2)

At Bristol.

WELTON DROP POINT IN THRILLER

In this thrill-packed Western League game Welton dropped the first point in eleven games, but Exeter deserved to share the points, writes Fred Tranter.

No visiting team have given a better performance at Welton this season, and it was soccer at its best. The City went into the lead four minutes from the end, but the Rovers gained the equaliser two minutes later. Such a performance warranted a far larger crowd, for there was not a dull moment in a tiptop game, played at terrific speed throughout. At each end there were good saves and near misses, and later when Exeter had slightly more of the play. the Rovers were always more dangerous with their goalward movements. Both Comer and Hendy were prominent in the home defence. Norman did extremely well when he kept out a drive from Grace. The Rovers' prospects slumped in the 17th minute, when Norman left the field with an injured left hand. Left-back Comer donned his jersey for nine minutes, and displayed the same tenacity he always shows on the field. Norman returned with his hand heavily bandaged, and with some of his fingers strapped together, because of a severe gash. Although obviously handicapped, Norman played heroically throughout, and was later taken to two hospitals before he eventually received the necessary treatment, which included four stitches in the wound. Resuming his normal position, Comer moved up to take a free kick pass from Boxley, and forced Barnett to make his best save so far, but a minute later Barnett made an even more spectacular save from Collett. Wingers Rees and Stuckey were prominent in Exeter attacks, and as the issue hung in the balance, Allen cracked in the opening goal for the Rovers in the 40th minute after Henderson had provided the danger. Early in the second half the Rovers concentrated all in a bid to increase their lead, but all that resulted were goalmouth thrills and some extremely lucky escapes for Exeter.
Rees was always a danger, and threatened with every breakaway. From one of his movements Ley flashed the ball an inch wide of the post, while Norman made a remarkable save from Stuckey. In reply, Watts and Comer were equally close for Welton, and although the Rovers continued to enjoy a territorial advantage, for- tunes changed again midway through the half. Rees again sped up the left wing, and his cross found centre- forward Riding, who cracked in the equaliser in the 67th minute. The thrill-a-minute game con- tinued with increased excitement, and the City looked set for victory when a similar move produced a second goal from Riding four minutes from the end. But it was not the end of the Rovers, and two minutes later Boxley, with extreme skill and power, drove home the equaliser from a free kick, to earn the Rovers a richly deserved point in a game which will long be remembered.

Welton Rovers:- Norman; Burt, Comer; Slocombe, Hendy, Prosser; Collett, Allen, Henderson, Watts, Boxley.

City Reserves:- Barnett; Pope, Fulton; Rutley, Higgins, Grace; Stuckey, Carter, Riding, Ley, Rees.

Exeter City Reserves by sharing four goals spoilt the record of the League leaders, Welton, whe had won every one of their previous ten matches.