Exeter City v Mansfield

August 19th 1978. 

Exeter City should have kicked off their Third Division programme with a victory at St James's Park and but for the frequent missing of reasonable goalscoring chances they would have done. It was a pity, because the team's performance in all other respects was an improvement on the form shown in the two Cup matches.

Result 0-0.

Exeter City:- O'Keefe; Templeman, Giles, Roberts, Hore; Hodge, Bowker, Randell; Delve, Kellow, Hatch.

Mansfield Town:- Arnold; Curtis, M.Saxby, McClelland, B.Foster; Miller, Bird, Allen; Martin, Syrett, Hodgson.

The Programme 

Western League
Bideford v Exeter City Reserves 

Exeter City Reserves, the only team to have defeated Bideford in the Western League last season, failed to do so this time for the same reason that the chiefs failed to beat Mansfield Town, the missing of good scoring chances. Had they turned some of these to account they would have blotted the record of last year's League runners up in the first game of the season instead of going under by 2-0. The main culprit was Roy Ireland, who with a little better accuracy in front of goal could have scored at least four times. Fine defensive displays by Clarke and Mitchell had the Bideford attack struggling, and Exeter's all-round form suggests that if they can do better in front of goal they will finish the season higher in the League than they were last year.

Bideford's goals were scored by Alan Hooker, formerly of Exeter City, and Peter Druce.

City Reserves:- Nute; Smythe, Clarke, Mitchell, Rowden; White, Skinner, Howarth; Ingham, Ireland, Holman.


Western League
Exeter City Reserves v Dawlish
August 22nd 1978 
After a goalless first half at St James's Park Exeter City Reserves at last showed some improvement in the matter of finishing, and earned themselves three points (new method of scoring points in the Western League this season) by getting two goals to the Dawlish team's one.

City Reserves:- Nute; Smythe, Clarke, Mitchell, Rowden; White, Forbes, Howarth; Ingham, Bickley, Holman.

Exeter's goals were scored by Bickley and White.

• Harry Holman, who is unable to regain his place in the first-eleven, has been placed on the open-to-transfer list at his own request.