Exeter's Luck" Brings a Draw

Saturday, October 22, at the Wiltshire County Ground.

SWINDON TOWN 1 EXETER CITY 1. Last season: Swindon 1 Exeter 1.

Exeter City, with Bullock and Percy Hill in the forward line, journeyed to Swindon today in an endeavour to wrest their usual point from the Railwaymen in their Wiltshire home.

Harold Fleming, the old International and the hero of many of the stirring encounters between the clubs before the war, was at outside-left, while Joe Coleburne, the ex-Grecian, occupied his usual place on the right side of the defence. The weather was gusty and inclined to be showery, and there was a thick covering of longish grass on the County Ground. The crowd numbered. bout 7,000 at the start.
Teams
Swindon Town 
Skiller
Coleburne Weston
Pocock Hawley Wareing
Jefferson Stokoe Phillipson Batty Fleming

Referee: Mr E.E.Small, of Bristol.

Exeter City 
Dockray Crompton Bullock Hill Newman
Graham Mitton Rigby
Pollard MacKechnie
Watson

At the request of the referee Exeter changed their colours to white shirts and blue knickers, Swindon undertaking to oblige at Exeter next Saturday. Watson had far from happy memories of his last visit to Swindon, for it was on this ground that nine goals were rattled in against Luton, for whom Watson kept goal, by the Railwaymen on the opening day of the 1920-21 season. Fleming won the toss, and Swindon had the advantage of a strong wind at their backs in the first half. The Grecians made headway, but Swindon took play to the other end, and Fleming was fouled outside the penalty area. Wareing took a direct shot from the free-kick, and put the ball into the mouth of the goal, Watson fisting clear. The leather was returned by Batty, Watson again clearing. Exeter made ground by means of combination between Dockray and Crompton, and Coleburne halted Bullock in the act of shooting.

Fleming scored a goal for Swindon, but the point was disallowed by Mr Small owing to Watson having been fouled by Phillipson. Fleming rounded MacKechnie and swept the ball across the middle for Batty to find the net after Phillipson had missed, Mr Small, however, disallowed the goal, ruling Phillipson offside. Rain had now begun to fall heavily.

Hill was brought down heavily, and Mitton's claim for kick was so strongly and persistently made that he was cautioned a free by Mr Small. Swindon returned to the attack, and Batty drove the ball forcefully against the post, and unquestionably it was the "Exeter Luck" that was saving the Grecians.

Mitton was injured and went on the right wing, Crompton taking the centre half berth and Hill moving over to partner Dockray. Swindon took the lead one minute before the interval, when a lovely centre from was headed into the net by Batty.

Second Half.

When the match was resumed it was seen that Dockray was inside left to Mitton, with Crompton still at centre half. Direct from the kick-off Dockray and Bullock obtained the ball and took it right through, but Skiller came out and cleared before Bullock could reach the final pass.

City's Injured Player Scores.

Newman dispossessed Wareing and centred, and Mitton headed the leather into the goal for the equaliser. The Exeter team's delight at this success inside a minute of restarting was unbounded, and Mitton, the injured player, was practically smothered by his colleagues.

Pollard was damaged in the next minute when he collided with the hefty Jefferson, but quickly resumed, and there followed some thrilling moments around the City goal. Exeter carried play to the other end, where Rigby rattled the Swindon cross-bar with a fierce drive from twenty-five yards. The rain was still pelting down, and this, together with the boisterous wind and the long grass, made the playing of football a difficult science. Still the home inside forwards were dangerous with their clever close passing movements on occasions, but the City defence was steady, and Watson was a reliable goalkeeper. Swindon came very near to scoring from a corner kick taken by Phillipson, and Watson made three fine clearances, the last one whilst on the ground, in rapid succession. He won further applause for an expert save from Fleming.

Rain became positively torrential, but the players stuck to it gamely, and the football was of the end to end description. The light failed badly in the closing few minutes, and the last sight was of Dockray haring off down the wing but firing the ball high over the bar.

Notes on the Game.

The driving rain affected play considerably, and Swindon, it has to be admitted, overcame the conditions better than Exeter. The Grecians's amazing luck in the first half, when Phillipson was somehow prevented from scoring, was quite in keeping with the tradition that has developed in matches against Swindon. Watson's splendid goalkeeping was invaluable. With the memory of his earlier visit to Swindon on his mind, he had plenty of critical moments, but came through his ordeal with flying colours. Mitton, although he managed to score the equalising goal, was a passenger for two thirds of the game, and Pollard was twice knocked out.

RESERVES MATCH

CITY 1-1 SWINDON TOWN .

Swindon Reserves provided the Southern League opposition today at St James's Park, both sides being well represented. The weather was dull, and rain threatened at intervals, while strong wind a had arisen during the morning.

CITY RESERVES:
Fryer;
Lodge, Stewart;
Siddall, Brown, Wilson;
Edge, A.V.Green, J.Green, Vowles, Congdon.

SWINDON RESERVES:
Nash;
Benfield, Bannister;
Rogers, Dawe, Langford;
Denyer, Metcalfe, Cooke, Johnson, Turner.

Johnson gave the visitors the lead a minute before the interval, and J.Green equalised a minute before the final whistle. Congdon and J. Green shone in the City attack, while Nash, Dawe, and Johnson were conspicuous for Swindon Town.