ECFC 0-0 Bristol City
Attendance: 7000


Saturday, February 24th,
at St James's Park, Exeter.

EXETER CITY 0 BRISTOL CITY 0.

Last season: No match.

There was something of a Cup-tie savour about Exeter City's League match with the Babes at St James's Park this afternoon. The visitors imperative need of the points in furtherance of their Promotion Campaign, the Grecians' success in forcing a draw at Ashton Gate last Saturday, and the determination and confidence freely expressed in both camps, gave the game a very picturesque aspect. Large numbers of the Babes' supporters made the journey from Bristol.

Each club made one alteration from the teams fielded in the previous meeting. Bristol City had Fairclough at centre-forward again, after a fortnight's absence through injury, and Exeter, lacking the services of Jimmy Rigby due to his serious injury to his right knee, introduced Ernest Coopland, formerly of The Arsenal, whose signature Mr Mavin secured during the week.

GATES OPENED EARLY

The ground was in wonderfully good trim compared with most at this time of the year, and especially in view of the heavy rain of the past week. There was plenty of good grass, and the only bad patch was in the centre. The turf, of course, was very wet, and likely to cut up quickly, but in the absence of wind a fast and hard game was anticipated.

The gates were opened earlier than usual, and the grandstand and covered portion of the enclosure filled up quickly. By three o'clock the attendance numbered six thousand, and the crowd was still streaming in fast. Many spectators had brought with them monster rattles and bells, while in the intervals between the Exeter City Military Band's musical selections popular choruses rolled out from the packed mass in the middle of the big bank. "SALLY. YOU BROUGHT THE SUNSHINE TO OUR ALLEY"

Just after three o'clock a drenching rainstorm swept over the ground, and a mass of umbrellas sprang into prominence in all parts of the terracing. With a rich vein of humour the crowd on the popular bank, with one eye on the cosy stand occupants and the other on the rain, burst into song with a chorus about "the difference that money makes to you." A lull in the storm was greeted with "Sally. - You Brought the Sunshine to Our Alley." There was a big cheer for Ellis Crompton and the Grecians as they took the field, but a bigger one from the voiciferous men of Bristol when Banfield led the Babes out. The Bristol captain Iwon the toss, and Exeter occupied the "Duke" bank during the first period. The sides were:

EXETER CITY
Pavey
Pollard Ackroyd
Coopland Mitton Crompton
Matthews Kirk Crockford Davis Dockray

Referee: Mr E.Tol free, of Southampton.

Pocock Sutherland Fairclough Walker Worlock Torrance Matthews Neesam Banfield Hughes
Vallis 
BRISTOL CITY


Fairclough had a white patch on his forehead over the right eye. Exeter were aggressive at the outset, but the ball twice passed behind the visitors' goal. Then the Babes attacked, and Pavey fielded a strong centre from Pocock, with Fairclough in pursuit. The City goalkeeper saved a quick shot from Fairclough a moment later, and at the Bristol end Banfield nipped in and cleared from Dockray, who had been put through by Crockford.

Other brilliant attacks by Exeter followed, with Davis and Matthews prominent, but Bristol packed their goal thoughtfully and got to all the centres before a shot could materialise. Coopland Creates a Good Impression.

After about fifteen minutes' play Exeter should have secured the lead. Pollard swung the ball into the Bristol penalty area, where Crockford gained possession with only Vallis to beat. He got his toe under the ball, however, and put it over the bar.

Bristol were similarly unlucky in the next minute, a centre by Pocock being missed by Walker, and another one by Fairclough. Coopland, a tall, slim young player, was fitting into Exeter's pattern of play very nicely, and creating a good impression by much useful work on the right of the intermediate line.

In fact there was some clever triangular work by both sides, and the game was very exciting. Exeter were having the bigger share of the play, but Vallis had yet to be seriously tested with anything like a hard shot. Offside against Worlock brought relief to Exeter, then a brief halt was occasioned through an injury to Neesam. Then "Sandy" Torrance did a bit of juggling with the ball only to find his forwards thrown offside by the Exeter defence when the pass was made. Pollard and Ackroyd, in fact, are extremely adept at this tactic, as many forwards have discovered.

Worlock compelled Crompton to concede a corner, but Davis got the ball and sent it to midfield. Bristol returned to the attack very smartly, and a mistake by Coopland resulted in Sutherland getting a fine shooting chance, but the old Millwall man placed the leather wide of the goal. Coopland showed fine judgment in the matter of positional play, and fine speed when he out paced Pocock in a hectic rush for the ball. Good combination between Dockray and Davis gave Crockford an opening, but he hesitated and the chance was lost.

Half-time:

EXETER CITY 0-0 BRISTOL CITY

The attendance had increased to 11,000, the best this season. Offside against Fairclough spoiled Bristol City's first attack when the game was resumed, and the next moment Hughes, with a weak clearance, conceded a corner. Dockray's flag kick was as perfect as always, and Mitton, meeting the ball on the half volley, sent it flying amongst the spectators at the far end.

Another offside decision against Fairclough vexed the Bristol following, and there were cries of "play the game Exeter." The Babes went prospecting for a goal, and Exeter had some anxious moments until Pollard dribbled the ball out of danger and passed to Coopland.

The excitement of the first half, however, was less apparent in the second, and in fact the game was now singularly lacking in incident. Hughes saved the Bristol goal from falling on one occasion, with Doc kray moving in at speed, and Pollard performed a similar service for the Grecians by getting in the way of a fierce "grounder" from Worlock.

Notes on the game.

The Bristol City following were delighted with the result, and sang lustily in the grandstand as the players made their way to contested. It was keen and clever, and almost entirely free of the dressing rooms. The first half of the game was splendidly fouls. Apart from a scrappy twenty minutes after the interval there was any amount of good play to enthuse over, and while the opening forty-five minutes, while the players were fresh, were the best, there were two hairbreadth escapes, one at each end, in the closing stages, when Hughes and Pollard in turn came to the rescue of their respective sides with thrilling clearances. The easiest scoring chance of the game fell to Crockford, four minutes after the start, but he lifted the ball high over the bar from six yards with only Vallis to beat.

The defences on both sides covered themselves with mud and glory. Coopland, the new half-back, played an exceedingly cool and thoughtful game, and will prove a fine acquisition. Like Bob Stewart at his best, he always seemed to have something in reserve.

The Grecians have done very well to check Bristol City's career in this fashion, and this is the first time that Bristol have failed to score in League football since September 23rd.

CITY RESERVES BEATEN AT BRISTOL 

Two thousand were present at Ashton Gate to witness the game between the reserves of Bristol and Exeter City, for Southern League points, this afternoon. Bristol attacked at the outset, Fryer being severely tested by Williams and Brown.

Then the Grecians broke away on the right, Newman sending across a terrific centre, which Parsons headed into the goal. At length, after a series of formidable attacks, Bristol were rewarded, the equalising goal coming from Mooney. Brown was then presented with a splendid chance of putting the Babes in front, but nullified his effort by handling the ball.

After half-time Mooney gave the Bristolians the lead, and although Exeter tried hard to get level they were gradually forced back on the defensive. In the last five minutes Williams and Pullan scored for Bristol, who thus won by 4 goals to 1.

PRESENTATION TO REG LORAM.

At St James's Park this afternoon, prior to the start of the match, Exeter City v Bristol City, Reginald Loram, the former City goalkeeper, was presented by the club's directors with a handsome drawing-room clock as a memento of his recent marriage. The timepiece bore the inscription:- "Presented to Mr Reg Loram on the occasion of his marriage, February 1923, by the Exeter City Football and Supporters Clubs."