Sittingbourne 0-2 ECFC
FA Cup 6th Qualifying Round


SITTINGBOURNE V EXETER CITY

Grecians Qualify to Play in the Cup Proper:

SITTINGBOURNE 0
EXETER CITY 2  (Matthews Shelton)

Played on December 15th,
at Sittingbourne.

Attendance 2,000.

Referee: Mr T.J.Duke, of Willesden.

SITTINGBOURNE (LARGE RED AND BLACK SQUARES):

Bainbridge;
Bethune, Hawkins;
Tucker, Dickie, Shields; Hopper, Weston, Bertram, Brown, Frost.

EXETER CITY (RED AND WHITE STRIPES):

Shelton, Gallogley, Davis, Kirk, Matthews; Gilchrist, McIntosh, Hunter; Charlton, Coleburne;
Bailey.

Injuries, frequent and severe, robbed Exeter City of the chance of making a big impression in League football during the first half of the season, but at the first opportunity the Grecians are rising superior to their many misfortunes. And that opportunity this year is "The Cup."

Enthusiasm and optimism have characterised all their work in the Cup Competition to date, quite the opposite of their League form in fact, and the strength and skill shown in their play at the Newport County ground, Somerton Park, when they won by two clear goals, at St. James's Park when they drew 2-2 with Bristol Rovers, then on the Stapleton Road enclosure, when in the replayed tie they defeated the Rovers by a solitary goal, were a happy augury for today's Sixth and last Qualifying Round tie with Sittingbourne, Kent. Himself a great Cup fighter, and captain of some well remembered teams, Mr Mavin was in exceedingly hopeful mood yesterday, when the Grecians left St. David's Station for Herne Bay, where they were to stay over night. The City players were counting on nothing in the way of any weakness on the part of the Sittingbourne side. They expected the Kent County League club to put up a great fight, but were confident that they could be beaten, and meant to make every possible effort. On learning that Sittingbourne had only been defeated once on the ground this season (by Maidstone) Mr Mavin drily remarked that "We ought to do better than Maidstone." It was in this spirit that the

Grecians set out on their Cup mission yesterday.

COMPARISONS WITH EARLY CUP CAMPAIGNS

Mr Mavin rather likes Herne Bay. He stayed there twice when he was the captain of New Brompton, and each time the club was making preparation for a great F.A.Cup contest. On the first occasion they shocked the entire football world by beating Sunderland, and on the second they drew with Southampton (the Saints were a brilliant and very successful Cup team in those days) and only lost the replay by a last-minute goal.

Exeter City have not competed in as many as three rounds of the competition since season 1910-11, when after beating Reading and Nelson they went under at Burnley. The only occasion in the club's history when they have gone through more than three rounds was in their first campaign as a professional organisation, 1908-09, when they fought their way through all the qualifying rounds, and after beating Wrexham in the first round proper, fell eventually to their "old friends and rivals," Plymouth Argyle at Home Park.

CITY'S "HOPELESS" AWAY LEAGUE RECORD

Most of the prophets forecasted a win for the Grecians today but a few were dubious. The City's "away" League record, with never one single goal, let alone a win, to their credit, looked so absolutely hopeless. And on this particular aspect of Exeter City's doings the Sittingbourne club were building their hopes of victory.

DESCRIPTION OF THE GAME:

The weather was very mild, and the ground looked to be in a very good condition, but the attendance when the teams appeared on the field was much smaller than anticipated. Exeter kicked off, but the Kent League side were prominent straight away with a left wing move which Coleburne cleverly broke up. Then Matthews got away, putting across a fine centre, but Davis slipped and the ball was promptly kicked clear. A breakaway by Bertram was ably stemmed by McIntosh. 

Play had been in progress for only three minutes when the City took the lead in a simple manner. Matthews, in the penalty area, received from Davis and shot for goal. Davis ran in to intercept the goalkeeper, who fumbled the ball and allowed it to slip behind him into the net. Sittingbourne complained that Davis had punched the ball over the line with his hand, and the referee, after a few words with one of the linesmen, allowed the goal to stand.

Following this early disaster Sittingbourne tried to rally, but were easily dispossed by Hunter and Gilchrist every time they got over the half-way line.

Shelton and Gallogley were seen to advantage with clever short passing tactics, which, however, were of little advantage. A good combined move by the home team ended in Brown testing Bailey with a swift rising shot, which was saved, and a further rush by the home forwards was stopped by Charlton with a well judged tackle.

TOO MUCH LATITUDE

A promising move by Kirk and Matthews was nullified by offside against Davis. Having taken the lead in rather fortuitous fashion Exeter were playing a waiting game, but were allowing Sittingbourne a little too much latitude, and two dangerous shots from Brown and Weston caused Bailey to keep on the alert. Kirk drew applause with a fine individual dribble, but spoiled the effect when robbed of the ball by charging Hawkins in the back, for which he was admonished by Mr Duke. Another good move by Shelton and Gallogley was stopped by Tucker in the penalty area, and Kirk was beaten by Hawkins in a race for possession after Coleburne had cleared a corner at the City end. The Kent team were at least having a good share of the exchanges, but their work near goal was poor, the forwards, although players of Football League experience, being very excited and erretic when it came to shooting.

They scarcely ever got past Hunter, whose magnificent tackles, powerful and well-timed, were becoming a feature of the game. Two minutes before the half-time interval Weston received the ball and was making good headway when Gilchrist neatly rounded him and took the ball clean off his toes. Davis headed inches over the bar. The interval score was:
Sittingbourne 0 Exeter City 1.

SECOND HALF

Gilchrist stopped a raid by Hopper and Weston, and passed right across the field to Matthews, but Shields intervened, kicking into touch. Shortly afterwards the Sittingbourne team got their first really dangerous shot, through Shields from about 25 yards, and the ball just skimmed the top of the crossbar with Bailey beaten.
This narrow escape served to remind the City that they were playing for the Cup, and greater activity might be required. Matthews set off on one of his typical touch-line dribbles, and his centre, met by Davis with his head, flew over the bar at high speed. In the next minute Shelton was pulled up for offside when clean through, then the ever-resourceful Kirk snapped up a loose ball and shot wide of the posts after a thrilling run.

Bad markmanship by Weston and Hopper cost Sittingbourne a good chance of equalising, and back at the other end again Bainridge was equal to a drive from Gallogley and a header from Davis.

SITTINGBOURNE GOAL BOMBARDED

Towards the middle of this half the superior fitness of the City began to tell its own tale, and the Sittingbourne goal was bombarded with shots and headers from Kirk, Davis, and Gallogley. Many were too high or too wide, or both, and some were saved by Bainbridge, but the inevitable was bound to happen, and after 23 minutes of the second half Matthews sent over a perfectly placed centre, met with an equally perfect first-time shot by Shelton, and the ball crashed into the rigging with Bainbridge hopelessly beaten. The move was almost repeated a minute later, but this time the final shot, from Gallogley, travelled wide of the goal.

McIntosh then came through the middle at a fast pace and sent in a terrific drive which cannoned off a Sittingbourne defender, and cleared a path through the spectators behind the goal. Exeter were now making rings round their opponents, and pure luck kept intact the Sittingbourne goal during the closing stages of the game. The last incident of note was a fierce drive by Matthews, to which the overworked Bainbridge got the tips of his fingers, the ball flying high over the crossbar.

NOTES ON THE GAME

Typical cup-tie football prevailed, and as was anticipated, the City's play was much more of the match winning quality than their opponents. Bailey was scarcely troubled, and Coleburne and Charlton when called upon kicked with splendid accuracy and timing. Hunter and Mc Intosh were the pick of a fine trio of half-backs, and the competent and neat tackling of Hunter was a feature.

The whole front line worked together well, although Gallogley and Shelton were a little too lax in swinging the ball about. The big danger to Sittingbourne always came from Matthews, who was the his speed, were more than a match for his markers, his centres were most consistent player on the field. His control of the ball, plus always placed admirably exact, and just when and where required, and it is a wonder that the margin of goals was not greater. The result from Exeter City's point of view was satisfactory, in view of the fact that the ground had never previously been visited, the opposing team an unknown quantity, and the surroundings strange. Sides of a supposedly lesser calibre are difficult to beat, as the matches last year against Boscombe and Bath City amply testify.

BARRY V EXETER CITY RESERVES.
Southern League 

At Bristol Temple Meads Station the City's cup team were joined by the Reserves, who had in the afternoon picked up a very useful Southern League point in a goal-less draw with Barry.

The referee was Mr D.J.Sambrook, of Swansea, and the Exeter team was Pavey, Pollard, Flynn, Crawshaw, Henze, Potter, Lievesley, Murray, Batten, Lowson, and Lendon.

EXETER CITY'S GOOD FORTUNE:

Splendid Chance of Further Progress in the Cup

NORTHERN CLUB TO VISIT ST.JAMES'S PARK

Fortune favours the brave! If ever a club earned a slice of luck in the First Round Draw it is Exeter City, by their performances in the qualifying matches this season. And luck has come their way. Drawn at home to the winners of the Chesterfield v Grimsby Town tie, they have a splendid chance of passing on to Round Two. Grimsby, in the fifth round, beat Hinckley United at Hinckley by three goals to nil, and Chesterfield overcame Worksop at Worksop by two to nil. Evidently, they are both capable of putting up a good fight away from home.

CUP RESULTS

Sixth Round

December 15:
Chesterfield 0 Grimsby Town 0, at Chesterfield.

December 19:
Grimsby Town 2 Chesterfield 0, at Grimsby.

Exeter City will play Grimsby Town at St James's Park.