ECFC 0-4 Plymouth Argyle
Attendance: 13 000


BOXING DAY MATCH AT ST JAMES'S PARK

Four More Goals in Exeter's Locker:

The Argyle's visit to Exeter on Boxing Day for the return match attracted nearly 13,000 spectators, including a large contingent from Plymouth. Those from the Three Towns had the joy of seeing their favourites trounce Exeter City as decisively as they did on Christmas Day. The Argyle again found the net on four occasions, while the City, in spite of a plucky fight, were unable to score.

CITY 0
ARGYLE 4 Cherrett 2, Corcoran, Preston.

Referee:- Mr W.E.Russell, of Swindon.

Exeter City:
Bailey; Coleburne, Charlton; Murray, McIntosh, Gilchrist; Matthews, Kirk, J.Batten, Gallogley, Shelton.

The Argyle:
Craig; Forbes, Russell;
Dickenson, Preston, Eastwood; Corcoran, Logan, Cherrett, Leslie, H.G.Batten.

DESCRIPTION

A faultless defence, superiority at half-back, and the ability of the forwards to make good use of scoring chances were the prominent factors in Plymouth's success. While failing to equal the brilliance of Christmas Day, the Argyle forwards thoroughly mastered the situation, and there was not a single weak spot in the whole line.

In the opening stages Leslie and H.Batten forced the play, and frequently had the City defence in difficulties. At the end of ten minutes' play their efforts resulted in Cherrett netting from easy range with Bailey unable to reach the final shot.

Once or twice the City threatened to equalise, but the efforts usually fizzled out before they got as far as Cook, and for the most part the exchanges ruled very much in Plymouth's favour. On the change over, the City had more of the game, and Cook had to save from Gallogley and Kirk. But after fifteen minutes Plymouth increased their advantage, and again the danger came from the left wing. Batten was put through cleverly by Leslie and centred nicely for Corcoran to meet it and lift the ball over Bailey's head into the roof of the net. There was now no question of the ultimate result.

A header by Kirk from Shelton's centre, and a hefty drive by Gilchrist were the City's best efforts, but each was saved calmly by Craig, who never looked like being beaten by anything Exeter's forward produced, and Cherrett at the opposite end went closer when he thumped the ball against the goalpost from Corcoran's corner kick. Then Preston and Cherrett added to Plymouth's score, and for the second time in the two days Exeter had four goals in locker. their

SOUTHERN LEAGUE.
Argyle Reserves v. City Reserves

AT HOME PARK

From the start Plymouth demonstrated their superiority over the City Reserves, when they won by four goals to two. The Argyle did by far the greater amount of attacking, and much of the danger came from the left wing, Baker sending over a string of beautiful centres which deserved a better reward.

The City opened the scoring just before the interval when Wray beat Cook with a nice header, but in the next minute with the City appealing for offside, Kirkpatrick went on and centred to Fowler, who equalised. Despite the appeals of Pollard and his colleagues, the goal was allowed to stand. After the interval the play was almost continuously in Exeter's half of the field.

OBSERVATIONS ON THE DEVON DERBIES:

The two crashing four-nil victories obtained by Plymouth Argyle over Exeter City in the Christmastide "Derbies" have again raised strong hopes of promotion amongst Soccer devotees in the Western port. At Exeter, of course, these results have had the effect of a wet blanket. One match short of half the League programme, Exeter City find themselves with only thirteen points, very much at the wrong end of the Southern Division table, and the knowledge that the forwards have only been able to score in five League games out of twenty.

The last fact is the most significant of all. It means that the City have to consider all over again, and very seriously, the vexed question of the attack. A good scoring combination must be found, that will improve the average and win some matches, and without any further delay. In Cup football all the City's seven goals have been scored by Davis, Matthews, and Shelton. In the League the Grecians have netted the ball legitimately in only two games since the end of September. It is hard luck on the club that they should be in this dilemma with the Grimsby Town cup-tie so close, but the fact cannot be escaped from that the weakness is there.

THE MATCH AT HOME PARK

This was played on the morning of Christmas Day, and attended by a crowd of about 14,000 spectators, representing £750 paid at the turnstiles. The weather was very pleasant, and clean play and good sportsmanship was the keynote of the contest from start to finish. Exeter had the better of play up to the interval and the Argyle were kept on the defensive for long periods.

Ten minutes of the second half had gone by when Cherrett opened the scoring, and there was no other goal until eight minutes before the end. Then the Argyle got three more in quick succession through Cherrett, Eastwood, and Leslie. The Eastwood effort was remarkable from the fact that the player took the ball clean through the City defence in a brilliant individual effort, and wound up by beating Bailey with a spanking drive that no goalkeeper could have stopped.

Bailey was in grand form in the Exeter goal, and the forwards of Exeter played quite well in the first half (apart from scoring) but fell away after the change of ends. Logan was an outstanding figure at inside-right for the Pilgrims, his football particularly in the final twenty minutes of the game being of a class rarely encountered in the Third Division. Bob Preston was also in great form.

ON BOXING DAY AT EXETER

At St James's Park a crowd of about 12,000 saw the other four goals registered against the Grecians, and without reply. And this time no-one could grudge the winners any of the goals, only bemoan the weakness of the Exeter forwards and half-backs. The Grecians, in fact, played much better at Plymouth on Christmas Day than they did before their own following in the return game.

The Pilgrims made no team change, but Exeter substituted Batten handicapped at Home Park by a severe cold which became worse as the day advanced. Exeter did a lot of attacking in the opening ten or twelve minutes, but their only real trump card appeared to be pass out to Matthews. The Bristolian responded gamely, and gave a. some anxiety to Eastwood and Russell, but nothing came of several good centres which he delivered.

A CLEVERLY PLACED SHOT

Then the Pilgrims roused themselves in quite a casual way, and Bailey was at once in the wars. He made two brilliant saves from Leslie, and Dickenson, with the goal almost at his mercy, put the ball a couple of feet over the bar. But the pressure was such that a goal had to come, and Cherrett, receiving from H.Batten, scored with a cleverly placed shot which travelled too fast to permit of Bailey's interception. In subsequent play Corcoran repeatedly got the better of Gilchrist, and there should have been more goals.

Happily for the Grecians, however, Corcoran and Logan were very remiss when it came to finishing off their moves, and both players shot wildly and wide when splendidly placed.

The Pilgrims' second goal was delayed till a few minutes after the interval, and came as a sequel to a glorious centre by Batten. Cherrett and Leslie were after it instantly, and Bailey had to jump and flick the ball aside. In doing so the goalkeeper tumbled, and lost his footing, and while he lay prone on the turf Corcoran, the essence of coolness, trapped the leather and returned it to the goal, where there was no-one to prevent it entering the net.

THE EXCELLENCE OF BAILEY

Only the excellence of Bailey saved Exeter City five minutes later, when the Argyle right wing pair broke through and took the ball right up to the City goalmouth. A sharp shot at close range by Logan was turned by Bailey on to the crossbar and when the ball rebounded into play it was cleared. From the clearance and the punt upfield Kirk had a grand chance of reducing the Argyle's lead, but he shot like a novice and the ball went wide.

Craig followed Bailey's example and produced a superb piece of goalkeeping, first from a free kick by McIntosh, and next from a sharp swift shot by Kirk to the goalkeeper's right. Then the tide turned again, and the last flicker of hope of a sensationally rally by the Grecians was extinguished, for Bob Preston with a beautiful lobbed shot drove home from a corner kick taken by Corcoran, and in less than no time Cherrett followed with the Argyle's fourth goal, the natural sequel to a move by the Logan and Corcoran wing which had the City defence in a tangle. The Argyle played like a winning team after the initial ten minutes, and the Grecians were so inept at inside-forward that they never looked like getting on terms from the moment when Cherrett gave his team the lead. Plymouth Argyle in all departments of the team were a vastly superior force, and they put up a very workmanlike display. Russell and Preston were in the sort of form that inspires critics to write of a "rock like" and stubborn defence, and the whole forward line played with smoothness and skill to such an extent that the art of scoring goals was made to look simple.

The City were soundly beaten, but for all that, there were a few of the Grecians who fought well in a losing battle. Confronted by a defence of more than average power the Exeter inside forwards flew distress signals for three quarters of the game. They brought the ball backwards more often than not, and it was the exception rather than the rule to see them in position. Most of the passes that were given to Matthews and Shelton were worse than useless because they were so badly placed, and the good shots delivered at the Plymouth goal in the course of the afternoon could be counted on the fingers of one hand.

It has now been established that the official attendance record for St James's Park was made last season on Easter Monday, when the figure for the City v Argyle match was 15,100 (people paying at the turnstiles) plus 600 ticket holders, making an aggregate of 15,700. The attendance at the match on Boxing Day was about 2,000 short of that figure.

EXETER CITY BOTTOM

The latest failures, including the two heavy defeats at the hands of Plymouth Argyle, together with the success, or partial success, of some of the other clubs in low water, have resulted in the City dropping to the bottom of the League.