ECFC 1-0 Reading
Scorers: Matthews (pen)
Attendance: 6500

Exeter City v Reading
Saturday, August 30th,
at St. James's Park.

Captains: Coleburne and Eggo.

CITY:
Bailey
Pollard Charlton
Coleburne Crompton Potter
Matthews Pullan Lievesley Davis Compton

Referee: Mr A.L.Grinstead, of London

Burns Tinsley Martin Higginbotham Young
Evans Messer Wilson
Grant Eggo
Duckworth
READING

EXETER CITY 1 (Matthews, pen) 1
READING 0.

Last season: City 3 Reading 2.

DESCRIPTION 

The emerald turf, glistening with misty rain, gave a perfect foothold without being hard, and the air was fresh and cool. When the sun broke through the clouds it seemed a trifle hot, but there were not many such occasions. The groundsman had been busy, all the morning at St James's Park, putting the finishing touches to brilliant white lines, and the trainer had likewise been busy, in preparing Exeter City's players for the fray in this, the opening Football League match of season 1924-25. 

To Exeter City the points were of special importance, in view of the fixture list, for three away games, at Ashton Gate, Merthyr, and Luton, have to be played before the Grecians are again at home. Pullan and Crompton, the two Bristol City captures, both made their debuts, whilst today's Reading side was vastly different from that of last season, no fewer than seven new men being included. About an hour before the start the Reading team, accompanied by the old City manager and erstwhile centre-half, Arthur Chadwick, arrived on the ground together with several of the club directors, and a number of supporters, and the Exeter City Military Band, under the conductorship of Mr George Newman, entertained the crowd during the period of waiting with a bright programme of music.
The visitors were a hefty looking side, and among the players new to their ranks were the following: -
J.Duckworth, from Aberdare Athletic, ex Blackburn Rovers;
J.Burns, from Glenavon, an Irish International;
H.Higginbotham, from Luton Town;
J.C.Martin, from Wolverhampton, ex Stoke and Aberdare;
W.Tinsley, from Notts Forest, ex Sunderland and Middlesbrough;
M.S.Young, from Hartlepools United.

Eggo won the toss for Reading, but as the sun was obscured and there was no wind it carried no advantage. The City made ground at the start, and Grant intervened when Compton tried to put Pullan through with a pass down the middle. The Reading backs covered up well in the next minute, when Lievesley made a dash for goal, and Eggo cleared from Lievesley after good combination on the Exeter right between Matthews and Pullan.

PULLAN HITS THE CROSSBAR.
Offside against Tinsley and Lievesley in turn spoiled the good leading-up work by the respective teams. Then Martin tried to find a passage through the City defence only to be robbed by Coleburne, while the giant Messer followed suit and the referee ruled Tinsley offside. A big cheer rang out when play was five minutes old. It was not a goal, but the next best thing. Compton got across a nice centre, and with a prompt shot Pullan crashed the ball against the bar. Crompton was covering Martin with all the skill at his command, and for a time the Reading attack was impotent, although there was a lot of spirited play in midfield. Potter intercepted a sudden
shot from Higginbotham, and the danger was nipped in the bud.

ATTACK AND DEFENCE BY MESSER.
Now Messer created a stir by dribbling the ball clean through the City defence with an extraordinary solo effort. Bailey raced out in an attempt to close down on the shot, and to the relief of the crowd the Reading centre-half in steering the ball wide of the goalkeeper put it outside the gaping goal. Exeter raced to the other end from Bailey's goal-kick, where Matthews endeavoured to get a shot in, but he did not hit the ball truly, and it went to the front of the goal, where Messer cleared after shouldering Lievesley out of the way. The Reading half backs were very lively, and play remained mostly in Exeter's territory. Another raid by the Grecians, and a good centre by Compton, harried the defence. Pullan forced a corner, which Compton took, but Eggo cleared with a long kick. 
Potter tried a direct shot from a free-kick, the ball sailing narrowly over the goal. Reading shook themselves free, Wilson with a nicely placed pass sending Martin and Higginbotham away, but the move was halted by Pollard. Charlton "skied" the ball in clearing from Young, and a sharp attack by the Grecians was headed off by Eggo, and Duckworth next saved from Lievesley. Play was running on very close lines, both teams displaying sound, strong football, and at the Exeter end Bailey saved well from Burns and Martin.

READING HIT THE BAR BUT EXETER SCORE.
When Matthews crossed the ball neatly from the corner flag the Reading goalkeeper had great difficulty in hooking it away from the waiting Lievesley. The ball was returned to the goalmouth, with a fine shot by Compton from an acute angle, and again Duckworth hit it away. Then a powerful drive from Crompton went over the bar. Fast end to end play kept the interest at a high pitch, and ten minutes before the interval Pullan fed Matthews with a ground pass. Grant intercepted the winger's centre, but Matthews got to the ball again and swept it across the field to Compton, whose first - time shot must have scored had it been on target. Unfortunately for the City, it crashed against the railings at the side of the goal. At the other end Higginbotham struck the crossbar with a long drive. A minute before half-time Grant, having been bested by Matthews in a duel for possession, close to goal, beat down Matthews's shot with his hand, and Exeter were awarded a penalty. Matthews, who did so well with spot-kicks last season, placed the ball on the spot and scored in the bottom left hand corner, with Duckworth making a good but vain attempt to save.

Half-time: City 1 Reading nil.
SECOND HALF.

Young got away on the Reading left wing, and successfully evaded Pollard's challenge before crossing the ball to Higginbotham, who had time to steady it and shoot from twelve yards' range. He was, however, much too slow and deliberate about it, and Potter dashed in front of him and blocked the ball. Charlton saved the City goal from falling with a lucky clearance, the ball hitting Higginbotham and flying several fleet over the bar. Then Potter saved a certain goal when a mistake by Pollard let Higginbotham and Martin through following a free-kick taken by Grant. Higginbotham seemed bound to score, ten yards from goal and only Bailey in front of him. Potter dashed across like lightning, got between Higginbotham and the Exeter goal, entangled the ball with his feet and "brought down the house" with a quick clearance, much to Higginbotham's annoyance. Grant was laid out by a hefty drive from Matthews, and had to be carried off to revive. Duckworth was bundled over by Davis in the act of clearing and Lievesley ran in to net the ball, but a foul was given against Davis, and the goal did not count. Grant resumed after an absence of about five minutes. Play was rather aimless in the closing stages, the only incidents of note being two saves by the goalkeepers, Bailey from Burns and Duckworth from Pullan.

SOUTHERN LEAGUE:
YEOVIL v CITY RESERVES.

There was a large attendance at Yeovil for the first Southern League match of the season. Yeovil included Scott, the new centre forward from Torquay United, and the City had Hampson and Jones at half-back and Appleyard, late of Barnsley, in the attack. The two amateurs, Burdon and Blackmore, also played.
Teams :
Yeovil:- Vallis; Watts, Day; Gregory, Gallon, Abbott; Edwards, Hayward, Scott, Pidgeon, and Gardner.
City:- Pavey; Burdon, Flynn; Crawshaw, Hampson, Jones; Newman, Blackmore, Appleyard, Murray, and Shelton.
Yeovil won the toss and were the first to attack, Gardner and Scott being unlucky with early attempts to score. Shelton got away on Exeter's left, and made a nice run, being finally stopped by Gallon . Blackmore had a golden opportunity from Shelton's centre but missed the goal with his shot. Shortly before the interval Pidgeon scored for Yeovil after a fierce scrimmage in the Exeter goalmouth. Appleyard failed from an easy position in the second half, and though Exeter did the majority of the attacking the Yeovil defence prevailed.
Result:
Yeovil & Petters 1-0 City Reserves.

FORMER GRECIANS.

Billy Richards, who played for Exeter City in 1922-23, has been appointed player-manager of Ebbw Vale, and has recruited Feebery, the old Bolton and Exeter full-back, from Brighton and Hove.