ECFC 1-3 Queen's Park Rangers  Scorers: Kirk
Attendance: 7000

City v Rangers

Saturday, September 13th,
at St James's Park.

EXETER CITY 1 QUEEN'S PARK RANGERS 2.

Last season: City 3 Rangers 0.

Strengthened by the return to the team of Charlton and Crompton the City, who lost at home to Bristol City on Wednesday evening, faced Queen's Park Rangers with renewed confidence at St. James's Park this afternoon. The visitors, who were decisively beaten on their last visit to Exeter, came here today without a win to their credit in the new campaign, although had already earned the reputation of being hard fighters.

EXETER CITY
Bailey
Pollard Charlton
Coleburne Crompton Potter 
Matthews Kirk Appleyard Davis Compton

Referee:-
Mr E.Tolfree, of Southampton.

Captains: - Coleburne and Knowles.

Ford Moore H.A.Brown Birch C.Brown Harris Knowles John
Ogley Marsden
Hill
QUEEN'S PARK RANGERS

The winning of the toss by the Rangers carried with it a double advantage, for in the opening half the City had to face the sun and a gusty wind. Ogley stemmed Exeter's opening spurt, and found touch near the corner flag at the far end, but the Grecians retaliated with spirit, and after some snappy pressure forced a corner. Kirk headed the flag kick on to Matthews, who just missed with a quick shot from fifteen yards.

PLAYERS INJURED.

The City had started with plenty of life and determination in their play, but after about a quarter of an hour fell away badly, their execution being very erratic. Passes were frequently sent in the wrong direction, or intercepted by an opponent, and generally the attacking methods of the Grecians, although well meant, were rather crude. They were certainly not comparable to the polished moves displayed by Bristol City when they were here on Wednesday evening. Exeter were very aggressive, however, in more ways than one, and during one of the several narrow escapes of the Rangers, Hill was knocked out, John having to go in goal temporarily. Play was rough, and Kirk also had to receive attention for an injury to his knee. Kirk had to go off, but resumed after five minutes' absence on the right wing, with Matthews inside. Potter was also hurt, but carried on in his usual position after receiving attention on the field.

RANGERS TAKE THE LEAD.

Although Exeter were having the better of the play they had not impressed so much as their opponents in front of goal, and the way the game was running was not relished by the crowd. Pollard headed away a dangerous cross from C.Brown, and Bailey saved from Birch. Hill had been charged over by Appleyard, and returned to the field to a round of applause after an absence of fifteen minutes. He was soon in action, having to dash out and rob Kirk of the ball. When the Rangers put pressure on the Exeter goal it was obvious that Charlton was still feeling the effects of his recent attack of influenza, and extra work was being thrown on the others members of the City rearguard. Yet it was Charlton who instigated one of the best moves of the match so far, beating two men and placing forward to the penalty area for Kirk to try his luck with a shot, the ball being met by Hill with his fists and sailing high over the bar. The game was 29 minutes old when the Rangers broke away from the half-way line, C.Brown taking the ball well down and crossing it to his name-sake in the centre, who had nothing to do but direct it past Bailey with the side of his right foot. The City defence was badly beaten, and although Bailey got his fingers to the ball he failed to arrest its flight to the net.

SUPPORTERS GETTING ANXIOUS.

As half-time approached, with the Rangers a goal ahead and well on top, the spectators began to get anxious as to the outcome of the match, and its eventual result. Knowles was intercepting most of Exeter's passes, and altogether good moves by the Grecians were few and far between. Their first-half play must have been easily the poorest threequarters of an hour to date. The second half was four minutes old when Kirk equalised. From Compton's strong centre into the penalty area Davis headed the ball on to Kirk, who responded with another lovely header which found its place comfortably in the top of the net. The crowd cheered in their relief, and for a while the Exeter players warmed to their work. Appleyard should have scored with a header, but the effort was not a good one, and he lost a further chance by dallying with the ball instead of passing to Compton, who was in a much better position for a shot at goal. Hill next saved from Kirk right on the goal-line. Eighteen minutes of the second half had elapsed when the lead was again won by the Rangers, and this time in a manner which was nothing less than tragic for Exeter. A centre from Ford appeared to be covered by Charlton's head, but the full-back ducked and let the ball through to Crompton, whose header took the wrong turning, and the surprised Bailey had no option but to pick the ball out of the net. Then with six minutes still to go Exeter City's cup of woe was filled to overflowing. Pollard attempted a short pass back to Bailey, and the ball miscarried, Moore taking it over and running it into the empty goal.

NOTES ON THE GAME.

Exeter gave their most disappointing display for many a long day and the game was the most consistently patchy and tantalising of any played on the ground for years. The full-backs were deplorably weak, and completely off-colour. Their erratic play appeared to be enough to gradually affect the whole team, apart from Bailey, who is deserving of sympathy. The Grecians fall from grace, and their second home defeat in a matter of four days, was nothing short of sensational, and it will be necessary to have a decided tightening of the screw if the team is to retain its prestige.

BARRY V EXETER CITY RESERVES.
Southern League.

The Reserves were defeated by a goal to nil at Barry, and the goal which beat them was scored by Cowie, a former City player.
The match was played for the most part in heavy rain, although there was a large attendance. Exeter lost several chances in the first fifteen minutes, mainly through forwards getting offside.  Cowie scored his goal five minutes before half-time following neat close passing movement, and the Exeter players seemed to be more handicapped than Barry by the drenching rain.

The City team was: - Pavey; Burdon, Flynn; Crawshaw, Hampson, Jones; Newman, Hayman, Lievesley, Murray, and Shelton.

Southern League
CITY RESERVES BEATEN AT SWANSEA

Wednesday, September 17th. Played at the Vetch Field.

SWANSEA RESERVES 2 CITY RESERVES 0.

Rain fell heavily during Tuesday night and all through the day on Wednesday at Swansea, but it cleared up just before 5 p.m., just in time for the kick-off, at 5.15, in the match between the City Reserves and Swansea Reserves, at the Vetch Field. There were only two thousand spectators, and the ground was very heavy, even though the pitch was splendidly carpeted with lush green grass.

SWANSEA RESERVES
Denoon
Bennett Langford
Davies Spence Hunt
Jenkins Holland Whitehead Wood Corkindale

Lendon Shelton Blackmore Appleyard Newman
Jones Hampson Coleburne
Flynn Burdon
Pavey
EXETER CITY RESERVES
Whitehead opened the scoring for Swansea with a fine shot, ten minutes after the start. The centre-forward raced Burdon for the ball, then went ahead to beat Pavey in style, the ball entering the goal close to the far post.

Exeter shaped well in midfield, Coleburne and Jones contriving with clever passes to get their attack moving, and Lendon was very nippy on the left wing. At close quarters, however, the City attack was weak, Shelton being the only man in the line to really challenge the Swansea Town backs. This lack of driving force near the Swansea goal was the un doing of Exeter, and midway through the first half the Town went further ahead through Wood, who shot the ball into the net from a scimmage following a corner kick. The ball struck one of Exeter's backs in its flight goalwards, and was deflected thereby out of the reach of Pavey. This proved to be all the scoring, although Exeter came very near to reducing the deficit in the second period, when Lendon pushed the ball through to Shelton, who made a fine attempt. Pavey did exceedingly well in goal for the City, his work being perfect all through the game. Flynn was a strong and safe back, and much good football was played by Coleburne and Jones. The forwards never impressed as a line, and the Swansea backs had a much easier time than they had any right to expect.

GRECIANS AT CHARD
An Interesting Game on Town Club's New Ground

Wednesday 17th September 1924

Ten goals were scored in the exhibition match at Chard, also on Wednesday evening, between Chard Town and Exeter City, who sent over their full Third Division League side, and nine of them went in at the lower end of the ground.

CHARD TOWN
Laurence
Cornish Stoodley
Gaylard Priddle A.Follett
R.Follett G.Follett Manning Marsh Clapp

Referee:- Mr Kirby.

Compton Murray Davis Chapman Matthews Potter Pullan Crawshaw Charlton Pollard
Bailey 
EXETER CITY

Exeter City, playing down the slope, scored six times in the first half, and obtained another goal a quarter of an hour after ends had been changed. The last mentioned effort, however, was immediately preceded by a goal to Chard Town through Clapp, while later Manning added two more goals. Exeter's net-finders were Murray and Davis, the tricky Scotchman beating Laurence four times as compared to the Plymouth man's three. But in fact the conditions under which the match was played were responsible for two of Murray's goals in the opening half. Thirty minutes after the start the City inside-left put in a fearsome shot. The ball flashed across the mouth of the goal, struck the upright, flew along the goal-line again, and before Laurence could move, rolled down the slope and came to rest just over the line beneath the posts. Exeter's sixth goal would have hardly gone in had the ball been dry. Drizzle fell just before play started, and although it cleared nicely for the game it made the ball slippery, and five minutes before half-time another fine shot of Murray's seemed to be safely in the hands of Laurence, but the ball went through, whence it rolled into the net.

CLEVER FIRST HALF PLAY.

Nearly two thousand spectators watched the play, and although the ground requires a little smoothing in places, everybody was very well pleased. The playing field is ideally situated, right in the centre of the town, and at the rear of the George Hotel. The new grandstand is a valuable addition to the amenities, and on this occasion was well filled. There was a band in attendance, and the whole affair went merrily. Suiting their game to the occasion, the Grecians, without ever being over-forceful, played delightful football in the first half. The pace of the players, individually, the accuracy of finding one another with first-time passes, the strength of their shooting and heading, all impressed the spectators greatly. Bailey was not called upon till Exe ter were six goals up, then Manning gained a corner with a shot which Bailey dived to and put round the post. Follett (R) placed the flag-kick nicely and Priddle made a splendid attempt to drive the ball through, but Charlton was on the goal-line and kicked it out.

A SURPRISE PACKET.

The second half was productive of many dashing movements by the Grecians, and a series of very sporty and amusing incidents at the lower end of the field, where the Chard attackers received a great deal of good humoured encouragement from certain of the Exeter City players. Once, indeed, one of the Grecians surprised his goalkeeper by swinging round and driving the ball inches over the City cross bar. It was a terrific shot! Exeter would have scored several more goals in the second half if Davis had nodded the ball goalwards instead of hitting it high over the bar with the top of his head. However, Exeter seemed quite content with their lead. 

At the interval Mr A.P.Indge, President of the Chard Town F. C., in a brief address, said he wished to thank Exeter City for helping them to start the new football ground.