ECFC 2-0 Swansea Town
Scorers: Davis 2
Attendance: 4500

Exeter City's Best

SWANSEA BEATEN BY A CLEVER SIDE

Playing better football than in any match for a very long time Exeter City beat Swansea Town at St James's Park, on Wednesday evening, by two clear goals, both scored by Davis within minutes of the kick-off. The City made one change, Crawshaw being ten switched to left-half to the exclusion of Potter, and Pullan coming in on the right flank. The forwards were unchanged, despite their poor showing at Charlton on Saturday.

Wednesday, September 24th.

EXETER CITY 2 SWANSEA TOWN O.

Last season: City 1 Swansea 0.

Exeter City:
Bailey 
Pollard Charlton
Pullan Crompton Crawshaw
Matthews Kirk Davis Murray Compton

Referee:- Captain A.J.Prince-Cox, of Bristol.

Spottiswood Thompson Fowler Holland Miller Bellamy Sykes McPherson Milne Langford
Robson 
Swansea Town:

Compared with the performance of Saturday at the Valley, Exeter City were a transformed team. Right through the opening half, with Crompton in marvellous form and seeming just as young and fit as he was when he first arrived in Exeter twelve years ago, the Exeter half-backs exerted a big influence on the run of the play, and even although Pollard misjudged the ball in the air occasionally, which is quite a rare occurrance for him, the City team gave their most refreshing, workmanlike, and thoughtful display of the season so far. The frantic haste and pent-up anxiety which has been such an unwelcome characteristic of Exeter's play in recent games was not seen in this match. Speed was there in plenty, but governed always by brains. More often than not there was an element of cool and measured calculation about the Exeter moves, with the result that they were fraught with far more danger to the opposition than any amount of haphazard "hurry-scurry." The Exeter forwards carried their work through with an easy grace, which has been absent for a long time. Up to the moment when Ellis Crompton received an injury, midway through the second half, it always seemed likely for ankle the Grecians to add to their score. It was a vast changes from some matches in which nothing has seemed so improbable as a goal to the City!

SWANSEA DEFENCE KEPT VERY BUSY.

An Exeter attack, in which Compton decided to hold the ball and try a shot on his own was the first incident of note, but the shot was well wide of the goalposts. Some very attractive football by Exeter followed, all three half-backs passing well, while Davis and his forward line colleagues took their full share of the work. The Swansea defence was kept busy, and presently a forward pass from Kirk enabled Davis to hook the ball over Langford's head, and run on to draw Robson out of goal and beat him with the same type of shot that he used to such good effect in the early Cup-ties of last season. This was seven minutes after the start. Swansea were well to the fore in the next minute or two, and in one fast attack Crawshaw kicked out from the Exeter goalmouth a swerving centre from Spottiswood. Miller pounced on the ball, and put everything he knew into a strong cross-shot from the corner of the penalty area, but Bailey knows too much to be beaten by those sort of shots, and he proved it.

EXETER'S SECOND GOAL.

Straight away Davis, receiving the ball in midfield, turned it over to Kirk, whose first-time pass went unerringly to Matthews. The Bristolian dodged Milne very neatly and then surprised everyone but himself by shooting from nearly thirty yards' range, and from an angle. Matthews had taken the measure of the goal very accurately, and the ball dropped just under the crossbar. Robson hesitated and then tried to tip it over, but he had not allowed enough clearance. The ball struck against the woodwork, and the momentum of Robson's leap carried him to the ground. Davis had come up at top speed, and now lost no time in ramming the ball home with a shot which nearly broke through the top of the net. Bailey picked up a dangerous centre from Holland before Fowler could get to it, but this was only one isolated Swansea attempt, sandwiched between numerous fast sorties and clever moves by the Grecians, and in most of these Crompton took a leading role. But at the same time, Swansea should have scored once when Fowler from ten yards hit the wrong side of the net. And Holland shot splendidly in another attack, Bailey winning loud applause for a thrilling save. Then Exeter took up the running again, and the rare speed possessed by Matthews carried him clean through from Davis's pass, but when in range of the Swansea goal the Exeter winger found himself very hard pressed, and a most spirited move petered out with a tame shot. For a time play remained mostly in midfield. Crawshaw kept a very close watch on Miller, Crompton covered Fowler, and of the Swansea forwards only Thompson seemed able to find opportunities of showing his ability. Swansea's best player in fact was Sykes, who got through a lot of work at both ends of the field.

BAILEY'S MASTERLY SAVE.

The spectators got a rare thrill when Crompton gave Compton the ball, a fifty yards pass travelling with unerring acuracy over the grass, and Compton rounded Langford like a flash and shot with full force, only a trifle wide of the mark. But better than that, in the closing minute of the half, was the long range shot put in by Fowler. The ball suddenly swerved while in flight to the goal, and only a masterly save by Bailey kept it out of the net. Right on the half-time whistle Matthews centred, and the ball was seized on by Murray, but Davis got in his way and the chance was lost.

SECOND HALF.

A free kick against Crompton nearly led to the downfall of the Exeter goal on the restart, Fowler gaining possession and finding a way between the backs only to be frustrated again by the unbeatable Bailey. And now, for the first time in the game, Exeter appeared to be "wool gathering." Attack after attack was launched by the Welsh team, and the Grecians seemed wholly incapable of getting free. It seemed that their only ambition was to keep the enemy out. It was Crompton who eventually rallied the City forces, by his encouragement and example. One or two beautiful long transfers to Matthews and Compton gradually turned the game again the City's way, and a quick grounder from Murray looked all over a goal at the far end until Robson dived headlong on the ball at the last minute and scrambled it past the post. The speed and dribbling of Matthews had the Swansea defence in difficulties again, and then, at threequarter time, Crompton received an ankle injury, and after treatment on and off the field came back to take up the inside-right position. Milne had his name taken for the foul on Crompton. The game ended with two corners to Swansea, both of which were saved by Bailey.

The match was attended by a crowd of 4,500, all of whom thoroughly enjoyed it.