ECFC 1-0 Swindon Town
Scorers: Kirk
Attendance: 8000

City v Swindon

Swindon Town, today's visitors to St James's Park, are always warmly welcomed at Exeter. The spice of special rivalry which is sure to be to the fore when the Railwaymen and the Grecians clash fires the imagination of the crowd, and ensures a tip-top game. 
Led by Frank Richardson, the old Plymouth Argyle centre forward, the Swindonians are going great guns this season, and are just now clinging closely to the Argyle in the role of Division leaders. Exeter City, on the other hand, are struggling to free themselves from a bad patch, and decided to try the experiment in this game of playing Harold Blackmore at centre-forward, it being the Silverton sharp-shooter's first Football League match. A lot depended, of course, on how this venture panned out, but everything pointed to a very strenuous and exciting match. Unfortunately the afternoon was wet, and in a gloomy atmosphere
The teams lined up as follows:

Exeter City:
Bailey
Pollard Charlton
Pullan Crompton Jones
Matthews Kirk Blackmore Davis Compton

Referee: Mr H.E.Gray, of London.

Davies Johnson Richardson Ruddlesdin Denyer
Wareing Furniss Cooper
Weston Dickinson
Randall
Swindon Town:

The visitors were given a great reception by a large party of their supporters in the grandstand. Sir Robert Newman, Bart., was an early arrival, and was heartily cheered on taking his seat, and Messrs Penny and Day also accepted the City club's invitation to attend the match.

EXETER CITY 1 SWINDON TOWN 0 

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 25TH,
AT ST JAMES'S PARK.
Last season: City 3 Swindon 1.

Charlton won the toss and the Grecians occupied the St James's Road end of the field in the opening half. Richardson started the ball rolling, and Swindon's first rush ended with a goal kick to Exeter. Midfield play ran largely in Exeter's favour in the first few minutes, and a right wing movement promised well until Kirk kicked too far forward, the ball running over the goal-line. The Swindon goal had an early escape when Randall saved from Compton but failed to grasp the ball securely, and it rolled along the goal line between the posts until Dickinson ran back and kicked clear. The Grecians, playing up smartly before a bigger than average crowd, drove in several attacks, and shots by Matthews and Compton missed by the merest fraction. Blackmore gained possession close in,
but his shot struck Davis and went behind.

A STATE OF GREAT EXCITEMENT.
Midway through the half Swindon showed up for a moment, but they quite failed to get into their stride, and Exeter again set up such pressure as roused the crowd to a state of great excitement. The City's superiority at this stage of the game was very marked, and Charlton's excellent defensive play had a lot to do with Swindon's forwards being blotted out. In another sparkling raid by the City the ball cannoned off the upright from a shot by Compton. A solo effort by Richardson caused a thrill, but nothing more. The Railwaymen, however, got through again and in force this time, and Bailey ran out and cleared the danger with a businesslike rush and a flying kick. Then from a nice centre by Denyer the ball was headed just wide by Ruddlesdin.

BAILEY TO THE RESCUE.
From this stage onwards Swindon took a bigger share in the game, and in one of their attacks Richardson shot fiercely, but the ball passed wide of the posts. Away went the City to the other end, but only momentarily, for a mistake by Pullan let Ruddlesdin through, in possession. Bailey came flying out of his goal and threw himself at the ball, and by doing so caused Ruddlesdin to shoot wide. With half-time approaching both sides strove fiercely for the opening score, and a threatening centre from Matthews was headed literally off the Swindon goal-line by Dickinson, and at the other end the ball was flashed over the bar by Richardson.

SECOND HALF.
Compton forced a corner when the game was resumed, but nothing came of it, and Richardson carried play to the other end. So the game continued for the next five minutes, sparkling raids by both teams keeping the crowd on tenterhooks. Pollard held up Richardson with a beautiful last-minute tackle when the old Argyle leader was making tracks for the Exeter goal, and when Exeter transferred the play a centre from Compton landed on top of the goal netting. The City put everything they knew into their game, and the Swindon backs were obliged to kick anywhere for safely.
The Grecians got their reward after fifteen minutes, and all-in assault ending in Kirk firing the ball into the net, with Randall beaten to the world. The crowd, who have not always treated Kirk very fairly, cheered enthusiastically as "Jazzo" treated them to a display of his customary exhuberance on the scoring of a goal, and his colleagues were warm in their congratulations. Swindon redoubled their efforts, but Exeter were in grim earnest and sent their opponents back. The Grecians attacked in a line, and Randall made a flying save to punch out a great shot from Pullan. Swindon's best trump card was an occasional solo effort on the part of Richardson, but Pollard's watchfulness accounted for any raids, and the City piled on the pressure relentlessly. The crowd thoroughly enjoyed the fierce contest, and with every reason. such

BLACKMORE CLOSELY MARKED.

Blackmore shot from an acute angle, and the ball was pushed out to Matthews, who could have tapped it home with ease, but instead lifted it over the bar. Throughout the game Blackmore had been very closely marked, and the attention paid to him by the visiting backs indicated that they had heard something beforehand of his prowess as a marksman. It was a great game and a grand result, thoroughly well earned by the Grecians.

The attendance was 8,000.

SWINDON RESERVES V CITY RESERVES.

Southern League.

An entertaining game was provided at the Wiltshire County Ground on the occasion of today's Southern League match between the City and Swindon reserve teams. Purcell opened the scoring for Swindon after only five minutes, but Exeter fought back well, and after several attempts had missed
narrowly Lievesley levelled the score five minutes before half-time.
The winning goal was obtained by Daniels, for Swindon, after the interval. Result: Swindon Reserves 2 Exeter City Reserves 1. 

Exeter Reserves: - Pavey; Burdon and Flynn; Crawshaw, Potter, and Smith; Newman, Smelt, Lievesley, Appleyard, and Shelton.