Match 01
29th August 1925
Reading (a)
Southern League
Ebbw Vale (h)
Reading v ECFC (Lost 3-2)
Scorers: Exeter, Compton (2), Reading, Braithwaite 2, Davey.
Referee: Mr H Richards of Bristol.
Attendance: 12,834, receipts £732.
Reading: Duckworth, Eggo, McConnell, Wilson, Messer, Evans, Smith, Braithwaite, Davey, Tinsley, Springell.
Exeter: Bailey, Pollard, Hawkins, Pullan, Crompton, Potter, Matthews, Kirk, Blackmore, Myers, Compton.
Match Report.
McDevitt, Exeters’ new centre half from Liverpool, was unable to take his place in the Grecians’ team on account of lumbago. Ellis Crompton, the popular City veteran, took over his old position again in this, the twenty-second of his professional career. He will be forty years old next year.
Glorious weather prevailed, the breeze tempering the heat of the sun. The playing field was a picture after its summer overhaul by a nursery firm.
Eggo won the toss, and decided to play with the wind, towards the town. McConnell cleared Exeter's opening thrust, and the Reading players began booting the ball about as if they were heartily glad to see it again. A brilliant bit of close footwork by Myers put Exeter on the attack and Messer had to hurry to reach Kirk, who was dashing for goal. Messer was successful.
The next thrill came from the Exeter right wing, and corner won by Blackmore rewarded their efforts. The flag kick, was however, was poorly placed by Compton and Reading worked their way down the right wing, Smith swinging over a low centre which beat the City defence. Tinsley only had to tap the ball in to score but missed completely. Exeter took play to the other end, where Compton put the ball wide. Then after several minutes the first decision for offside was given by Mr Richards, against Blackmore. Reading were pressing again and a misplaced clearance by Pollard gave a "through ticket". Excitement ran high, and certainly the first goal of the season seemed assured as Davey steered the ball in the right direction of Bailey, but the Exeter goalkeeper came out at speed and succeeded in smothering the shot, and Hawkins booted away to safety.
Reading were persistent and play generally favoured them. Smith and Braithwaite, with their clever first-time passing, were the biggest danger to Exeter. At the Reading end Duckworth saved a weak shot by Blackmore, and a miskick by McConnell presented the City with a corner. Matthew's flag kick was netted by Myers but the point disallowed for hand ball.
In sixteen minutes Reading took the lead with a remarkable goal, Braithwaite gaining possession a long way outside the penalty area and beating Bailey with a brilliant shot from 30 yards.
In another two minutes Reading scored again, Braithwaite heading the ball in from the corner taken by Smith. Bailey was at fault.
Exeter stuck to their guns, and Duckworth saved from Matthew's, but generally speaking very little had been seen of the City attack. Kirk sent Matthews away with a wide pass, but when the ball came back to the middle "Jazzo" shot weakly behind.
After half an hours' play Davey scored Reading's third goal. The City defence hesitated in clearing a bouncing ball from Wilson, and before they could get hold of it Davey had taken possession and shot into the net at express speed.
As the interval approached players were obviously suffering from the heat, and Compton and Matthews both missed easy chances for Exeter. Reading had played throughout with the better method and greater understanding, and the game had been stopped only once for offside, which was a pleasing change from the old order.
The Grecians had the wind in their favour when the game restarted, and right away Potter ran the ball down and gave Blackmore a good opening. The centre forward dwelt upon it just long enough for Duckworth to dash out of goal and smother the shot. Keeping up the pressure, the City were more dangerous than at any previous time, and after Eggo had kicked out from the goal-line Blackmore turned the ball just wide, from Compton's pass.
Reading had a brief "look-in", but the City were soon hard at it again and a beautiful pass by Kirk enabled Matthews to get to the corner flag and deliver a perfect centre. Myers leapt high to head goalwards, but Duckworth jumped higher and just managed to tip the leather over the bar.
It was very refreshing to see an improvement in Exeter's football, and hard luck was experienced when a centre from Matthews hit the post with Duckworth at the other end of his goal. Then the ball was whipped across the face of the goal by Matthews, and all the other forwards missed it.
A half-volleyed shot by Potter dropped on top of the net, and ten minutes before the finish a beautiful pass by Compton completely beat the Reading defence. Blackmore veered round Messer and drew Duckworth from his goal before slipping the ball across the turf to Compton, who closed in and fired a daisy-cutter unerringly into the gaping net. The Reading team were visibly tiring, and the City were now the stronger side. Three minutes before finish a long kick across the field by Pullan went to Compton, who left Eggo standing and scored with another great shot. Exeter made a praiseworthy effort to get the equaliser but time beat them.
SOUTHERN LEAGUE:
CITY RESERVES v EBBW VALE
A splendid crowd assembled at St James's Park this afternoon for the opening match of the season, between Exeter City Reserves and Ebbw Vale. The Grecians, like the Welshmen, had out a very good side, and the only alteration from the one printed on the team sheet was the substitution of Arscott for Crompton, who, at the last moment was called upon to go to Reading to take the place of Mc Devitt. The teams lined up before a gate of between four and five thousand as follows.
CITY RESERVES.
Pavey; Lowton, Flynn; Crawshaw, Arscott, Cunningham;
Newman, Bolam, Quinn, Lievesley, Shelton.
EBBW VALE.
Howells; Traynor, Griffin; T.L.Jones, Codd, Harvey; Johnson, McGill, Lister, Smith, McCandless.
Arscott was in the picture with a nice pass to Newman, but the move failed in front of goal when Quinn headed wide from Newman's centre. Play was ragged in the early stages, but improved later on. After sixteen minutes Bolam scored with a brilliant shot from a centre by Shelton, and towards the interval the City increased their lead. Quinn was going through when his shot was handled by a defender, and Howells knew little about Lowton's penalty kick until the ball had hit the back of the net. Early in the second half Johnson scored for the Vale. Reserves 2 Ebbw Vale 1.
Scorers: Exeter, Compton (2), Reading, Braithwaite 2, Davey.
Referee: Mr H Richards of Bristol.
Attendance: 12,834, receipts £732.
Reading: Duckworth, Eggo, McConnell, Wilson, Messer, Evans, Smith, Braithwaite, Davey, Tinsley, Springell.
Exeter: Bailey, Pollard, Hawkins, Pullan, Crompton, Potter, Matthews, Kirk, Blackmore, Myers, Compton.
Match Report.
McDevitt, Exeters’ new centre half from Liverpool, was unable to take his place in the Grecians’ team on account of lumbago. Ellis Crompton, the popular City veteran, took over his old position again in this, the twenty-second of his professional career. He will be forty years old next year.
Glorious weather prevailed, the breeze tempering the heat of the sun. The playing field was a picture after its summer overhaul by a nursery firm.
Eggo won the toss, and decided to play with the wind, towards the town. McConnell cleared Exeter's opening thrust, and the Reading players began booting the ball about as if they were heartily glad to see it again. A brilliant bit of close footwork by Myers put Exeter on the attack and Messer had to hurry to reach Kirk, who was dashing for goal. Messer was successful.
The next thrill came from the Exeter right wing, and corner won by Blackmore rewarded their efforts. The flag kick, was however, was poorly placed by Compton and Reading worked their way down the right wing, Smith swinging over a low centre which beat the City defence. Tinsley only had to tap the ball in to score but missed completely. Exeter took play to the other end, where Compton put the ball wide. Then after several minutes the first decision for offside was given by Mr Richards, against Blackmore. Reading were pressing again and a misplaced clearance by Pollard gave a "through ticket". Excitement ran high, and certainly the first goal of the season seemed assured as Davey steered the ball in the right direction of Bailey, but the Exeter goalkeeper came out at speed and succeeded in smothering the shot, and Hawkins booted away to safety.
Reading were persistent and play generally favoured them. Smith and Braithwaite, with their clever first-time passing, were the biggest danger to Exeter. At the Reading end Duckworth saved a weak shot by Blackmore, and a miskick by McConnell presented the City with a corner. Matthew's flag kick was netted by Myers but the point disallowed for hand ball.
In sixteen minutes Reading took the lead with a remarkable goal, Braithwaite gaining possession a long way outside the penalty area and beating Bailey with a brilliant shot from 30 yards.
In another two minutes Reading scored again, Braithwaite heading the ball in from the corner taken by Smith. Bailey was at fault.
Exeter stuck to their guns, and Duckworth saved from Matthew's, but generally speaking very little had been seen of the City attack. Kirk sent Matthews away with a wide pass, but when the ball came back to the middle "Jazzo" shot weakly behind.
After half an hours' play Davey scored Reading's third goal. The City defence hesitated in clearing a bouncing ball from Wilson, and before they could get hold of it Davey had taken possession and shot into the net at express speed.
As the interval approached players were obviously suffering from the heat, and Compton and Matthews both missed easy chances for Exeter. Reading had played throughout with the better method and greater understanding, and the game had been stopped only once for offside, which was a pleasing change from the old order.
The Grecians had the wind in their favour when the game restarted, and right away Potter ran the ball down and gave Blackmore a good opening. The centre forward dwelt upon it just long enough for Duckworth to dash out of goal and smother the shot. Keeping up the pressure, the City were more dangerous than at any previous time, and after Eggo had kicked out from the goal-line Blackmore turned the ball just wide, from Compton's pass.
Reading had a brief "look-in", but the City were soon hard at it again and a beautiful pass by Kirk enabled Matthews to get to the corner flag and deliver a perfect centre. Myers leapt high to head goalwards, but Duckworth jumped higher and just managed to tip the leather over the bar.
It was very refreshing to see an improvement in Exeter's football, and hard luck was experienced when a centre from Matthews hit the post with Duckworth at the other end of his goal. Then the ball was whipped across the face of the goal by Matthews, and all the other forwards missed it.
A half-volleyed shot by Potter dropped on top of the net, and ten minutes before the finish a beautiful pass by Compton completely beat the Reading defence. Blackmore veered round Messer and drew Duckworth from his goal before slipping the ball across the turf to Compton, who closed in and fired a daisy-cutter unerringly into the gaping net. The Reading team were visibly tiring, and the City were now the stronger side. Three minutes before finish a long kick across the field by Pullan went to Compton, who left Eggo standing and scored with another great shot. Exeter made a praiseworthy effort to get the equaliser but time beat them.
SOUTHERN LEAGUE:
CITY RESERVES v EBBW VALE
A splendid crowd assembled at St James's Park this afternoon for the opening match of the season, between Exeter City Reserves and Ebbw Vale. The Grecians, like the Welshmen, had out a very good side, and the only alteration from the one printed on the team sheet was the substitution of Arscott for Crompton, who, at the last moment was called upon to go to Reading to take the place of Mc Devitt. The teams lined up before a gate of between four and five thousand as follows.
CITY RESERVES.
Pavey; Lowton, Flynn; Crawshaw, Arscott, Cunningham;
Newman, Bolam, Quinn, Lievesley, Shelton.
EBBW VALE.
Howells; Traynor, Griffin; T.L.Jones, Codd, Harvey; Johnson, McGill, Lister, Smith, McCandless.
Arscott was in the picture with a nice pass to Newman, but the move failed in front of goal when Quinn headed wide from Newman's centre. Play was ragged in the early stages, but improved later on. After sixteen minutes Bolam scored with a brilliant shot from a centre by Shelton, and towards the interval the City increased their lead. Quinn was going through when his shot was handled by a defender, and Howells knew little about Lowton's penalty kick until the ball had hit the back of the net. Early in the second half Johnson scored for the Vale. Reserves 2 Ebbw Vale 1.
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