CHARLTON ATHLETIC V EXETER CITY

Saturday, September 12th 1925.
Details

Referee:- Mr A.J.Attwood, of Newport.

Attendance : - 5,000.

CHARLTON ATHLETIC.
Preedy; Smith, Herod; Paterson, Armitage, Hardie; Allen, Mc Guire, Tricker, Millard, and Cox.

EXETER CITY.
Bailey; Pollard, Hawkins; Pullan, Crompton, Potter; Matthews, Bolam, Casson, Lievesley, and Compton.

DESCRIPTION

The meeting of Charlton Athletic and Exeter City at the "Valley this afternoon was expected to provide as close a game as was t case last year, when Charlton won by a bare goal. Injuries and other causes made it necessary for a rearrangement to be made in both teams. George Armitage reported himself fit, and took his place at centre half for Charlton. Paterson, a new half-back from Motherwell, was also included, but Rankin, anoth newcomer, from Dundee, could not play, owing to his registratio not being through in time. Besides the absence of Stanley Charlton, the City were under a handicap as both the regular inside-forwards, Kirk and Myers, were injured. Bolam and Lievesley took the vacant places.
Charlton Almost Scored in the First Minute.
The City, who won the toss, played in white shirts and dark blu knickers. Bright sunshine prevailed when Charlton kicked off, a in the first minute almost scored, Tricker taking up a pass from Armitage and shooting hard against the crossbar. The City then made one or two dangerous raids, and Compton just missed the far post with a fast cross-shot. Crompton frequently distinguished himself with some fine tackling, and he opened up the game with a lovely long pass to Compton, who cut in and beat Smith, the ball being eventually headed clear by Herod. A free kick to Exeter was well placed by Potter, but Smith cleared. In
another attack by the Grecians the ball was taken to the goal line by Pullan, and from his centre Lievesley headed over the bar. Charlton, whose half backs and forwards were smarter on the ball than Exeter's, took up the attack, and Bailey saved the day for the City by coming out of his goal to smother a shot from Cox. Bailey in the closing stages of this half was frequently able to give a demonstration of his clever goalkeeping, saving in turn from Cox, Allen, Millard, and Allen again.

Second Half.
Tricker scored for Charlton in the sixth minute. Rain had started to fall when the game was resumed, and Exeter, now having to face the elements, were under severe pressure. Hawkins was prominent with sound defensive play at this stage, but Exeter had a chance of equalising after fifteen minutes when Matthews beat Hardie and centred to Casson, who was hemmed in. Casson passed to Compton, who with an oblique shot sent the ball over the crossbar. Preedy saved well from Casson, but in the last quarter of the game the play ran largely in favour of Charlton. The football of Bolam, Casson, and Lievesley was much too erratic, for they all lacked steadiness in ball control and accuracy when it came to shooting. Compton was quite off his game in the first half, but improved, while Matthews, although not supplied too well with the ball, always centred with precision, and was, considering his limited chances, Exeter's best forward. Crompton was hard a worker in a defence that was sometimes shaky, both Pollard and Hawkins missing many tackles, but Bailey kept goal brilliantly. Charlton were much the faster team.

SOUTHERN LEAGUE
CITY RESERVES v ARGYLE RESERVES

Exeter City's first match in connection with the Western League's new professional division was played at St. James's Park today. There was a crowd of 3,000, and the weather was fine. Exeter were below strength owing to injuries.

City Reserves: Pavey; Lowton, Flynn; Crawshaw, Arscott, Shelton; Newman, Quinn, Blackmore, Chapman, and Harrison.

Argyle Reserves:- Taylor; Jackson, Frost; Connor, Deacon, Jenkins; Healey, Sloan, Cherrett, Ogilvie, and Wallace.

Referee:- Mr A.Richards.

Cherrett was conspicuous in the opening minute, Pavey having to boot away a dangerous low shot which the ex-Pompey leader sent in after a nice close passing move between Healey and Sloan. The City's passing was poor, although Blackmore tried to get both the wingers going, and Arscott shaped very well at feeding the front men. Pavey saved from Sloan, following a free kick, and then, in a sparkling rush to the other end Chapman headed Newman's centre so precisely that Taylor could only turn the ball on to the bar, and then over, for a corner. From the flag kick Quinn headed the ball into the net with great force, a goal that pleased the crowd immensely. This was scored at the end of thirteen minutes. Lowton Scored Against Exeter. Much encouraged, the Grecians beat off the Argyle attacks, and themselves pressed the visitors' defence hard with a series of spirited moves, Blackmore once having hard luck with a terrific shot after he had engineered the opening for himself. Pavey tipped over the bar from Wallace, and Lowton excelled with some splendid clearances. The City packed their goal skilfully whenever danger threatened, and Pavey saw to anything that the backs could not deal with. Exeter's forward line was handicapped by Quinn getting injured, and weak passing by Crawshaw and Harrison did not improve things. Worse was to follow, for five minutes before the half time change of ends the Argyle forwards got away in a line, and a centre from Healey was turned into the Exeter net by Lowton.

Second Half.
Pavey saved from Cherrett, and Lowton headed away from Wallace when Pavey was out of position. The Argyle half-backs indulged in much fancy passing in midfield, but it got them nowhere, for Cherrett and company were well covered. A miskick by Shelton gave Ogilvie a chance, but the ball missed its mark, and at a second attempt, from a pass by Deacon, the Argyle inside left shot over. Blackmore and Newman combined well to get the Exeter attack on the move, and it was noticeable that nobody enjoyed the rough and tumble more than the diminuitive Chapman. Taylor saved from Blackmore by turning the ball round the post. Ten minutes before "time" Healey went through strongly and fired the ball against the angle of the post and crossbar, and Sloan followed up with a good effort which missed by inches only. The result, City Reserves 1 Plymouth Reserves 1, was a fair index of the game.

Wednesday, September 16th 1925.
Staying On Top 
ANOTHER SUCCESS FOR THE CITY RESERVES

City Reserves 3 Mid Rhondda 1.

The two thousand or so spectators who assembled at St James's Park for Wednesday's evening Southern League match were rewarded with a bright display. By their victory the City Reserves have strengthened their position as leaders of the Southern League competition. Their next Southern League engagement will be at St James's Park, against Torquay United, on Saturday, the 26th inst.

City Reserves.
Pavey
Hawkins Flynn
Crawshaw Lowton Shelton
Newman Bolam Blackmore Chapman Lievesley

Referee:- Mr R.A.Bowden.

Lyner Paterson Williams Coombes Edwards
Read Porter Brown
Spencer Graham
Gibbon
Mid-Rhondda.

The Welshmen had to give best to a smarter side, for although the home forwards were erratic at times Exeter were better together and smarter on the ball, and their defence was decidedly the stronger. Pavey did his share towards the discomfiture of the opposition, his quickness in covering his goal having an appreciable effect on the run of the early play. Furthermore, it was a nice change to see that Pavey had less to do than the goalkeeper at the other end of the field, and it was good to see the Grecians winning handsomely in their stride.

BLACKMORE SHOT OUTSIDE.
Gibbon made some spectacular clearances from Blackmore in the early stages, Chapman and Bolam giving the leader a number of excellent
opportunities. At the end of ten minutes Chapman opened up a path through the Rhondda defence in delightful fashion, a move which was typical of the old Willey's Cadet days, when they had the smartest junior side in the county. Sad to relate, Blackmore this time, from the easiest of chances, shot outside. Exeter kept pegging away till at the end of 30 minutes Blackmore and Bolam made a dive at a tempting ball in the Mid-Rhondda goalmouth, and Bolam smartly turned it into the net well out of Gibbon's reach. Shortly before the interval the visitors set up a clever attack, and were unlucky not to equalise, but when Paterson, the former Scottish International, fed Coombes in front of the Exeter goal the inside right, with the simplest of chances, could do no better than strike the crossbar.

Half-time:
City Reserves 1 Mid-Rhondda 0.

SECOND HALF.
Directly after the change of ends Gibbon dealt with a dangerous shot from the boisterous Chapman, the small forward with the big heart, and then, after five minutes, Mid-Rhondda equalised. Pavey beat out an awkward shot at close range, but before he could regain position the ball was returned, and Hawkins followed Pavey's example by hitting it out with his fist. Edwards scored neatly from the penalty spot. Exeter went ahead again in the next minute. Graham handled near the half-way line, by the popular bank. The free kick, by Crawshaw, was placed well and via Bolam's head the ball travelled across the Mid Rhondda goalmouth. In the scramble which followed Spencer had the misfortune to direct the ball into his own goal. After this the Rhondda goal had many narrow escapes, and Blackmore put the issue beyond doubt when, twenty minutes before the finish, he accepted a nice return from Newman, steadied the ball, then beat Gibbon at short range for the City's third goal. Porter tried his luck with a couple of long shots, one of which hit Exeter City's crossbar, but the closing play was almost wholly in the City's favour, and with more accurate shooting (over the top was the prevailing fashion) the Grecians would easily have increased their lead by several goals. Exeter were a well balanced side, with Flynn, the skipper, showing particularly good form and as reliable as ever, while Blackmore's clever footwork was a pleasing feature. The three Internationals of Mid-Rhondda, Brown, Paterson, and Lyner, were rarely prominent.