EXETER CITY v CHARLTON ATHLETIC 

January 23rd 1926
Despite the rain, St James's Park appeared to be in an excellent condition this afternoon when the Exeter City and Charlton Athletic teams took the field to try conclusions in their return Football League match.

Exeter City:
Bailey 
Pollard Charlton
Pullan Potter Shelton
Matthews McDevitt Blackmore Lievesley Compton

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

Cox Jones Smith Millard McGinn
Hardie Armitage Steele
Herod Hooper
Preedy
Charlton Athletic:

The visitors, a hefty-looking side, played in all-white. There was only a small crowd, approximately 5,000, when the captains met in the middle to settle the preliminaries, Charlton (Stanley) winning the toss and setting Charlton (Athletic) to face the westerly wind. McDevitt and Steele, fellow Irishmen, shook hands heartily, and the game proceeded. An early corner to the visitors was wasted by McGinn, who sent the ball behind with a very poor kick. Then the Grecians pressed awhile, and Lievesley headed just outside from Matthews's centre.
Content to Defend.
Exeter were playing much the better, and certainly more enterprising football, and for the most part Charlton Athletic were content with merely defending their goal. After twenty two minutes Blackmore ran the ball right through the Charlton defence, and with Preedy on the ground Herod was left to guard the goal, but although Blackmore's shot was weak Herod was overwhelmed by his responsibility, and the ball went between his knees into the net. Five minutes later Blackmore scored a second goal, this time with a brilliant low shot to Preedy's left side. Strongly served at half-back and in defence, Exeter continued to be much the superior side, and from a free kick for a foul on himself


Blackmore from twenty-five yards out missed the goal by a narrow margin. Other shots by McDevitt, Shelton, Lievesley, and Matthews either missed the goal or were saved by Preedy.

Charlton Athletic then attacked seriously for the first time in the match, and won a corner. From Cox's flag kick Smith headed towards goal, and Jones, getting his head to the ball in turn, diverted it into the net, well wide of Bailey. This point was minutes, and all against the run of the play. scored after 32

The referee admonished Armitage for a foul on McDevitt, and Exeter then scored their third goal, McDevitt heading in Compton's centre. Half-time: Exeter City 3 Charlton Athletic 1.

SECOND HALF.

When the game resumed Blackmore "brought down the house" with some wonderfully clever footwork and another example of his spectacular shooting powers, Preedy being very glad to tip the ball over, and following the corner McDevitt nearly succeeded in forcing the ball into the net. Lievesley then scored with an unstoppable drive, and Smith beat Bailey with a low shot.

The Charlton Athletic defence continued to be hard pressed, and the fusilade of shots rained in on their goal from Lievesley, Matthews, Pullan, and Blackmore. Surprisingly the Athletic plucked up spirit again, and Smith with a

fine shot from 25 yards netted via the crossbar. Now, with only one goal separating the teams, and with a quarter of an hour's play to go, the game became as keen as ever. Lievesley relieved the feelings of the spectators, however, with a

clever goal, headed in from a corner by Compton. In a brilliant City attack Blackmore and McDevitt were the stars, and Charlton Athletic deserve praise for the manner in which they fought back in the second half.

Result:
Exeter City 5 Charlton Athletic 3.


FRIENDLY MATCH:
MINEHEAD v EXETER CITY RESERVES.

Exeter City Reserves were clearly the better team, and scored two goals without reply before the interval through Myers and Burrows. Minehead did more attacking in the second half, and scored twice, Reserves, and Bryant put the ball through his own goal. through Whitcombe and Sleigh, but Kirk got three more goals for the

Minehead 2 Exeter City Reserves 6.