BRISTOL CITY 3 EXETER CITY 2.
Played at Ashton Gate, Bristol,
October 16th 1926.

Great interest attached to the Football League match at Ashton Gate today, when Bristol City were opposed by Exeter City, a team which, the same as the Babes themselves, had not been beaten since September 11th. To date, the Grecians' one and only defeat away from home was experienced at Swindon, when the City had to play in strange colours, to avoid confusion between Swindon Town's red and the City's red and white stripes. Today's match was especially interesting for two of Exeter's men, Compton and Pullan, who are former Bristol City players. Between two and three thousand of Exeter's supporters travelled from Devon by the G.W.R. excursion, which was run in connection with the match. They reached Ashton Gate in excellent time, and found the weather dull but good. The playing pitch had been softened by the rain of the week, and appeared to be in fine condition for football. The attendance at the start was a large one, approximately fourteen thousand.

Bristol City.
Coggins; Hughes, and Glenn; Neesam, Wadsworth, and Smailes; Gilhespy, Paul, Walsh, Keating, and Rankin.

Exeter City.
Bailey; Pollard and Charlton; Pullan, Ditchburn, and Potter; Purcell, Phoenix, Blackmore, Lievesley, and Compton.

Referee:- Mr E.C.Sambrook, of Swansea.

A big ovation was accorded the Babes when Wadsworth led them on to the field at eleven minutes past three. The City were given an even bigger cheer when they appeared, led by Charlton, and much to the satisfaction of the Exonians present, wore their usual red and white colours. Wadsworth won the toss, but this carried no advantage, as there was neither sun nor wind to affect play. Exeter started with some good dribbles but were beaten back by a sound defence, and there were four stops in a minute for minor offences, the referee being on the spot and quick to penalise at the slightest suggestion of fouling. Exeter, in the opening minutes, held the upper hand, and Purcell put over a beautiful centre but the ball was headed away by Neesam. After fifteen minutes, and all against the run of the play, Bristol opened the scoring. The ball was transferred from Gilhe spy to Paul, then to Keating, and finally to Rankin, who shot it into the net at high speed. Walsh then missed an open goal with Bailey on the ground, and at the other end of the field Purcell, who was in sparkling form, tested Coggins. Exeter, still playing well, drew level in the twentieth minute. Purcell and Phoenix between them beat the defence, Blackmore gained possession and passed across the front of the goal to Lievesley, who ran in and scored with a simple tap into the net. Exeter should have scored again just afterwards when Compton beat Hughes, but the intended centre went behind all the other four forwards, and the ball was cleared. At half-time the score remained equal, at one goal each. Blackmore by shooting wide missed a good chance for Exeter immediately on the resumption, then Smailes set the home right wing in motion. Bailey cleared, and Wadsworth missed by inches with a capital shot. Smailes from a corner taken by Rankin gave Bristol the lead with a great shot from twenty yards' range, and from the restart Blackmore went right through to be foiled by Coggins at the last ditch. Rankin next fed Walsh with a lovely pass, and the centre forward drew Charlton out of position before passing to Paul, who had only Bailey to beat, and who netted with a well-placed shot. Two minutes before the end a series of rousing Exeter moves ended in Compton scoring after Lievesley had kicked one shot over the bar. Directly afterwards Coggins made great saves from Purcell and Lievesley, and at the finish Exeter were doing all the attacking.

CITY RESERVES v TAUNTON UNITED.
Western League match
at St James's Park.

Dull weather prevailed at Exeter this afternoon, and there were not more than two thousand spectators present at St James's Park.

City Reserves: - Letheren; Lowton, Miller; Pool, Good, Garratt; Newman, McDevitt, Dent, Walker, and Parkin.

Taunton:- Goddard; Brent, Davies; McLean, Curtis, Randall; Marsh, Wilson, Condon, Dickie, and Prentice.

For a time the game was devoid of interest, there being a good deal of loose passing by both sides. Then Condon, quick to profit by momentary hesitation on the part of the home defence, dashed through with the ball at his feet, but when faced with an open goal shot yards over. Taunton were unfortunate after fifteen minutes to lose the services of Marsh, who twisted his leg badly in a collision with Garratt. The City then gained the lead with rather a lucky goal, a shot from Good hitting Dent and cannoning into the net wide of Goddard. Ten minutes later Dent made an opening for McDevitt to score with a well placed cross-shot.

Half-time:
City Reserves 2 Taunton United nil.

Second Half.

Dent, who had injured his knee and left the field just before the interval, was able to resume, but Taunton were still without Marsh. Exeter's third goal was scored by Dent, from McDevitt's pass, and a nice centre from Parkin was converted by Dent, who thus registered his third hat-trick of the week. It transpired that yet again this was Dent's "day out," for a hefty clearance by Letheren was collected by him in midfield, whereupon he got past the Taunton backs and scored a spectacular goal. After Goddard had made clever saves from Good and Dent, a penalty was awarded Taunton for a foul, and Dickie beat Letheren from the "spot."

Final:
City Reserves 5 Taunton United 1.

• Dick Jones, the former Exeter City wing half-back, has been transferred again, this time from Bristol Rovers to Wigan Borough.

SWINDON TOWN RESERVES 0
EXETER CITY RESERVES 2.
Played at the Wiltshire County Ground, Swindon.
Monday, October 18th 1926.

Exeter City Reserves won their Western League match at Swindon, on Monday, much more easily than the score of two nil would indicate. They were vastly superior to Swindon in every department, giving a most convincing display of bright artistic football. In comparison the play of the home side ragged and unimpressive. was very At certain periods in the second half the Grecians simply "made rings" round the Railwaymen's defence, and had their finishing been as good as their field work they would have won by a much wider margin. The match was witnessed by 1,500 spectators, who were rewarded all the way through with a thoroughly entertaining contest. Swindon Town opened in promising style, and Letheren saved a fierce shot from Poppitt. McDevitt headed a nice goal after fifteen minutes, and that was the extent of the scoring in the first half, although efforts by Dent and Walker deserved a better fate. It was in the second half that the Grecians really excelled, and the speed and opportunism of Dent produced a second goal. Walker scored what appeared to be a perfectly good goal, but the referee disallowed it, and Dent was most unlucky in the closing stages with a smart header which grazed the bar and went over. Exeter City Reserves were far above the average of Southern or Western League football.

The team was: Letheren; Lowton and Potter; Pool, Good, and Garratt; Lievesley, McDevitt, Dent, Walker, and Parkin.