EXETER CITY 4 BOURNEMOUTH 0.
Played at St James's Park, Exeter.

Saturday, October 23rd 1926.

Winners at Charlton Athletic and Watford, and the only team to take away a point from Plymouth, the Bournemouth team came to Exeter today to oppose the Grecians at St James's Park, strengthened by the return to the side of one or two prominent players who were on the injured list when Merthyr Town forced a draw at Dean Court last Saturday.

Exeter City made no alteration from the team which put up such a good game at Ashton Gate a week ago, and in clear, cold weather, the players lined up on a dry ground as follows:

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

Bournemouth: - Crumley; Saxton and Collin; Butt, Roe, and Smith; Buchanan, Taylor, Eyre, Stringfellow, Thomson.

Wearing white jerseys, Bournemouth were first out, the Grecians following on their heels. Butt won the toss, and Bournemouth had the advantage of the wind in the opening half. There were 6,000 present in time to see the kick off. An early free kick to the "Cherries" came close to the home penalty area and was shot very wide by Roe. Exeter took play to the other end and Blackmore went through but drove the ball over the bar. Crumley next fielded a lobbed shot from Phoenix. Clever play on Exeter's left and right ended with Lievesley beating Crumley in a dash for the ball, but the leather flew over the bar, and this was a very lucky escape for the visitors. After twenty minutes the Grecians broke away from a defensive position and Blackmore fed Compton cleverly. The outside left eluded Saxton and passed to Lievesley, whose shot was blocked, but Blackmore secured the ball and netted with a cool shot close to the far post, Crumley having not slightest chance of saving. the Crumley distinguished himself with two great saves from Lievesley and Phoenix, but was beaten five minutes later when he failed to gather a high centre from Purcell. The ball ran loose in the penalty area and Blackmore nipped in and left footed it into the net. Just before the interval Compton nearly brought about a further downfall for Bournemouth, but Blackmore missed the centre. At the interval the score was:
Exeter City 2 Bournemouth nil.

On the restart Exeter were very lively, and Purcell, who always had the better of his duels with Collin, passed inside to Phoenix. As Crumley ran out, Phoenix flicked the ball on to Blackmore, who shot wildly outside an open goal. At the Exeter end Eyre struck the post, and Bailey saved a drive from Stringfellow. A dangerous move by Thomson was halted by a grand tackle from Charlton. Midway through the second half Lievesley scored Exeter's third goal, firing into the net with great force a centre from Purcell, and five minutes before the close of play Blackmore hooked the ball past Saxton and scored another goal, to complete his "hat-trick."

Notes on the Game.

This was Exeter City's biggest victory of the season, and brought in two very useful points. Bournemouth were by no means a poor side, and would have given the Grecians a deal of trouble but for those two early and cool scoring shots by Harold Blackmore. The home leader's shooting deteriorated later on, and he drove wildly several times when he had the goal at his mercy. He atoned, however, by obtaining another clever goal just before the end. Blackmore is showing great improvement all round, and although he does miss a lot of goals it is difficult to find fault. He had previously got three couples of goals and two singles, and passed double figures in today's game. Eleven goals in ten League matches is an excellent average. The City defence, in which Charlton was outstanding, must be complimented on holding the Bournemouth attack. Only one other side has done it this season, and that was Swindon, at Swindon, in mid-September. The nearest Bournemouth got to a goal was the occasion early in the second half when Bailey came out to face Buchanan, who had dribbled to the edge of the penalty area. Exeter's goalkeeper got the ball, but could only push it out to Eyre, whose shot struck the post and rebounded into Bailey's arms. On another occasion, also in the second half, Bailey saved a great shot by Stringfellow, the old Portsmouth forward. It was, taken all round, an excellent team victory, and should give the City every confidence for their game at Newport next week. The Bournemouth "bogey" surely has been dispelled now.

EBBW VALE 5
EXETER CITY RESERVES 1.

The Reserves came a cropper at the G. W. R. Sports Ground, Ebbw Vale, where they conceded five goals. Smith, two goals in the first half and one afterwards, Jenkins, and Jones, scored for the Vale, and Dent got one for the City on the stroke of half time. Exeter

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

EXETER CITY RESERVES 3 WEYMOUTH 0.
Wednesday, October 27th 1926,
at St James's Park.

Exeter City Reserves wound up their long run of mid-week matches today, with a home Western League game with Weymouth.

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

Weymouth:- Holland; Swingles, Pillinger; Dawe, Stallard, Bown; Bell, Castle, Thompson, Pitman, and Caswell.

Weymouth made a few early raids, but had a very lucky escape in the eighth minute when Parkin robbed Swingles and passed to Newman, who centred immediately for Dent to try a quick shot. The ball grazed the Weymouth cross-bar. The Exeter forwards, playing clever football, worked methodically to gain an opening, and under pressure Stallard headed towards his own goal, Holland making a splendid save from his colleague just under the bar. Holland then fielded a good header from McDe vitt following a combined forward move. Weymouth coped well with Exeter's close passing methods, and the City's work was most successful when the ball was sent out to the wingers. Just before half time an offside decision which ruled out a goal scored by Dent roused the crowd to anger, the referee having failed to notice that Swingles was covering Dent when he moved on to the ball. (Dent is exceptionally fast off the mark).

Second Half.

Weymouth faded out in the second half, and Dent opened the scoring less than a minute after the interval, and netted again twenty-five minutes later. Two minutes after Dent had scored his second goal Stallard accidentally put the ball into his own net in attempting to head clear during a very hot Exeter
attack.