Exeter City v Norwich

Saturday September 3rd 1927.

Summer smiled on soccer in the match today as it has never done all the season on cricket. Exeter City and Norwich City lined up at St James's Park this afternoon on the occasion of the Grecians' first home match in a heat wave. The City ground was in excellent trim, the hard ground being well covered with a thick carpet of close-cut grass. Exeter were first out, and were followed immediately on to the playing pitch by Norwich, who wore new jerseys green and yellow halves. of Charlton won the toss, and the Canaries, who were captained by Pembleton from the centre-half position, started the ball towards the St James's Road end facing the sun, with 8,000 spectators present.

Exeter City: Wainwright; Lowton and Charlton; Ditchburn, Pool, and Gee;
Kirk, McDevitt, Phoenix, Dent, and Compton.

Norwich City: Dennington; Hannah and Campbell; Lamb, Pembleton, and McGrae; Porter, Robinson, Varco, Moule, and Slicer.

Referee:- Mr R.G. Rudd, of Croydon.

The ball was often in touch in the early play, with the Exeter forwards and halves keeping the visitors strictly on the defensive. Phoenix forced a corner off Hannah after four minutes, and Kirk got the ball well across, but Exeter were pulled up for an infringement as Dennington gathered a header from McDevitt in front of the crossbar. Wainwright fisted clear from Pembleton, then Exeter attacked again, but Kirk failed to beat Campbell with the ball, and in a further move Compton centred low and Campbell booted away before Phoenix could take the pass.
Pool a Great Source of Strength.

A long shot by Moule was cleared by Wainwright, but play mostly ran in favour of the Grecians, and Dennington had to fall quickly on the ball to prevent Phoenix scoring close in. Then Norwich got away again, and Varco headed strongly towards goal from Porter's centre, but Wainwright fisted the ball out with a hefty punch. The heat was very oppressive, but Exeter continued to work steadily and cleverly for the opening score. Pool was a great source of strength in the City defence, and he seemed to be dominating a big section of the field. Dennington parried a shot from Dent, then got in the way from a high one from Phoenix, and finnally punched over the bar a centre by Compton, who had raced Hannah for possession. Away raced Norwich to the other end, and the speed of their attack took Exeter unawares. Slicer centred accurately to Varco, who was unmarked in front of the Exeter goal, but fortunately for the Grecians the big Cornishman fired the ball high over the bar. It was a glaring miss when a goal should have resulted, and shortly before the interval the move was repeated and again Varco missed. At half - time there was no score.

Second Half.

Excitement ran high in the second half when both teams fought well for the lead. Norwich broke away and Robinson shot over. Compton made a fine run with the ball for forty yards, beating Lamb and Hannah and sending in a nice centre to Kirk, who headed over the bar. The Grecians were shaping well, and it came as a great shock to the home supporters, when after eighteen minutes Charlton scored against his own side. Slicer got away on the extreme left and crossed the ball, and Charlton, almost on the goal-line, tried to head clear, but only managed to direct it into the Exeter goal just under the crossbar with Wainwright helpless. Nine minutes after Norwich had so luckily secured the lead, Phoenix equalised. The goal was the reward of persistent pressure, and was made possible by good work on the Exeter left wing. The leather was lobbed to the front of the visitors' goal, and Dennington, with his usual alertness advanced to clear, but Phoenix's head bobbed up and diverted the ball into the net. McDevitt headed over the bar from Compton's centre, then Kirk put the ball right across the front of the Norwich goal, for Dennington to dive and punch it clear of the oncoming Exeter forwards.

Eight minutes from the end Varco restored the lead for Norwich, giving no chance with a scorching shot from twenty yards, following a Wainwright no slip by Charlton in endeavouring to tackle Porter. Three minutes from time Phoenix created an opening, from which MoDevitt sailed up and shot low to the right of Dennington, the ball entering the net at express speed, and the relief of the crowd was expressed with the loudest cheer of the day. The final score was:
Exeter City 2 Norwich City 2.

Notes on the Game.

Exeter's failure to win their first home match was a big disappointment to the crowd. It was directly due to mistakes by Charlton, the skipper. He made two only, and each cost the Grecians a goal.

There was not much to enthuse about in the opening half except the good leadership of Varco, the old Torquay United player. He never neglected to distribute the ball with long, low swinging passes to his wings, and after a career with Aston Villa and Queen's Park Rangers he should be of great value to the Canaries. Good displays for Exeter were given by McDevitt, Compton, Phoenix, and Wainwright.

Bristol Rovers Reserves v
Exeter City Reserves.

In today's Western League match at Eastville the City Reserves were defeated by the Rovers Reserves by three goals to two. Exeter's goals were obtained by Lievesley and Chambers.