Southend Fade Away After Brilliant First Half GRECIANS RECOVERY SECURES FIRST WIN OF THE SEASON

Saturday, September 17th 1927.
City v Southend United
EXETER CITY 3
SOUTHEND UNITED 2.

The City made many changes in their team for today's home Football League match with Southend United, only four of the players who took part in last Saturday's game at Northampton retaining their places in the positions then held by them. Tom Holland, the young goalkeeper who came into prominence with Weymouth last season and who had a trial with Middlesbrough in April, was introduced between the sticks in place of the more experienced Wainwright, and Charlie Miller, the reserve left-back, was called up to play at left-half, a position he occupied with great credit in several games last season. Boyce, late of St Mirren, kept goal for Southend in place of Moore, who is out of the team temporarily with an injury to his ribs, Woodward, the first reserve custodian, also being injured. Brophy was at left back in place of Bell.

Exeter City:- Holland; Lowton, Charlton; Ditchburn, Pool, Miller; Purcell, Dent, Phoenix, Vaughan, and Compton.

Southend United:- Boyce; Rosier, Brophy; Dixon, Frew, Plum; Horne, Bailey, Hick, Donovan, and Fell.

Referee: Mr E.E.Small, of Bristol.

St James's Park looked perfect for football this afternoon, the ground having recovered well from the recent heavy rains. There were 6,000 spectators when Charlton won the toss and set the Shrimpers to face the sun in the first half. It was noted that both goalkeepers defied superstition by wearing green jerseys. In two minutes the Exeter left wing provided an opening, and from the centre by Compton the ball was shot home by Phoenix, but the goal disallowed for offside. Dent in the next raid drove the ball against the side netting. Boyce saved from Purcell, and at the other end Holland cleverly anticipated one from Hick to an encouraging cheer from the crowd.

Southend Score at Point Blank Range.

Horne had already found opportunities of showing his smartness in ball control and general deception, and more than once he had out-manoeuvred Charlton. Horne now took the ball past the Exeter skipper again and sent squarely to Hick, who at point-blank range rammed the leather into the net for the opening goal. At this juncture play had been in progress for eight minutes. Dent was a lively raider for Exeter, but Purcell was not yet back to his best form, and he lost the inside forwards an acceptable chance by putting his centre behind the net. Phoenix robbed Brophy but was too slow to get his shot in and was in turned dispossessed by Rosier. A halt was called for Brophy to be taken off, injured, and Plum dropped back to cover. The full-back returned after ten minutes with his hand heavily bandaged. The left flank of the City defence was not too happy in meeting the Bailey and Horne wing, and Charlton was beaten again by the speed and wiles of the first named. The City skipper recovered but had to concede a corner. Miller was conspicuous for sound support in further constructive work by the Grecians, and Charlton won applause at the other end for successfully checking the nimble Bailey. Half-time was approaching, and a pretty pass from Frew to Horne put Southend on the attack again, this rousing movement ending with Donovan heading just over the bar. Holland next saved a header from Hick, but in the next minute Southend increased their lead, Bailey dodging his way through with the ball seemingly glued to his toes and finally giving Holland no chance with a low shot to the corner of the net from six yards' range.
Half-time:
Exeter City 0 Southend United 2.

Exeter Attack Rearranged:
Dent at Centre Forward.

The Grecians opened the second half with a bold spell of aggression, but a bad centre by Purcell showed the Shrimpers an easy way out, and the Exeter goal was in turn pressed. It was seen that Dent was now leading the Exeter forwards, with Phoenix on his right. A Southend raid was repelled by Holland, and then Dent swung out a capital pass to Compton, who crossed the ball to Purcell. The outside-right stabbed it back to the goalmouth, where, to the joy of the crowd Dent forced it into the net. Boyce fisted away a powerful free-kick from Miller, and in subsequent play the Grecians, showing a livelier disposition, stormed to the attack. Phoenix made a very neat attempt to put Dent through but Rosier was too quick for him, and when the ball went out to Compton he put it over the goal. The second half was seventeen minutes old when Exeter equalised. This time a series of shots was beaten out by Boyce and the backs, and Vaughan crossed the ball to Purcell, who was unmarked. Purcell drove sharply against the far post, and by good luck the ball came back to him. This time he made no mistake, the shot unerringly finding the net, low down to the right of the goalkeeper.

The Last Half Hour.

Nearly half an hour remained, and the spectators were loud in their appeals to the City to "keep it up." Southend, their confidence somewhat shaken, set to work again in an attempt to recover the lead. The Grecians were now fully on their mettle in all departments, however, and a stubborn struggle ensued. Keeping the ball moving in refreshing style the City forwards proved themselves to be full of ideas and enterprise, so much so that the veteran Brophy came out of the defence and was moved to outside-left. With Plum at left back, Donovan left half, and Fell inside left, the Shrimpers defended doggedly and well, and the Grecians were generally well held. Eight minutes from the end, however, the City came away in spirited style from midfield and Phoenix with a beautiful pass sent Dent clear of the backs. The ball was allowed to run clear, and Dent coolly awaited the correct moment to regain possession, then advanced a few yards further and netted easily to give the City the lead. Just before the finish Rosier kicked from the goal-line a header from Phoenix, with Boyce out of his goal.

Notes on the Game.

Not till Exeter were two goals in arrears and Fred Dent had been moved to the centre-forward position did the Grecians really better themselves and shape as a team. The eclipse of Southend, so improbable an event on the first half play, became an accomplished fact, goals by Dent, Purcell, and Dent again securing Exeter's opening victory of the 1927-28 campaign. There was more class in the Southend forward line, especially by the right wing pair of Horne and Bailey, than in that of Exeter City, but Dent's agility and coolness in the centre position proved an invaluable asset. Excellent support was also rendered by Phoenix, particularly, and Miller. The most surprising feature was the almost complete "fade-out" of Southend after their brilliant and enterprising play in the first half.

WESTERN LEAGUE
PLYMOUTH ARGYLE RESERVES 1 EXETER CITY RESERVES 1.

Western League match. Played at Home Park before a meagre attendance. Smith in the early stages tested Wainwright, but the Exeter forwards were faster on the ball than their opponents, and made many raids into the home territory. The Argyle opened the scoring, Davis, the former Grecian, beating Wainwright in comfortable style from Healy's centre. The equaliser, following a fine clearance upfield by Pollard, and obtained by Lievesley, was well deserved. In later play Lievesley was unlucky with a high dropping shot which just cleared the crossbar. Sloan fired over the bar for the Argyle when well placed to score. Lee did well to stop a terrific drive from Kirk immediately after the change of ends, and he was in position again when Lievesley shot from close quarters. At the Exeter end Wainwright saved well from Edmunds and Davis. Healy was the most accomplished forward on the field in the second half, and after a splendid run which covered half the length of the pitch he scraped the crossbar with a shot that Wainwright could not have saved.

Argyle:- Lee; Cosgrove and Price; Preston, Deacon, and Smith; Healy, Davis, Bowden, Sloan, and Edmunds.

City: Wainwright; Pollard and Holt; Clarke, Mason, and Gee; Parkin, Andrews, Lievesley, Selley, and Kirk.

• DEATH OF STANLEY COWIE.
  Stanley Cowie, the Barry player who this week drowned himself in the River Tyne, through financial worries, was formerly with Exeter City. He was an inside forward with the Grecians shortly before the war, when Rigby, Pym, and Goodwin were the big stars of the City team.

Wednesday, September 21st 1927.
CITY RESERVES EASY TASK
Salisbury City No Match for the Grecians
CITY RESERVES 5 SALISBURY 2.

Exeter City Reserves beat Salisbury City by five goals to two in a match at St James's Park for Western League points on Wednesday evening, the game being wit nessed by 1,500 spectators. Lievesley, leading the home attack, performed the "hat-trick," and obtained the Grecians' last goal after Parkin had scored. At threequarter time, when the City Reserves led by 5-nil they lost the services of Ditchburn, whose ankles were badly jarred. Play was of a very mediocre standard, and deteriorated into nothing more or less than a scramble towards the close, and slackness on the part of Exeter enabled the Salisbury forwards through Williams and Cunningham to score twice.

City Reserves: Wainwright; Pollard and Miller; Ditchburn, Mason, and R. Clarke; Jenkins, McDevitt, Lievesley, Kirk, and Parkin.

Salisbury City: Thomas; Wingham and Dewey; T.Churchill, Callaghan, and B. Barker; Greenwood, Burnham, Cunningham, Williams, and Cornelius.

The Grecians made all the running for the first quarter of an hour, but despite
this the first shot on the target was made then at the Exeter end by Williams, in a spirited Salisbury breakaway, and Wainwright saved well. McDevitt tested Thomas with a tricky header Boon afterwards, and Williams next missed a capital opportunity at the other end.

Lievesley's Hat Trick.

In twenty-four minutes and from Parkin's centre Lievesley opened the scoring, the ball entering the net at great pace from a typical header, and a quarter of an hour later a blunder on the part of Wingham enabled Lievesley to close in at his leisure to tap the ball into an unguarded net, Thomas having unwisely come out to assist the full-back. At half-time the score was:
City Reserves 2 Salisbury 0.

Second Half.
Lievesley obliged with goal number three early in the second half, although it was as well that Wainwright was safe between the sticks for Exeter, on account of unexpected opportunities being allowed to the Salisbury forwards because of mistakes by City players, principally Mason, whose passes went to opponents in the majority of cases. The last half hour of the game is best forgotten.