EXETER CITY v BOURNEMOUTH AND BOSCOMBE ATHLETIC

Saturday, October 1st 1927.

Exeter City, with an unchanged team for the first time this season, were at home today to Bournemouth and Boscombe in a match for Football League points. The Grecians were particularly hopeful of success today in view of their win at Brighton last Saturday. The teams took the field in a real Devonshire drizzle, McDevitt leading out. the Grecians, who were followed immediately by Bournemouth, clad in white jerseys and black knickers. Hayward won the toss and Bournemouth lined up at the St James's Road end with the breeze behind them.

Exeter City:- Holland; Pollard and Miller; Phoenix, Pool, and Gee; Purcell, McDevitt, Dent, Vaughan, and Compton.

Bournemouth:- Crumley; Hayward and Blair; Halliwell, Miles, and Smith;
Clifford, Drummond, Eyre, Stringfellow, and Pike.

Referee: Mr Burnett, of Bristol.

The visitors were first to attack and Pool headed away a centre by Pike. The ball was collected by McDevitt, who sent a strong pass across field, Compton making progress down the wing but being eventually forced over the touch-line by Blair. Pike now got away on the Bournemouth wing from Miles's long pass, but his centre was captured by Holland, and when Bournemouth attacked again Pike was offside. Stringfellow placed Pike in possession again with a neat pass, and this time the winger returned the ball to Eyre, but Pool ran back and robbed the centre-forward and Holland cleared Pool's pass-back. Bournemouth, shaping strongly at half-back, continued to have the better of the play, despite the skilful and untiring endeavours of McDevitt. The City defence was in a rare tangle in one raid, initiated by Stringfellow, but as the ball came over to the centre Phoenix dived and headed it clear before Eyre could get in position for a shot at goal. Exeter, with Pollard and Miller covering one another well and tackling with confidence, had recovered from a very moderate start, but in 27 minutes the visitors took the lead with a smart goal. Pike swung the ball across the goal mouth and Miller appeared to think the result would be a goal-kick. Clifford had other ideas, however, and he raced up and captured the ball before Miller could recover. Clifford sent the leather hard across the face of the goal and Eyre, standing almost underneath the bar, promptly banged it into the net.
Second Half.

The six thousand spectators saw the Grecians do a lot of mild pressing at the start of the second half, but their close passing methods, and over-elaboration played into the hands of the visiting defence, and Crumley was not once tested until the seventh minute, when Compton obtained the equalising goal. The goal came from a corner, placed poorly by Purcell, but helped on by Dent into the goal-mouth. There, Compton nipped in between the players and headed strongly into the net. A shot from Phoenix was saved on the line by Crumley, and at the other end the ball was fired over the bar by Eyre from easy range. Compton scored Exeter's second goal with another header, from Purcell's centre. The City almost scored again when a hefty clearance by Miller led to a melee in the Bournemouth goal-mouth, Dent and Compton both going close with shots. Exeter took charge of the game now, and Bournemouth seemed to lose heart. Two shots by Dent and one by Vaughan were saved by Crumley, but the goalkeeper was beaten again twelve minutes before the finish by Dent from close range, Pool and Purcell having made the opening. Two minutes later the City increased their advantage still further, Pool sending out a strong pass to Purcell, who closed in and beat Crumley with a low cross-shot. Bournemouth appealed against this goal on the grounds of offside, but after consulting a linesman, the referee adhered to his decision.

Result:
City 4 Bournemouth and Boscombe 1.

Notes on the Bournemouth Game.

Exeter took a long time to assert themselves, and they owed their sweeping victory to the brace of headed goals by Compton, who took his chances well. These goals thoroughly upset the men from Bournemouth. Once the Grecians had secured the lead there was no looking back. Bournemouth seemed to lose heart badly, their half-backs going all to pieces, so that the City's later goals were obtained very easily. Dent was an elusive and tricky leader for Exeter, and he, together with Compton and McDevitt, were the successes in the City attack. McDevitt from first to last excelled in constructive football, even if for some of the time he seemed to position himself among the half-backs. Pool was an effective obstructionist at centre-half, and the home defence was
generally excellent. Bournemouth would not have scored at all but for a moment of fatal hesitation on the part of Miller, his one error of the afternoon. The Reserves did well to force a draw at Mid-Rhondda in the Southern League match. The ground was in a very wet state. Andrews obtained the City's goal early in the game, heading through a well placed corner by Kirk.


MID RHONDDA v CITY RESERVES. SOUTHERN LEAGUE.
1st October 1927 

Exeter Reserves kicked off against the wind on a water-logged ground, and took the lead early in the game, Andrews heading in a corner kick from Kirk. Jones made a brilliant save from Lievesley. Eventually Scholes secured the ball, and beating the defence, drove hard for goal, the shot being deflected past Wainwright by Atkins. Nothing was scored in the second half, but five minutes before time Selley was pushed off the ball and Exeter appealed in vain for a penalty.

Result:
Mid Rhondda 1 Exeter City Reserves 1.

Wednesday, October 5th 1927.
EXETER CITY RES. v BATH CITY.

Bath City, captained by H.Kirk, the ex-Grecian, were the visitors to St James's Park this afternoon in a Western League match, and the 1,500 spectators gave "Jazzo" a rousing ovation when he led out his side. Exeter took the lead in four minutes through Mason, who caught Davis napping with a surprise shot from outside the penalty area. Jenkins made a strong attempt to score in a thrilling right wing move shortly afterwards, but his shot went several yards over the goal. Lievesley on three occasions did likewise. The City Reserves practically monopolised the game, and little was seen of the

Bath attack.

The Exeter forwards, however, made poor use of much good feeding by the half backs, and three minutes before the interval, following smart play by Graydon and Pocock, the equalising goal was scored, Pocock turning Graydon's square pass into the net. Half-time 1-1.

Nothing was scored in the second half, the match thus ending in a draw,
City Reserves 1 Bath City 1.

The referee was Mr W.J.Lambshead. Jazzo Kirk had to retire twenty minutes from the end with a damaged ankle, and this robbed the game of much of its interest.