Dent Scores All the Goals
ROVERS A WELL BEATEN SIDE

Saturday, November 5th 1927.
EXETER CITY 4 BRISTOL ROVERS 1.

Exeter City, still happy to be able to rely on the eleven which has picked up nine Football League points in a run of six successive matches (in which they have gone undefeated) were at home today to Bristol Rovers, always welcome visitors to St James's Park. The weather was cold this afternoon and a boisterous north-west wind swept the ground. The Rovers were first out and the Grecians followed immediately. There were between five and six thousand spectators.

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

Bristol Rovers:- Whatley; McKenna and Bennett; Rowley, Forbes, Roberts 
Douglas, Williams, Ormston, Thorne, and Evans.

Referee:- Mr A.J.Attwood, of Newport.

Referee:- Mr A.J.Attwood, of Newport.

A fireworks fusilade from the popular bank was in keeping with the date, if not the occasion. McDevitt won the toss, and Exeter had the breeze in their favour at the start.

Right away the Rovers swung the new ball about in determined fashion, and on the first two occasions that the Grecians set about making ground they were thrown offside by the Rovers' defence. The first direct shot of the match was made by Purcell, from Pollard's clearance, and the ball dropped on top of the goal net.

Dent Scores the First Goal in Six Minutes.

Hefty kicking by the full-backs was a feature of the early play. A free kick to Bristol was placed well down the field by McKenna, but Miller averted the danger, and when Thorn sent across the Exeter goal face and Williams tried a shot, the ball was put behind for a corner, which was cleared. Exeter took the lead in six minutes, and Dent, who has missed scoring in the last two matches, was the successful marksman. Vaughan slipped the ball across to him and Bennett misjudged it. Whatley ran out but stumbled and Dent was on hand to tap the ball into the empty goal. Whatley next saved from Vaughan, Compton, and Purcell, and this sharp attack finally ended with Compton shooting wide from an acute angle. In the twelfth minute Exeter increased their lead. Good play by Vaughan and Compton again vexed the Rovers' defence, and McDevitt was able to capture a half-clearance and lob the ball forward. Whatley jumped to take it but it was too high and he only partially stopped it. This was Dent's opportunity, and he ran around the goalkeeper and netted again with a simple tap. The Rovers had so far made very little impression against the City defence, but in twenty minutes Williams opened their account. Holland fell in saving from Ormston and threw the ball towards Miller, but Williams nipped in quickly and steered the leather into the unguarded net. From a throw-in by Phoenix the City forwards co-operated so skilfully that the Rovers' defence was badly positioned, and Dent accepted a pass from Vaughan to take the ball forward a couple of yards and score his (and Exeter's) third goal with a grand shot to the top of the net.

Second Half.

The first incident of note was a shot by Vaughan which struck the upright, and following this Ormston was bowled over by Pool. The free-kick, taken by Rowley, was saved under the bar by Holland. Generally Exeter were much the cleverer and more dangerous team, their work in midfield enabling them to maintain an easy ascendancy. Evans wound up a raid by the Rovers with a cunning shot, low down and close to the upright, but the ball travelled just wide. In another attack Phoenix saved Exeter by conceding a corner, and in the next minute a shot by Ormston missed by inches only. The spectators clamoured now for an Exeter revival. Pollard became prominent with typical strong play at a time when the City were feeling the strain of the fast pace they had set. Offside spoiled several City advances, but Compton at length made a spectacular run down the touch-line and centred for Whatley to come out and take the ball as Dent closed in. 

The City became very aggressive again a quarter of an hour from the finish, but Whatley defended his goal capably.
From one of McDevitt's clever passes down the middle Dent ran on in possession and beat Whatley with a flying shot. This goal came five minutes from the end, and just when everybody was reckoning on a goal-less second half. It was the fourth goal scored by Dent in this match, and by this quartette of goals he has equalled an Exeter City record; that of Jazzo Kirk, who obtained a similar total for the City against Portsmouth five years ago.

Notes on the Game.

The Grecians richly deserved both points. If they had scored twice as often as they did they would have had no more than their deserts. Great skill was shown by all three City inside forwards, with Vaughan playing his best home game to date, and terribly out of luck with his shooting, most especially the clinking shot of his which hit the post right at the start of the second half. He deserved two goals for himself, at least. There were times when the Rovers' goal bore a charmed life. On two occasions, apart from the one mentioned, Exeter's shots struck the framework, and Whatley was often the busiest player in the visiting ranks. Coolness and skill were features of the City's play. Often it seemed that the tighter the corner, the cooler the player. Miller, particularly, and Gee both were noticeable in this aspect. Pollard and Pool were the strong men of the City defence, particularly after the interval when Bristol enjoyed a greater share of the game. Dent, who has equalled the record of Harry Kirk, by netting a total of four goals in a Football League match for Exeter, is to be warmly congratulated. It is a rare achievement in Southern Section football. Two of his goals were scored from almost under the crossbar, but the third and fourth were glorious shots which would have beaten most goalkeepers. The Rovers relied throughout on vigorous play and strong first-time passing, but the City covered up so well that very few scoring opportunities were given to them.

Southern League
BRISTOL ROVERS RESERVES 1
EXETER CITY RESERVES 5.

Southern League match at Eastville. Exeter lost the toss, and faced the wind and rain in the opening half. They were the first to attack, through Kirk on the left wing, and Densley saved a header from Chambers when the ball Came over. When Bristol attacked Lowton gave a corner from which Davies scored with a direct shot from the flag-kick. Half-time: Rovers Reserves 1 City Reserves 0. In the second half Exeter Reserves scored five goals. They simply crushed the opposition and inflicted upon the Rovers their heaviest defeat of the season. The goals were netted by Ditchburn, Chambers, McDade, Mason, and Lievesley. McDade's was the goal of the match he tricked three opponents in next to no space at all and his final drive went into the net at such force that the ball threatened to go right through the net. The whole City team played very forceful football and Bristol Rovers simply collapsed under the strain. 

• MR MAVIN LEAVING EXETER.
  Appointed Manager of Crystal Palace.
  Mr Fred Mavin, manager of Exeter City F. C., has accepted a similar position with the Crystal Palace Club. The position was made vacant by the resignation of Mr A.Maley. Mr Mavin, who played for Fulham, Bradford City and New Brompton, will commence duty with the Glaziers almost immediately. Mr Mavin, who was at Bristol today with the Reserves, has informed the Exeter City Directors that he had had an offer from Crystal Palace, and as the offer was a better one from the standpoint of salary and prominence, the City Club had agreed to relieve him from his present engagement, not desiring to stand in his way. Mr Mavin, who succeeded Mr Arthur Chadwick, the City's first manager, some five years ago, has taken a prominent part in the marked and well-sustained Exeter revival, and is one of the most level-headed and capable men in the game. At Crystal Palace he will have plenty of scope, the club being one of the best equipped in the Metropolis outside First Division football. Mr M.J.McGahey, the City chairman, stated that the club is very sorry to lose their manager, and that they will part with perfectly good feeling on both sides.