Exeter City v Swindon

Saturday, November 19th 1927.

EXETER CITY 0 SWINDON TOWN 0

Only two Southern Section clubs have scored more often than Swindon Town this season, and the visit of the Railwaymen to St James's Park with Dave Morris as leader of their attack would have been a tremendous attraction today if only the weather had been kind. Yesterday, however, and all last night, and this morning a lot of rain fell and the afternoon was as damp and gloomy as it is possible to be in the month of November. Exeter City, unbeaten at home, and happy in their splendid run of nine games without a defeat, had Charlton at left back again instead of Miller, who is injured; otherwise their team was that which has represented the club in the last eight matches. Rain fell persistently while the spectators were assembling, and kept their numbers down. A collection was taken at the ground in aid of the Mayor's Fire Relief Fund. The grandstand was packed to overflowing, and so too was the all too small sheltered space on the popular bank. The teams were:
Exeter City: Holland; Pollard and Charlton; Phoenix, Pool, and Gee; Purcell, McDevitt, Dent, Vaughan, and Compton.

Swindon Town: - Nash; Dickinson and Weston; Low, Humphries, and Archer; Denyer, Roberts, Morris, Eddleston, and Thom.

The prolonged cheering which greeted the visiting team showed that many of their supporters had made the journey to see the match. McDevitt continued in the office of captain of the Grecians, and he won the toss and Exeter played towards the St James's Road end for the opening half. Swindon started by forcing a corner and Morris was penalised for foul in the Exeter goalmouth. The visitors seemed to revel in the mud and rain, and their forwards required very careful watching. Phoenix put the Exeter attack on the move, and Dent and Compton carried it on. A pass by Compton gave Dent an open goal, and a score seemed certain. Dent, however, shot straight at Nash, who saved on the goal-line.

Pollard's Timely Clearance.

The City now settled down to a sound game, and Vaughan twice passed smartly to Compton, enabling the little winger to middle the ball dangerously, and that Dent failed to score was not through any lack of trying. Next, Purcell, receiving from Dent, beat Weston and shot hard, all along the carpet. Nash dived full length to the ball and brought off a fine save. A hot Swindon attack followed, led by Denyer, and Pollard undoubtedly was the City's hero when he saved the situation with a timely clearance, booting the ball off the feet of Roberts as the inside man was in the act of shooting. Pool and the home backs were policing Morris most earnestly, and the burly forward and his colleagues did not relish these attentions at all. The slippery ground and the heavy ball made accurate work difficult, but Gee and McDevitt were playing in a manner to suit the conditions, swinging the ball about lustily, and so was Roberts, for Swindon.

Nash saved a header from Vaughan and a first-time shot from Purcell, and when Swindon retaliated Thom centred to Roberts, who drove the ball over the City crossbar. The rain increased in the second half, and the light got very bad. In an early City advance Compton slipped a nice pass through to Dent, but Weston dashed in and booted the ball away with scant ceremony. Then, receiving from Charlton, Purcell cut inwards and hit the near post with a splendid low shot. The next move came from McDevitt, who took the ball down on the right and centred, but Vaughan failed to connect properly and Compton's shot landed on top of the net.

Finishing Touch Wanting.

Vaughan was fouled near the Swindon penalty area, and from McDevitt's free kick Dent hooked the ball into the net but was given offside. The Grecians now held the upper hand, and Purcell, who was playing a wonderful game against his old club, raised the hopes of the crowd with a clever run and centre, but it came to nothing because the finishing touch was wanting from the inside forwards. Considering the vile conditions both teams put up a splendid performance, and with a little more thrust at inside forward the City would probably have won. Purcell was Exeter's best forward by a long chalk, while Roberts was the star man of the Swindon front line.

SOUTHERN LEAGUE
SWINDON RESERVES 4
CITY RESERVES 1.

This Southern League game was played in wretched weather at the County Ground, Swindon, before a small attendance. The teams took some time in settling down to anything like competition football, and Exeter were the first to threaten danger. Bourne was then brought into action, saving a thunderous drive from McDade, and later catching a centre from Kirk.

After seven minutes Flood scored for Swindon with a first-timer from Walker's pass, the ball going over Wainwright's head into the top of the net. Daniels obtained a second goal for the Railwaymen, although Exeter protested that the scorer was offside.
Ten minutes before the interval Swindon went further ahead, Flood converting a pass from Wall. Exeter began the second half in dashing style and Andrews broke through after beating two men but was then stopped by Wylie on the brink of the goal. Two shots by Parkin and one by Lievesley were punched out by Bourne. Towards the end of the game, in semi-darkness, Kirk scored a fine goal for Exeter off the crossbar, but Daniels increased Swindon's lead in a scramble in the City goalmouth.