GRECIANS ROMP HOME TO A COMFORTABLE AND SUBSTANTIAL VICTORY 9-1. 

Exeter City v Aberdare Athletic
FA Cup 1st Round Proper
Saturday, November 26th 1927.

Aberdare's Plight Hopeless:
Thoroughly Outclassed

Many places were badly smitten by "Cup Fever" today, but Exeter City's first round attack was comparatively mild, the luck of the draw having paired the Grecians with a second-class club, Aberdare and Aberaman Athletic, competing in the Southern and Welsh Leagues. The 'Darians provided the opposition in the corresponding round last season and lost 3-0 at St James's Park, but at that time the Welsh club was in membership of the Third Division of the Football League. Today their team included five amateurs. Sporting their club colours of black and amber, the Aberdare supporters who
had made the trip were in high spirits in the town before the match, and at the Park while the rest of the crowd was assembling. The spectators assembled in large numbers, and excursion trains from all parts of the surrounding country were well patronised. The weather was beautifully fine, and the playing pitch, though on the soft side, had recovered well from the heavy rains of a few days ago, and appeared in excellent trim.

Exeter City: Holland; Pollard and Charlton; Phoenix, Pool, and Gee;
Purcell, McDevitt, Dent, Vaughan, and Compton. Crum; Brown and S. Gibbon;

Aberdare: Rusbatch, A. Davies, and Tudor Edwards; Sheldon, S. Williams, Tom Edwards, T.Edmunds, and G.Watts.

Referee:- Mr C.F.Moon, of Bristol.

Telegrams and Lucky Charms.

Before the teams came out Mr S.H.Thomas received a telegram from Mr F.Mavin, the former manager, now with Crystal Palace, couched in the following terms: "Good Luck, and a Win Today." A similar expression of goodwill had been sent off by the City Club to Mr Mavin in the course of the morning in reference to the Palace's cup-tie with Dartford.

The Grecians were first on the field, and McDevitt, the skipper, was seen to be carrying the inevitable mascot tied in the club colours of red and white. Aberdare, who were a smart looking set of athletes, were given a rousing and hearty Devon welcome. Nine thousand people were present to see McDevitt win the toss, and the City lined up at the St James's Road end, with Aberdare facing the sun. Exeter took control right away, and in their second raid momentary hesitation by Gibbon gave Dent his chance, and he scored with a lovely shot from outside the penalty area. McDevitt initiated another attack, and Dent turned the ball to the feet of Purcell, who ran in and shot at an acute angle, Brown kicking clear in the goalmouth. Strong play by Charlton forced back the Aberdare forwards, and both Dent and Vaughan missed the goal by inches only. Crum saved at point-blank range from Vaughan following a corner sent in by Compton, and at the other end Holland held a centre from Watts. Play veered back to the Aberdare end once more, and Compton forced Brown into conceding a corner. From the flag-kick Purcell headed against the crossbar, and when the leather fell Vaughan rammed it into the net at short range.

Superior Speed and Skill.

Clever play by Gee won applause, and Pool was always a yard quicker than any of the opposing forwards. Superior speed and skill gave Exeter an advantage, and now Purcell wound up a persistent attack with a stinging low shot, Crum having great difficulty in keeping the ball out of the net. Crum then had to make a last-minute save from Brown, who miskicked and sent the ball into his own goalmouth. McDevitt won a corner, and from Compton's kick Vaughan headed just wide. Exeter had a shock at the other end when Tom Edwards kicked the ball from Holland's hands, and it ran across the goal-line with none of the Darians close enough to tap it into the net. In 25 minutes the City scored a third goal. Compton placed a corner kick just right for Dent, who jumped high for the ball and headed it against the post, whence it dropped into the net. Charlton assisted Holland to clear from Tom Edwards when the goalkeeper failed to gather the ball. After 30 minutes Vaughan scored Exeter's fourth goal, and by way of a change, three minutes later Edmunds scored for Aberdare Athletic with a simple cross shot. The crowd, anxious to give the visitors a measure of encouragement, warmly applauded this goal. Throughout this half McDevitt had been a great source of inspiration to the other City forwards, and the tall Irishman's clever play and cunning passes kept the opposition guessing all the time. Close on the interval Dent made a perfect opening for Purcell to close in and shoot a splendid goal.
Half-time score:
Exeter City 5
Aberdare and Aberaman Athletic 1.

Persistent Pressure Rewarded.

Both goalkeepers were in action early in the second half, and the Grecians nearly scored from a free-kick for a technical offence in the penalty area, but the defence prevailed. Crum saved at full length from Vaughan, but the City's persistent pressure was rewarded when twelve minutes after the interval Dent hooked the ball into the Aberdare goal from Compton's pass. With half an hour remaining, and already five goals in front, Exeter seemed content with their substantial lead, and took things easily for a while, but there was always danger for Aberdare in the clever play of the home forwards, and Dent's attempts to put Vaughan through required very careful watching on the part of Brown. Half an hour of the second period had gone by when further smart combination by McDevitt and company ended in a low shot by Purcell from twenty yards, the ball beating Crum all the way and nearly shattering the net. Two minutes later Gee and Dent combined effectively to put Compton through to score the eighth goal, and from Compton's pass Dent registered goal number nine. Charlton was injured in a collision with Tom Edwards, and assisted off the field. The Aberdare forwards tried hard to get another consolation goal, but without success.
Result: Exeter City 9 Aberdare 1.

The attendance was officially returned at 9,378, receipts £573. 14s.Od.

Comments.

Aberdare Athletic's plight was hopeless from the very start, the match being as good as won by the City in the first 25 minutes, with three goals to nil. The Welshmen were completely outclassed and outmanoeuvred, and Exeter won a comfortable and very substantial victory. All the home forwards except "Mac" figured in the score sheet, Dent claiming the biggest share. The fast and skilful play of the City forwards was too much altogether for the visiting defence, sturdily as Brown and Gibbon played, and by getting a good early lead Exeter made their task doubly simple. There was a splendid "gate," and the Aberdare club probably felt that they did well out of the trip to Exeter.

SOUTHERN LEAGUE
TORQUAY UNITED RESERVES 4
EXETER CITY RESERVES 7.

Thrills and goals came in abundance in this afternoon's Southern League game at Plainmoor between the reserve teams of Torquay and Exeter City. Andrews opened the scoring early in the game and McGovern equalised. Budd put the "Magpies" in front with a swift header past Wainwright, and Andrews with a scorching drive levelled matters, the score at half-time being two each. Exeter scored five goals in the second half, the successful marksmen in the order of finding the net being Andrews, McDade, Andrews, and Lievesley two. Wainwright saved a penalty kick by Rice, for "hands," and was later beaten by Mackrill from a second penalty for the same offence. In the last minute Budd for Torquay scored the eleventh goal of the match. It is not often, if ever, that Exeter City's two teams between them get sixteen goals on the same afternoon!

• Exeter City's Manager.
  
  The Exeter City directorate have decided to advertise for a manager to succeed Mr Fred Mavin, who has resigned in order to take up a similar position at the Crystal Palace Football Club. Already over one hundred applications have been received, many from people of excellent football repute. The directors have stated that in their opinion Mr Mavin's efforts at Exeter have been "more than successful," and with the somewhat limited resources of the club it is very creditable to find that they are able to compete with the best in the division. Fred Mavin has left Exeter with the very best wishes not only of the directors and officials of the City Club, but also, of the soccer loving public of Exeter, who have followed the results of his labours on the field of play.
  
  
• Second Round of the Cup.
  The draw for the second round of the F. A. Cup, made on November 28th, is as follows:- Exeter City v Ilford at St James's Park, December 10th, kick-off at 2.15 o'clock.
• Reserved Seat Tickets can now be obtained from St James's Park or on application to Mr J.Rigby, Tobacconist and Newsagent, Sidwell Street, Exeter, price 3/- each.