BRISTOL ROVERS 1 EXETER CITY 2

Serious Accident to Grecian Half Back

GEE'S LEFT LEG BROKEN ON THE ROVERS' GROUND

Saturday, March 17th 1928.

City Finish the Game With Ten Men but Win

On the principle that the "early bird catches the worm" Exeter City's chances of success at Stapleton Road today were very bright. The Grecians arrived more than an hour before the advertised time and the gate had to be opened by the groundsman to admit them. Each player sported a sprig of shamrock in the lapel of his coat in honour of St. Patrick's Day and the Irish captain of the team.

The Introduction of Ronald Dix.

All Bristol seemed to be talking of the Rovers' daring in introducing Ronald Dix to first-class football at the age of fifteen. This fair haired amateur, very sturdy and strongly built for his age, was the star player in the English Schools' Shield matches last season, and in fact scored six of the nine goals by which the Exeter school side was beaten by Bristol a year ago. He had as his partner on the left wing today Albert King, the Scottish youngster, who after one match with the Rovers' Reserves was placed in the first team. Both Dix and King are Schoolboy Internationals. Exeter substituted Phoenix and Pool for Ditchburn and Mason in their half back line, while Wainwright kept goal in the place of Holland, who is unfit. The weather was dull but pleasant and there was no wind. The playing pitch was soft and slippery through last night's rain. A large number of excursionists from Devon were among the early arrivals, many of them sporting Exeter City's colours.

Teams :
Rovers: Whatley; Bennett and Haydon; Rotherham, Perry, and Roberts; Homer, Williams, Ormston, R.W.Dix, and A.King.

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

Referee:- Mr T. H. Collins.

McDevitt won the toss and when Bristol's first attack had been beaten back Vaughan set the City front line in motion with a strong pass to Purcell, the ball then going over to Compton. The left winger beat Bennett and crossed to Dent, whose shot from close range was parried by Whatley, and when the ball was returned by Vaughan it was kicked off the goal line by Perry.  Exeter were well on top in the early part of the game, and the crowd of about nine thousand had little to cheer them from the Rovers' standpoint. Whatley saved shots from Dent and Purcell and a header from McDevitt, and when the Irishman varied his tactics and switched the ball out to Compton the Bristol goalkeeper had to make a sensational save right on the goal-line. The City, playing lively and sparkling football, maintained the pressure, and gained a corner on the left. Compton from the flag kick centred to McDevitt, whose powerful header was aimed unerringly at the top corner of the goal. Whatley was beaten, and Rotherham making a desperate leap to head the ball out, only managed to assist it on its way to the net. In the next minute Exeter should have increased their lead, but Dent failed to connect with Compton's pass three yards from goal as the ball came in. There was a similar incident just afterwards and Dent again mistimed a fast ball.

Applause for Dix.

Exeter were playing brilliant football and McDevitt was the hero of the day so far, but Ronald Dix won applause for clever football on the edge of the City penalty area, and his foraging led to Williams forcing a corner. Wainwright jumped and caught the ball from the flag kick and Exeter were quickly back at the other end again, Vaughan putting Dent through with a lovely pass but the centre-forward with only Whatley to beat once more failed with his shot. Ormston initiated a Rovers attack and Homer centred for Dix to run through and shoot, but to the dismay of the crowd the ball sailed high over the City crossbar. Ten minutes before the interval Miller handled the ball in the City penalty area, the infringement being ignored by the referee. On an appeal by about half the Rovers' team, however, Mr Collins consulted a linesman, then gave a penalty from which Williams scored. Half-time arrived with the score level at one goal apiece.

Second Half.

McDevitt injured his leg in the opening minute of this half and went on the right wing for a while. Dix failed to score from point-blank range after a shot from Ormston had been pushed out by Wainwright. McDevitt next had to retire for treatment, and whilst he was off the field the City's second goal was scored by Dent, from Purcell's centre. McDevitt returned to play at outside right, exchanging positions with Purcell. The game was brimful of entertainment with Exeter decidedly the better side. Vaughan crashed the ball against the Rovers' crossbar with a thunderous shot, and another fiercely driven ball, by Gee, was tipped over by Whatley. Twenty minutes of the second half had passed when Gee was knocked out in a severe collision, and the crowd was silent as a stretcher was brought on to the field. Gee, one of the most sporting players who ever donned a football jersey, was carried off with his left leg broken, with the sympathetic round of applause from the crowd ringing in ears.

More Injuries.

Compton beat Williams to the ball when the game was resumed, and he went on to shoot powerfully along the carpet, Whatley scooping the ball away. Perry all along had found difficulty in holding Dent, the elusive centre forward causing Bristol much anxiety. King was injured in collision with Phoenix and had to retire, then Ormston and Pollard collided, Ormston being hurt. Exeter were still the more dangerous side with Pool working well and hard at centre half.

Notes on the Game.

The Rovers forced a corner in the closing minutes of the game, and in the exciting struggle which followed in the City goalmouth Pollard was laid out. The first hour's play in this game was as good as anyone could wish to see, so far as Exeter City were concerned, the only disappointing feature being that by this time they should have been about three goals in the lead. The serious injury to Harold Gee then put a damper on the game, and there were 50 many accidents afterwards that the whole proceedings suffered. One of the best features of the later stages was the fine play of Pollard and Miller at full back and of Pool at centre half. Dent, although missing badly in front of goal several times, was in other respects a good leader, and the Rovers had to be alert when he was on the ball. Gee was removed to the Bristol Royal Infirmary, his left shin having been fractured just above the ankle.

SOUTHERN LEAGUE
CITY RESERVES 2
BRISTOL ROVERS RESERVES 3

The weather was fine at St James's Park on the occasion of today's Southern League match between the reserve teams of Exeter City and Bristol Rovers. Three thousand spectators were present when the game commenced, with Exeter kicking off towards the St James's Road end. The teams were :

City Reserves: H.C.Babb; Lowton and Charlton; Ditchburn, Mason, and Warren; Jenkins, McDade, Edwards, Lievesley, and Parkin.

Rovers Reserves: Densley; McKenna and Rowley; Britton, Forbes, and Falconer; Douglas, Paterson, Culley, Adams, and Davis.

Parkin cleverly forced a corner which he took himself, placing the ball well into the Bristol goalmouth, but Densley, jumping high, punched out. Edwards was struck in the face with the ball and had to receive attention. The City in the first half did the major part of the attacking, but Lievesley was too slow when scoring opportunities came his way, and Ditchburn lifted the ball over the bar from easy range. Just before half-time Davis drew the home defence out of position and passed to Culley, who scored. Exeter opened the second half in businesslike fashion, and Edwards was just too late to meet a centre from Parkin in the Bristol goalmouth. Edwards later struck the crossbar with a real "pile-driver" and McKenna, who had dropped back, kicked off the goal line a shot from Jenkins. Exeter then scored their first goal, Jenkins converting a centre from Edwards, and the City took the lead ten minutes later through Edwards, it being his first goal since joining the Grecians from Aberdare last month. Edwards had to go off the field with a damaged ankle, and in the last stages of the game Paterson and Culley scored for the Rovers.