Coventry City v
Exeter City
Cliff Bastin Debut! 

Saturday, April 14th, 1928.

COVENTRY CITY 0 EXETER CITY 0

Favourable conditions for a fast and open game prevailed at Coventry, with Raynor a last minute selection for the "Peeping Toms" at right half instead of Brown. Clifford Bastin on his sixteenth birthday was included in the City "chiefs" for the first time. He was at inside-left, with Kirk as his partner. Bastin is the youngest player in the club's history to appear in a senior match. Holland was in goal and McDevitt at inside right.

Coventry City:- Newton; Hadley and Hunter; Raynor, Gardiner, and Bell; Widdowson, Galloway, Ramage, Herbert, and Townsend.

Exeter City:- Holland; Pollard and Charlton; Phoenix, Pool, and Clarke; Purcell, McDevitt, Dent, Bastin, and Kirk.

Winning the toss and assisted by a strong wind behind them Coventry attacked straight away but were pulled up for offside. Pollard put the ball into the Coventry penalty area from the free-kick but the Exeter forwards were forced back and play returned to midfield. Coventry settled down to play a rushing game, and Holland was frequently in action. A shot from Raynor was saved by Holland, but the ball rolled off his arm and looked like going through until the goalkeeper recovered in time to push it away. Charlton got back in time to kick clear before Ramage followed up. Kirk strove hard to get away but was held up by Hadley. He won the tussle with the Coventry right back, however, and passed to Bastin, who sent forward to Dent, but Hadley and Hunter closed in on Dent and the danger was cleared.

Goal That Did Not Count.

McDevitt was prominent in an Exeter attack, but put the ball over the bar, and Exeter were finding difficulty in maintaining a hold on the game, Coventry for the most part doing all the pressing. Further pressure by Coventry resulted in the ball going right into the Exeter net, but it did not count, the referee ruling that an infringement had taken place, much to the displeasure of the crowd, which numbered about nine thousand. Widdowson shot for goal at terrific speed, Holland punching the ball out, and then Pollard, and next Charlton, both cleared dangerous situations created by the Coventry right winger.

Half-time: Coventry 0 Exeter City 0.

Second Half.

Crossing over Exeter for a time had the better of the play, and Newton came out of his goal to punch away a long dropping shot from Kirk, with Dent in a scoring position. Coventry resumed their fast attacks and Pool had to kick back over his own goal-line to relieve the pressure. The corner was cleared by Holland, and Exeter's goalkeeper in the next moment saved from Ramage. Pollard charged Herbert off the ball in the act of shooting, and Purcell now came into the picture with excellent ball control and initiated Exeter's most promising attack so far, but Dent ballooned the ball high over the bar. Purcell was dangerous again with a grand left-footed drive which Newton just managed to reach, then in another Exeter foray Purcell was ruled offside. In the closing stages Exeter were the stronger side, lasting the pace better than Coventry, and Kirk, from Pool's pass, was unlucky not to score. Clarke was prominent in defence for Exeter, and Charlton was laid out in a collision
with Galloway but quickly resumed. Right at the end Holland brought off a magnificent save from a curling shot by Ramage.

WESTERN LEAGUE
EXETER CITY RESERVES
v LOVELLS ATHLETIC.

This Western League match was played at St James's Park in dull weather, and attended by a crowd of 2,500 spectators. The teams were: -
City Reserves: Wainwright; Lowton, Miller; Ditchburn, Chambers, Warren; Gumm, McDade, Goldsworthy, Vaughan, and Parkin.

Lovells Athletic: Evans; Hillman, Bartholomew; Elwell, Jenkins, Jones; Cook, Howarth, Hoskins, Macdonald, and Graham.

The scoring was opened by Vaughan for Exeter after two minutes' play, and at half time the City were three up, Goldsworthy having scored twice within the space of three minutes. Twelve minutes before the finish Goldsworth, with a lovely cross drive, completed the hat trick, then Vaughan skimmed the cross bar and McDade fired over the goal.

Result:
City Reserves 4 Lovells nil.


Wednesday, April 18th, 1928.
Western League
EXETER CITY RESERVES v.
BRISTOL CITY RESERVES

Exeter City Reserves, who are going all out for the championship of both the Southern and Western Leagues, had a very stiff hurdle to overcome when they were visited at St James's Park this afternoon by an extra strong Bristol City XI.

The teams lined up on a dry ground and in a cold wind, as follows:

Exeter City:- Wainwright; Lowton and Miller; Ditchburn, Mason, and Warren; Gumm, McDade, Lievesley, Parkin, and Compton.

Bristol City: Readdy; Holbrook and Geddes; Neesam, Murray, and Torrance; Rankin, Dransfield, Cherrett, Blakemore, and Callaghan.

Referee: Mr F.W.Reeve, of Devonport.

Neesam won the toss and the Grecians set the ball rolling against the wind. Weak finishing spoiled Exeter's first advance, and when play was transferred to the other end Wainwright came out quickly to rob Cherrett in the act of shooting. Some neat combined work by the Bristol forwards followed, but it brought them no advantage. Exeter pressed, and Lievesley fired high over the Bristol goal, but in their next advance Exeter took the lead, the combination of Lievesley and Compton beating the Bristol defence for Lievesley to score, after seven minutes. Exeter's lead lasted only two minutes. Wainwright failed to come out of his goal as Cherrett dribbled the ball through, and Lowton missed his tackle, so the old Argyle centre-forward scored a "soft" goal. The Grecians, although enjoying the balance of the play, missed several good scoring chances, but in 35 minutes regained the lead through Lievesley, who shot the ball home, following up a beautiful headed pass by McDade, which put the ball between the Bristol backs. Half-time: Exeter 2 Bristol 1. Compton (2) and Lowton (1) scored goals for Exeter after the interval, and the match ended with the result:
Exeter Reserves 5
Bristol City Reserves 1.

• EXETER CITY'S "LADYBIRDS."  The growth and encouragement of Schoolboy Football is beginning to bear fruit. Clarke has played occasionally in the first team this season, and to - day at Coventry, Clifford Bastin is given his first chance in big football, so with Clarke two Ladysmith Road School players are in the team. Bastin has plenty of time to develop, and his future will be watched with the greatest of interest. The Exeter City club will do everything in its power to encourage him, and there is no reason why Bastin should not eventually play for England.    From the Exeter City programme, April 14th 1928.