EXETER CITY 2 MERTHYR TOWN 0

Saturday, May 5th, 1928.

Having won during the week the Devon Championship and the Trowbridge Hospital Charity Cup the Grecians played their last game of the season this afternoon at St James's Park against Merthyr Town in a Football League match. Andrews, on the strength of his bright display and his two goals against the Argyle on Monday, was chosen for the centre forward position.

Exeter City: Holland; Pollard and Charlton; Phoenix, Mason, and Clarke; Purcell, Mc Devitt, Andrews, Dent, and Compton.

Merthyr Town: B.Lewis; Page and Pedler; T.J.Lewis, Bishop, and McLachlan; E.M.Jones, Mays, Crewe, Livingstone, and Ford.

Referee:- Mr A.S.King, of Swindon.

In dull but pleasant weather a crowd of five thousand spectators assembled. Merthyr won the toss but the advantage was slight. Andrews kicked off towards St James's Road, and in the first minute Mason sent the ball hard down the field between the visiting backs. Mason got to the leather himself, but was harrassed by Bishop and had to shoot in a hurry and sent wide of the goal. In the next attack, which started from the left wing Clarke drove the ball just over the Merthyr goal. Andrews created a useful opening for Purcell, but the centre was put over the goal line and short of the goal.

Compton's Splendid Header.

Merthyr attacked on the right wing but neither Jones nor Mays could get past Charlton. When they tried to get through on the other side they found Pollard just as difficult to pass. Phoenix and Clarke also lent good support but were erratic in disposing of the ball. Ford and Livingstone were now prominent, but Pollard covered them so well that Holland was not called on. Away went the Grecians in a spectacular and fast moving attack (their first for some time) and from Andrews the ball was put through to Purcell, who crossed it to Compton, and B.Lewis had to jump to fist Compton's powerful drive over the bar. In the next minute Exeter piled on the pressure again, and this time Purcell's centre was splendidly headed into the Merthyr net by Compton for a capital opening goal.

Exeter Saved by the Cross-bar.

A centre from Jones led to an exciting incident in the Exeter goalmouth, for Holland came out and missed the ball, and with the goalkeeper out of position Crewe rattled the crossbar with a good shot, dislodging a cloud of whitewasha With a few notable exceptions Exeter were making poor use of the ball, though most of the play was at the Merthyr end, but generally it could not be said that the Grecians were providing the crowd with much good football. Indeed, there was more to be admired in the work of the Merthyr forwards than those of the City, and only the sound play of Pollard and Charlton, and the lively defence of Mason stood between the Martyrs and an equaliser. Three minutes before half-time, however, Livingstone, who got clean through, should have scored, but his final shot was feeble, and wide of the goal.

Interval score: Exeter City 1 Merthyr nil.

When the second half opened Charlton headed away a free kick placed well into the penalty area by T.J.Lewis. Compton disappointed by shooting weakly behind at the other end when Exeter looked like increasing their lead, and then the home goal had another lucky escape. Bishop, taking a free kick for "hands" against Clarke, lobbed a high ball down the middle. The Exeter backs left it for Holland to clear, but the goalkeeper was too slow and Crewe nipped in first and steered the ball only just wide of the goal.

Then the Merthyr defence failed to work the "offside trap as well as they had done twice previously, but thought they had done it again when Mason carried on with the ball. Mason was allowed to go on, and he dribbled right into the penalty area before passing to Dent, who scored with a nice ground shot to the right of the goalkeeper.

Andrews put the ball in the net with his hands to the amusement of the crowd, the goal being rightly disallowed, and at the other end Holland made a good clearance from Crewe. Dent scored what appeared to be a perfectly good goal in the closing stages, following clever combination between Purcell and McDevitt, but the referee disallowed it on the grounds of offside, a decision which was much resented by the spectators.

Notes on the Game.

Merthyr Town opened brightly, Mays being the inspiration of the forward line in which a lot of promising work was done by Jones and Ford. It was not long before Pollard and Charlton got a firm grip on these wingers, however, and as a consequence the Merthyr attacks faded out. With more energy and enterprise the Grecians might easily have trebled their score. As it was they netted one clever goal which was disallowed. Generally speaking, however, the game seemed to be regarded by the City team as a social affair rather than a match which demanded any special effort, and much of the play was uninteresting, and typified the "end-of-the-season."

Exeter City's "Thank You" to the Supporters.

From the Exeter City official programme: "We desire to express a few words of appreciation to the large and growing body of supporters who have followed us through the varying phases of the season. Without such support there would be no club, and it is good to know that the efforts to provide for their winter amusement has been so well recognised. They have witnessed some first class entertainment and for the first time in the club's history have witnessed the ultimate F.A.Cup winners in competitive football; and what a game it was."