Match 26
22nd January 1927
Southern League :- Barry T v Exeter City Res.
Third Division :- ECFC v Southend United

EXETER CITY 2 SOUTHEND UNITED 0
Played at St James's Park, Exeter, on Saturday, January 22nd 1927.


Conditions overhead were pleasant enough this afternoon at St James's Park, but the playing field itself was wet, muddy, and slippery. Both clubs fielded their strongest available teams, and Billy Goodwin, the old Exeter City favourite, was given a hearty ovation on taking the field as Southend's inside right. The crowd rolled in slowly, but there were upwards of five thousand present when Southend kicked off towards St James's Road, Charlton having won the toss.

Exeter City.
Bailey; Pollard, Charlton; Pullan, Ditchburn, Potter; Purcell, Blackmore, Lievesley, and Compton. McDevitt,

Southend United.
Moore; French, Bell; Jewhurst, Purdy, Beaumont; Morris, Goodwin, Hick, Donovan, and Smith.

Referee: Mr D.W.Chamberlain, of London.

Ditchburn paved the way for the City's opening goal, scored by Lievesley in the twentieth minute. The centre half lobbed the ball forward, and as Moore ran out to try to avert the danger Lievesley got there first and scored in the vacant net. Purcell in the second half dribbled nearly the entire length of the field and then shot against the post. The game hung in the balance until five minutes from time, when Blackmore from Compton's centre found the net with a great shot.

Bailey and Moore Were the Heroes.

In a game of innumerable thrills, with the mud the ruling factor, the City won their way through to another very welcome home victory, though probably their goal has never come under fire so many times in one match. Bailey and Moore were the heroes of a desperate afternoon's play, and of the two the Exeter goalkeeper had the more exacting afternoon. Bailey has seldom if ever served his club better. His many sensational clearances, especially from Hick, but at times from all the Southend attackers, was a sheer joy to the crowd, and a source of intense exasperation to the quick and clever hefty Southend leader. Exeter beat a very good team this afternoon, and beat them well. The two goals, by Lievesley and Blackmore, were both smart efforts, and enabled the City to secure their first "double" of the season.

BARRY 1 CITY RESERVES 1
Southern League return match at Barry. Exeter could not get into their stride at first, although Parkin broke away and tested the home goalkeeper with a hot shot. After ten minutes Barry were awarded a penalty for "hands," but Ballinger made a marvellous save from Ward's shot. Ward, from a centre by Trigg, scored for Barry ten minutes before half-time, and it was not until twenty minutes from the end that Phoenix equalised, from Thompson's pass. Humphrey scored a second goal for Exeter, but it was ruled offside, a very doubtful decision.

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