WADE MAKES DEBUT ON HIS BIRTHDAY AND SCORES TWO GOALS
Clever Play By the Exeter Left-Wing

Saturday, September 29th 1928.

EXETER CITY (Wade 2 Houghton) 3
NORWICH CITY (McKenna) 1

Referee:- Mr A.G. Price, of London.

Exeter City:- Campbell; Lowton and Miller; Streets, Pool, and Clarke; Purcell, McDevitt, Wade, Houghton, and Death.

Norwich City:- Dennington; Hannah and Richmond; McGrae, Greenwell, and McLaverty; Porter, Cropper, Varco, McKenna, and Slicer.

Bone dry until this week, St. James's Park was well soaked by Friday's rain, but the improved drainage carried off the surplus water in fine style, and today the playing pitch was in ideal football condition. Exeter were without Cameron today, on account of a thigh injury, and Wade, the reserve centre-forward was chosen to lead the attack, thus playing his debut on a day which happens to be his birthday. Streets was preferred to Phoenix at right half. Norwich apart from Cropper for Stephenson (unwell) at inside right fielded their strongest team, the attack being led by Percy Varco, of Fowey, who at one time assisted Torquay United, Aston Villa, and Queen's Park Rangers, and who scored 29 League goals for the "Canaries" last season.

The Game.

Mc Devitt lost the toss, and in the presence of 6,000 spectators Wade set the ball in motion, Exeter playing towards the St James's Road end. There was a sensational opening, for Streets middled the ball so accurately and fast that Dennington hardly knew whether to advance or stay beneath his cross-bar. He elected to come out to meet the ball, but Death got there first, his header passing perilously near to an untenanted goal. Wade wound up another quick Exeter attack with a rousing shot which travelled just over the bar. Varco, finding an opening between Lowton and Miller, tried his luck from twenty yards' range but sent wide of the posts. A dangerous and quick Norwich attack followed, and Campbell had to pick out from underneath the bar a centre from Slicer. Norwich continued to be very aggressive for a while, but Death placed Exeter on the attack again with a strong pass up the middle, and had Purcell been quicker to take advantage of Wade's pass a good move would have resulted. At the other end a centre from Slicer was headed over the bar by Porter, who was almost in the goalmouth. Pool then had hard luck with a forceful header from 20 yards following a corner by Purcell, but Exeter took the lead in 31 minutes when Wade accepted a neat pass by McDevitt and scored with a shot which entered the net off the post. This lead was neutralised within two minutes, McKenna converting a pass from Porter. Just before the interval Exeter should have been given a penalty for hand-ball against Richmond, but a corner was signalled by Mr Price. Despite the strong appeal by some of the Grecians the referee adhered to his decision, whereupon the crowd expressed their feelings in a roar of booing, which went on till the players left the field at half-time, with the score at one all.

Second Half.

Hardly had the game been resumed when from a free-kick for a foul on Purcell by McLaverty, Lowton placed the ball well down the field, and McDevitt got in the way of the Norwich defence, thus preventing a clearance. Death secured possession, and showing Hannah a clean pair of heels centred accurately for Wade to surprise Dennington by nipping in and booting the ball under the bar for another goal to Exeter, his double feat being received with great glee by his colleagues as a very proper way of celebrating a birthday. Pool was watching Varco as closely as that dangerous centre forward's record demanded, and the Cornishman had few chances of distinguishing himself. Seven minutes before the finish the Grecians were awarded a free kick for "hands," and Death swept the ball across the Norwich goal-front, and a neat touch of the toe by Houghton directed it into the net.

Comments.

There was more dash than skill in this game, both sides indulging in a maximum of hard first-time kicking. Not until the second half was well advanced were the Grecians truly in a winning position, but towards the close the Canaries' defence was seen waiting on Exeter's moves rather than themselves meeting the ball. Wade brought the ball backwards rather often, but this was his one fault, and generally he made a very good impression. Death and Houghton were the City forwards who excelled, and it was the consistently good and clever play of the left-wing pair which did most to upset the visiting defence.

Western League
TAUNTON TOWN 4
EXETER CITY RESERVES 5.

In this Western League match on the Taunton ground, Exeter City Reserves soon got into their stride as a goalscoring combination, and Taylor, Doncaster, and Turl each found the net in the first half, before Pattison reduced Taunton's deficit from the penalty spot.

In the second half, with the ground slippery after a heavy rainstorm, scoring continued in "see-saw" fashion, Taylor (Exeter), Broad (Taunton), Doncaster (Exeter), Pattison and Broad (Taunton) each beating the respective goalkeepers in that order. Heeps, Exeter City's new signing from Rothesay, played a fine game at right half.

The City were represented by:-
Holland; Pollard, Noble; Heeps, Mason, Christie; Turl, Phoenix, Taylor, Doncaster, and Sheffield.