Exeter City v Queens Park Rangers 

A DAMP AFTERNOON AT ST JAMES'S PARK

McDevitt's Goal Saves a Point for the Grecians
Saturday, November 10th 1928.

EXETER CITY (Mc Devitt) 1

QUEEN'S PARK RANGERS (Burns) 1 

Referee:- Mr E.C.Sambrook, of Swansea.

Exeter City:- Holland; Lowton and Miller; Pollard, Pool, and Clarke; Purcell  McDevitt, Cameron, Doncaster, and Houghton.

Queens Park Rangers:- Cunningham; Sweetman and Pierce; Armstrong, Cockburn, and Thompson; Coward, J.C.Burns, Goddard, Rounce, and Smith.

It had been hoped by the Exeter City directorate to keep toge ther the side which played so well at Fulham last week-end, but Death was still sore from the heavy body blow he received in collision with the Fulham goalkeeper, so it was announced yesterday afternoon that Houghton would play on the wing. The Rangers, who have only lost one match this season, at Walsall, played Pierce at left-back in place of Young, who has an injured leg. Their team was not announced until the party of play ers and officials reached the Exeter ground, when it was revealed that McNab, the Scottish International half back and Neil, the old Brighton and Arsenal man, were injured, and would have to be substituted by Armstrong and Thompson. McNab and Cockburn are former clubmates of Billy McDevitt, the three men having been together at Liverpool. Queen's Park Rangers, as well as being one of the best teams in the Southern Section, are also one of the biggest, for they have eleven players on their books ranging in height from 6ft. 1ins (McNab) down to 5ft. llins.
"Gate" Ruined by the Weather. 

Unfortunately the weather turned to rain round about noon, the downpour being of the steady and relentless variety that continues for many hours, and the fixture, one of the most attractive at St James's Park for the season, lost much of its appeal as a spectacle, many people deciding not to face the pros pect of an afternoon in the open exposed to steady rain. The attendance was barely four thousand when play started, with McDevitt having won the toss and Goddard kicking off from the St James's Road end. Miller was early prominent in checking the progress of Coward, and it was as well for the City that he was, because the Rangers' combination was very neat and effective, and Coward was receiving some very useful passes. In one very pretty movement on this wing the ball was worked squarely across the Exeter penalty area, and Goddard would have been clear if he had picked up Burns's pass. The centre forward just failed to reach the ball, however, and Lowton cleared his lines. Twenty minutes had elapsed when the Rangers opened the scoring, a mistake by Pool enabling Coward to feed Burns, who netted with a long low shot into the corner of the Exeter net. Exeter retaliated at once, and there was some excitement at the Rangers' end when McDevitt raced for a ball that Cunningham came out to clear. McDevitt, however, was not so well placed as the goalkeeper, and arrived too late. When Cameron was fouled 25 yards from the Rangers' goal, Lowton came up for the free-kick, and tried a direct shot. With his typical "cannonball" Lowton drove the leather just over the angle of the crossbar and upright.

McDevitt Scores for the City.
Ten minutes before the interval the Grecians equalised. Doncaster sent out a nice side-pass to the left wing, and Houghton showed his genius by coaxing the ball past three opponents and placing it in the goalmouth. McDevitt closed in and just as Cunningham was gathering the shot, the City skipper stuck out his long leg and pushed the ball and goalkeeper into the net together, and as he could not halt his side in the slippery goalmouth Mac also finished up in the goal-netting. A frantic attempt by Cunningham to grab the ball and throw it out proved futile, for the referee was clearly pointing to the centre. Goals from McDevitt are rare, and loved by the crowd at St James's Park, and it was not any wonder that this one was cheered to the echo. Right on the interval whistle Holland saved a long shot from Smith, and Clarke took a mudbath when he effected a perfect sliding tackle on Goddard.

Second Half.
Goddard with a weak shot made poor use of a capital opening, and Houghton, who was in sparkling form on Exeter's left wing, did better from Cameron's quick pass, his shot shaving the crossbar. The game appeared slow, the players of both sides having to study their work more than usual on the treacherous mud in the centre of the field and the goal areas. The Rangers made big efforts to secure a winning goal, but found Exeter's backs in resolute mood, while Holland was equally determined to let nothing pass him.

Friendly
Copplestone and District XI v Exeter City Reserves.

"Jock" Ditchburn, who has been assisting Exeter Loco in the Wednesday League, accepted Exeter City's terms and re-signed yesterday, and he was included at centre half in the Reserves' team which played a friendly this afternoon, at Chagford, against a Copplestone and District XI, and won by 12 goals to three. The spectators were very pleased with the entertainment, and the excellent passing and combination of the City, and particularly with John Bluck, who performed brilliantly at outside right. He is to be given a further trial with the Reserves in a Southern League match as soon as possible.

The Exeter City team today was:- Campbell; P.Noble, M.Purcell; Sheffield, Ditchburn, Christie; J.Bluck, Streets, Wade, K.Wallis, and W.Salter.