EXETER CITY 3 CRYSTAL PALACE 1.

Played at St James's Park, Exeter
Saturday, April 16th 1927.

Exeter relied on the eleven which played at New Cross yesterday, and Crystal Palace were also at full strength. The playing pitch was dry, and the beautiful holiday weather promised a fast game. Cross won the toss, so that the Palace had the advantage of the breeze in the first half. The attendance was 6,000.

Exeter City: Bailey; Lowton and Charlton; Ditchburn, Pool, and Miller;
Purcell, McDevitt, Lievesley, Dent, and Compton.

Crystal Palace:- Callender; Cross and Orr; Gallacher, Hamilton, and Hilley;
Flood, Turner, Cherrett, Blakemore, and Clarke.

Referee: Mr W.F.Russell, of Swindon.

A thrill ran through the crowd almost at the start, when Dent initiated a good Exeter move, which was carried through brilliantly, the forward line taking the ball nearly to the Palace goal. Callender nipped in and intercepted Compton's parting pass to Lievesley. There was a retaliatory raid by the Palace a minute later, and Charlton did well to cover Cherrett, so that the centre-forward's shot cannoned behind for a corner. Pool cleared the flag kick, and Exeter again went to the other end, for Dent to shoot wide from Purcell's centre. Right from the outset the constructive play of the Grecians was a fine feature, and in this respect Ditchburn, Miller, and McDevitt were shaping as well as ever. McDevitt sent Dent away, and his shot was saved by Callender underneath the cross-bar. The Palace were pulled up three times for offside, but eventually Clarke got away but put his centre over the bar. Play improved further, with the visiting half backs taking a more prominent share in the game. Charlton defender in his usual magnificent style, and never wasted a ball, and the City all but took the lead when after fifteen minutes Lievesley accepted a centre from the left wing and shot strongly, the ball hitting the cross-bar with great force. It was easily the best shot of the match so far, and Callender was well beaten.

Dent Scores for the City.
Another Palace attack having been beaten off, a run down the left touch-line by Compton and Lievesley caused another sensation, but Lievesley's final shot was wide of the posts. From a free kick for a foul Miller drove the ball right into the Palace goalmouth, Callender saving in the top angle. The City gained the lead in twenty-six minutes through Dent, whose clever anticipation enabled him to get into the right position to convert Purcell's centre. This goal took the Grecians' total score for the season to seventy-three, a new high record for the club in League football. Compton was playing a big part in the game at this stage, his strong play and excellent finishing giving Cross acute anxiety. He was fouled now by Gallacher, and from the free-kick Miller again shot just under the crossbar, with Callender tipping the ball over. The City had been playing splendid football for more than half an hour, against the sun and the wind, and it was not surprising now that for a few minutes the Palace were able to apply pressure. Their intermediate men moved up in support of the forwards, but Bailey had nothing more than a couple of moderate long shots from Hilley and Hamilton to deal with. Lievesley tested Callender with a ground shot and Bailey saved from Turner. The interval arrived with the City leading by a goal to nil.

Second Half
Handicapped in their turn by the sun the Palace defence started the second half somewhat shakily, and Compton showed Cross a clean pair of heels in a fast breakaway. Cross recovered well, however, and put behind for a corner. A centre by McDevitt was fielded by the ever-vigilant Callender. Exeter made a series of determined raids after this, and a goal seemed likely any moment. Lievesley's failure to control the lively ball, however, cost him two scoring chances. Dent's quickness in following up placed the Palace goal in peril, for the big clearance kick by Callender cannoned against him, and the ball flew over the bar from a few yards' range. Blakemore shot high over the Exeter goal from fifteen yards, and Bailey saved from Cherrett. Eventually McDevitt fed Compton, and the winger's shot hit the upright. The groan of disappointment from the terraces suddenly turned into a wild cheer, as it was seen that from the post the ball had rebounded to Lievesley, and that the centre forward had headed it into the net. In the next half minute Callender saved twice from Lievesley, and once from McDevitt. The Palace halves and backs were tiring under the strain of holding off the lively Grecians, and Callender alone now stood between Exeter and fairly a substantial score. From a throw-in on the right Purcell beat Orr for possession and scored Exeter's third goal with a lightning drive into the top of the net. A minute later, from a corner kick well taken by Flood, Turner shot low through a crowd of players, and netted for the Palace. The football in this match was of a high standard, although the finishing of the Grecians was at times disappointing. Callender came out of this match with great credit, and Blakemore was prominent at times. Lowton and Charlton were a strong pair of backs in Exeter's team, and the half backs were good.

TAUNTON UNITED 3
EXETER CITY RESERVES 4.

Both sides in this Southern League match made alterations from the selected teams, Exeter bringing in Phoenix for Walker at right half, while Treasure kept goal for Taunton in place of Goddard, who was injured at Plymouth yesterday. Taunton opened the scoring in five minutes, Randall (Taunton) heading into the net a centre from Tabert. Exeter quickly drew level with a header by Burrows. In later play Thompson scored twice for the City. Billy Crawshaw, the old Grecian, reduced the lead with a beautiful shot from thirty yards' range, and Taunton drew level ten minutes later when Lunn (Exeter goalkeeper) was beaten by another long shot, this time from Bradshaw. Burrows gave the City Reserves the lead, and in the closing stages shots from Thompson, Newman, and Parkin all cannoned off the woodwork of the home goal.