F. A.CUP SECOND ROUND:
TORQUAY UNITED v EXETER CITY
Torquay Forwards Held in the First Half

THEN PURCELL SCORES THE WINNING GOAL!

Saturday, December 8th 1929.

TORQUAY UNITED 0
EXETER CITY (Purcel1) 1 

Referee:- Mr W.H.Burnell, of Bristol.

Torquay United: Gough; Fowler and Brown; Smeaton, Carrick, and Smith;
Mackey, Kelly, Gardner, Hemingway, and Waller.

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

Great interest was aroused by the pairing of Torquay United and Exeter City in the second round of the English Cup competition, no other match in the day's programme holding out so much promise of genuine Cup fever as the one between the Devonshire rivals at Plainmoor. Torquay United had a slightly better League position than Exeter City, and in addition to enjoying ground advantage were fortified by the knowledge that on October 13th they beat the City by three goals to one at St James's Park. Exeter City, on the other hand, have shown in recent games that they are now an improving combination, and thousands of their supporters made the journey to South Devon today by road or rail in the confident expectation of seeing the team return home unbeaten. All the available seats in the grandstand were snapped up rapidly, and this afternoon, it was expected with the weather being fine and frosty the ground at Plainmoot would be packed to capacity.

Music By Two Bands.
The Exeter City Military Band under the conductorship of Mr George Newman shared the musical programme with the Torquay club's band, selections being given alterately. Half an hour before the kick off there were seven thousand prople present. The record attendance for the Plainmoor grounds is a figure of between twelve and thirteen thousand, this total being reached when the Grecians were the first visitors to play there in a Football League match, at the start of the 1927-28 season. After lunching at Deller's Cafe, Exeter, the City party of players and officials travelled to Torquay by road and reached the ground in plenty of time. There were no last minute alterations, and from both dressing rooms it was reported that all the players were fit and eager for the fray. The Mayor and Mayoress of Torquay, Mr and Mrs H.Green, were among the early arrivals. Big displays of the Exeter red and white and the Torquay black and white could be seen in all parts of the ground.

The Game.

McDevitt led the Grecians out at 2.12p.m, and Gough, the International goal keeper, followed immediately with the home team. There was still some vacant spaces on the popular terraces, the attendance at the kick off being 12,000. Gough won the toss and Exeter had to face a dazzling sun in the first half.
The game opened at a tremendous pace, both teams booting the ball hard with hopes of an early advantage. Local excitement was at fever heat. For five minutes the ball was in the Torquay half, but little good play was seen, touch being frequently found. Pool repelled one Torquay raid, but Carrick secured possession and passed to Mackey, whose shot was saved by Holland. After a few minutes of Torquay pressure McDevitt got the Grecians' forwards going, and from a free-kick for hands Pollard lobbed the ball close to goal, Fowler heading clear. Death then got away in his characteristic style, but Carrick caught him up and booted the ball into touch. Exeter continued to be aggressive, and a centre from Death landed on the top of the Torquay goal-net. A spirited Torquay raid, finally quelled by Holland and Miller, was loudly applauded. Hemingway made ground rapidly for Torquay until stopped by Pool with a well timed tackle. The first direct shot at the Torquay goal was not made until the 17th minute, by Death, and even then it was not one of his best.

Flashback to 1927.

Eight minutes before the interval McDevitt gave Doncaster a through pass, and as the centre-forward was going through he was fouled by Brown, and at the same time Gough ran out of his goal and barged into the two men. Amid great excitement a penalty was awarded to Exeter. Lowton took the kick but struck the goalpost on the left of Gough and the ball rebounded across the goal and was cleared. Thus did the City full-back repeat his failure of the 1927 match on the same ground. This fortunate escape put renewed vigour into the "Magpies" as well as having the effect of thoroughly rousing Exeter City, so that the remaining minutes before the interval were crowded with excitement. Waller shot neatly in one Torquay attack, but there was little pace behind the ball and Holland saved without trouble. Holland had more trouble in punching away a high, dropping centre from the Torquay left-winger, with about six other players of either jumping all round him trying to head the ball into the goal or away from it depending on which colours they were wearing. Then in a sharp breakaway just on the interval Death passed to Doncaster, but Brown intercepted with a good tackle, and Death himself drove the ball over the bar. So far, it had been a good hard and clean game, played in the best sporting spirit, except that the football had been a little too feverish, with a decided absence of science. When the second half started Death was fouled, and Clarke's free - kick went direct to the goalmouth, Fowler heading over the bar for safety. The corner kick, taken by Purcell, was caught by the breeze and went behind. Hemingway then fouled Doncaster, but Pollard's free kick was promptly headed clear, and play settled for a while in midfield. After fifteen minutes of the second half Torquay were awarded a free kick and Brown tried a long shot. Holland fisted it out, but Carrick promptly returned it and Waller followed up and charged into Holland. In the heated exchanges which followed Holland was momentarily knocked out and Exeter were awarded a free kick. Death, with a swift dash through, raced practically the length of the field with the ball at his toes, but all he gained was a corner which came to nothing.

The Winning Goal.

Death and Doncaster forced the pace, and Brown, mis-kicking, gave away another corner. Death's flag kick threatened to enter the goal in the top corner, but Gough got the ball clear. Just afterwards, making the most of another miskick by Brown, Purcell tried a long cross-shot and cleared the crossbar by a matter of inches only. This was the first of a series of strong Exeter onslaughts on the home citadel, and one storming shot by Doncaster was only saved by Gough at the second attempt. A goal seemed certain when the Death and Doncaster wing got going away, Gough revealing true International form in saving the final shot, from Doncaster. Exeter kept up the pressure and Hought on kicked the ball over the bar. There was now only one team in it, and that was Exeter City. Ten minutes from the end came the winning goal. From Death's pass Houghton was challenged by Fowler, whose half-clearance was snapped up by Clarke. A strong shot across the front of the Torquay goal followed and Brown failed to clear with a header. In a flash Purcell brought the lively ball under control, and fairly crashed it into the net just below the crossbar. The Exeter section of the crowd let rip, cheering the goal to the echo. The Torquay attack appeared to have faded right out of the picture, and Death again broke through at speed and waltzed round Fowler, then shot wildly over the bar.

Southern League
NEWPORT COUNTY RESERVES 3
CITY RESERVES 2.

Southern League match at Somerton Park, Newport. Exeter opened very strongly and kept up the pressure, Maidment having to save difficult shots from Wade, Streets, and Phoenix. Baugh, the Newport right back, was injured and carried off, and in eleven minutes Streets headed a nice goal for Exeter. Forty, the Newport outside-left, was injured and carried off. Another good move by Exeter resulted in Streets scoring a second goal, then Hill was brought down in the Exeter penalty area when going through, and the spot kick was converted by Maidment, the goalkeeper. Taylor of Newport broke down with a leg injury and the Ironsides were left with eight players. Forty returned in the second half, and in the closing stages and each time from Llewellyn's passes Hill scored twice for Newport.

• THIRD ROUND OF THE CUP.

The draw for the third round of the F. A. Cup, announced on Monday, brings one of the leading First Division sides to Exeter, as was the case last year when Blackburn came here. Exeter City will play Leeds United, at St James's Park, on Saturday, January 12th 1929, kick off 2.30 p.m. In the case of a replay the kick off has to be made at 2.15 p.m., this being brought forward to provide for the match being finished in daylight should extra time be necessary. Leeds United are at present fourth in the First Division League Championship, behind Sheffield Wednesday, Derby County, and Blackburn Rovers. Plymouth Argyle, who have beaten Yeovil and Petters United and Brentford in this season's Cup competition, will be at home to Blackpool in round three. The official attendance at Plainmoor on Saturday last was 11,114, the amount of money taken in gate and grandstand receipts being £674. 10s. 6d.

• DEVON V GLOUCESTER.
  

In this county match, played at Bideford Sports Ground on Saturday, for the Southern Counties Amateur Championship, Devon won by four goals to three, and Clifford Bastin of Exeter City was the "star" of the match. Apart from his clever play and his scheming of openings for colleagues, Bastin also scored a brilliant hat-trick of goals.