Exeter City v Swindon POINTS SHARED AT ST. JAMES'S PARK
Lack of Bite in the City Attack

Saturday, December 22nd 1928.

EXETER CITY (Purcell) 1
SWINDON TOWN (Roberts) 1

Referee:- Mr E.E.Small, of Bristol.

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

Swindon Town:- Nash; Dickinson and Wylie; Low, Bew, and Archer; Denyer, Eddleston, Morris, Roberts, and Thom.

Campbell appeared in goal for the City in place of Holland, who is down with tonsilitis. The ground at St James's Park was in better condition this week, and a breeze from the West had swept away the mist. Mr Small, the popular referee from Bristol, had not visited the Park for the last twelve months or so, and he received his customary ovation when he came out from the four thousand spectators. Swindon Town wore blue, and Campbell a white jersey, so that the colours of the teams could not possibly clash. Swindon won the toss, and Exeter had to defend the big bank end.

A Disappointing Game.
The scoring, one goal to each side, took place in the first half. Death, in eighteen minutes, broke away from the vicinity of the half-way line and took the ball well down before making a studied pass to Purcell, who, using his speed to outflank Archer and Wylie, secured the opening he wanted and drove in a fast shot that shook the rigging just under the crossbar. Right on the interval Swindon became very aggressive, and from a good centre by Denyer the ball went straight to Roberts, who headed a smart goal, thus equalising. Apart from the goals, which were both well worked for and well finished off, it was a disappointing game, especially for Exeter City, and on this form it does not seem as if there is much promise of improving the club's position in the League. The outstanding features were the weakness of the City half backs in constructive play, and the weakness of the inside forwards near goal. The game was patchy, there being long periods of dullness in between some lively spells. It appeared that both teams were keeping in mind the coming exacting Christmastide programme, when they will be engaged three times in five days, but in any case most League games are far more strenuous than this one was, even towards the close of the season when nothing is at stake and the prizes have all been won. Doncaster, however, put quite a lot of life into his work at centre-forward, and he and Purcell, who scored a beautiful goal, were the best of the Exeter front line. Death cannot be criticised, as he picked up a leg injury during the opening half, and was limping all the time in the second, and unable to get his usual speed up at all.

Southern League
SWINDON TOWN RESERVES 12 EXETER CITY RESERVES 5.

The City Reserves will not soon forget their experience at the Swindon Town ground in this afternoon's Southern League match, when seventeen goals were scored. Exeter's share was five, a figure which usually represents a good victory with something to spare, but the Swindon players netted no less than twelve goals. Much of the blame for letting through the twelve goals must lie with Hayman, the St James's goalkeeper, who was pressed into service through the illness of Holland and the consequent promotion to the first team of Campbell. The amateur goalkeeper was completely disconcerted by the occasion, and failed entirely to reproduce his normal club form.

Swindon:- Bourne; Legg and Weston; Cooper, Humphries, and Johnson; Powell, Walker, Bailey, Daniels, and Culley.
Exeter: Hayman; Ditchburn and Noble; Phoenix, Dennington, and Sheffield; Bluck, Streets, Wade, Bastin, and Cameron.

After ten minutes the Grecians took the lead, Bourne fisting out a centre by Cameron, and Dennington retrieving the ball on the rebound and scoring with a fast drive. Swindon were not long in equalising, Bailey converting a pass from Daniels, and five minutes later they went in front, Culley scoring. The game contained plenty of incident, and Exeter next drew level, Streets beating Weston and going on to register a lovely goal. Swindon fought back in fine style, and Culley again equalised with a goal from Walker's centre. In the last five minutes of the first half Walker scored Swindon's fourth goal, the score at the interval reading:
Swindon Reserves 4 Exeter Reserves 3.

Second Half.
Ten goals were scored in this half, as follows:-
1. Powell for Swindon in ten minutes, 2. Daniels, with a rasping shot which Hayman could not have seen,
3. Daniels, after cutting between the backs and scoring close in,
4. Powell, a long shot from the wing,
5. Bastin for Exeter, after Bourne had saved from Wade,
6. Johnson for Swindon, after he had missed a penalty,
7. Wade, from Bastin's pass,
8. Culley, a shot which gave Hayman no chance  
9. Cooper, with a drive from about thirty yards out,
10. Culley, a solo effort with the City defence sprea-eagled and Hayman no possible chance of saving.