Boxing Day at St. James's Park.

Exeter City's BRILLIANT FORWARD PLAY IN BOXING DAY MATCH

EXETER CITY 6 (Houghton Doncaster 2 Purcell 3) 

BOURNEMOUTH 3 (Eyre Johnson 2) 

Exeter City team:- Campbell; Lowton, Miller; Pollard, Pool, Clarke; Purcell, McDevitt, Doncaster, Houghton, and Cameron.
Bournemouth team:- McSevich; Hayward, Isherwood; Halliwell, Dixon, Bradford; Clifford, Johnson, Eyre, Graham, and Dudley 

Best 

Exeter City's success against Bournemouth and Boscombe United by six goals to three at St James's Park on Wednesday afternoon represents the Grecians' s best performance of the season in League football, and as the City had not won a Southern Section match on their own ground since September, and had not scored so many goals in a League game for more than two years, the majority of the eight thousand spectators at the "Park" left in a spirit of the best and highest esteem. Even the excursionists from Bournemouth had their big moments in the course of the game, which was crowded with good play and many exciting incidents. The referee was Mr H.E.Gray, of London, the official who took charge of the City's F.A.Cup matches with Blackburn Rovers last season, and who will also officiate at St James's Park on January 12th, when the Grecians receive a visit from Leeds United in the Cup. St James's Park on Wednesday was heavy and treacherous after the morning's rain, and while the City players quickly adapted themselves to the difficult conditions the visitors made rather a hesitating start. It was noticed that Lowton was limping from the effects of an injury he had received in the match at Bournemouth, but this did not prevent him from per forming in his usual energetic style, and playing his customary strong and fearless game.Bournemouth, however, were soon in trouble with injuries, Halliwell receiving a cut on the knee which necessitated the insertion of three stitches before he could resume, while Johnson had a cut over the left eye which must have worried him a great deal, even though he seemed able to forget it whenever there was work to be done.

Confident Approach Work Appropriately Rounded Off.

Exeter commenced in splendid style, playing fast and clever football. Their moves were carried through with smoothness and cohesion such as they have not shown their supporters in any previous match this season. Moreover, the City's confident approach work was very appropriately rounded off with good and hard shooting. Attack after attack was launched by the eager City forwards, and at times the Bournemouth goal was under siege. McSevich was a very smart goalkeeper, who showed excellent anticipation, and several shots were saved by him in the early stages, but after nine minutes he was beaten by Houghton, who scored with a splendid cross shot from McDevitt's forward pass.
In as much that Exeter generally ruled the roost, there were times when the home goal was in peril, and a few minutes after Houghton had got that opening goal Miller tortured the spectators by passing awkwardly right across the face of the City's goalmouth, and only by a desperate effort was Campbell able to get to the ball before Dudley and boot it clear.

Exeter's Second Goal.

The Exeter forwards were soon very busy again, and thrill followed thrill in rapid succession. McSevich made one of his best saves when he dived at full length to turn around the post a low shot from Purcell. Thirty-one minutes had elapsed when Doncaster got close and shot strongly. McSevich saved the shot, but Purcell promptly drove in another hard ball, and this time the goalkeeper was unable to hold the leather, and Doncaster drove hard into the net for the second goal. Eyre's speedy and thrustful moves had given Miller some anxious moments, and the old Sheffield Wednesday centre-forward now took advantage of an opening to drive fiercely at the home goal, the ball flashing just over the top. Then a miskick by Hayward at the other end of the field let Cameron in, but the City left-winger failed to get the ball properly under control, and his shot, taken a shade too soon, was easily fielded by McSevich. Shortly before half-time the state of the game underwent a dramatic change. On the half-way line Eyre gained possession by robbing Pollard and proceeded to work the ball past Lowton and Miller in a thrilling run goalwards. Miller gave chase and Campbell stayed in his goal, apparently hoping that Eyre would lose the ball in the mud. Eyre did nothing of the sort, but instead he got close in

and left Campbell helpless with a stinging shot in the bottom comer, and the goalkeeper no doubt wished he had gone out to meet the danger. In the next one of Exeter's attacks Purcell drove strongly against the Bournemouth cross-bar, and when the ball rebounded into play Houghton darted in and shot, only to find Mc Sevich in the way. This, however, was not all, for Bournemouth, kicking off to start the second half immediately took the ball right through the Grecians' defence, Dudley outpaced Lowton and crossed to Johnson, who with a very good header levelled the scores
The Bournemouth forwards were certainly making the most of their chances, for with not a quarter of the openings enjoyed by Exeter they had succeeded so well that less than one minute after the interval the teams were "as you were."

Purcell Restores Exeter's Lead.

Happily for the City only three minutes after Johnson had scored, good play on the left gave Purcell an opening, and with an excellent shot from ten yards he restored Exeter's lead, and when five more minutes had ticked away Cameron, receiving from Pool, dribbled coolly forward and shot so hard that McSevich dropped the ball, and Doncaster, who had followed up, promptly put through. There was an appreciative road of applause from the crowd when McDevitt, with a beautiful shot on the first bounce, nearly succeeded in giving Exeter their fifth goal, but Mc Sevich jumped high and just managed to turn the flying ball over the crossbar. Purcell's corner kick was cleared by Hayward.

The Qualities of Doncaster.

Doncaster's fine sense of position play, and his eagemess, confidence, and speed off the mark, were much in evidence in succeeding play, for the game now opened out considerably, and every so often someone in the Exeter team would boot the ball strongly up the centre for Doncaster to try his luck with a solo break-through between the Bournemouth backs. This was the Grecians' counter move to the close watch which Hayward and Isherwood were keeping on Purcell and Cameron, and which in itself was a compliment to the Exeter wingers. Doncaster came very near to succeeding in more than one of these dashing raids down the middle, and he was repeatedly cheered for his sterling play. At the same time Bournemouth were by no means finished with as an attacking force, a hard drive by Hayward from a free-kick being tipped over the bar at the last minute by Campbell. Three goals in the last five minutes sent the crowd home rejoicing. Clifford ran the ball past Miller and centred to Eyre, who netted close to the post. The whole City forward line was concerned in the next goal, but it
was the way Cameron cleverly lobbed the ball in from the goal-line which beat McSevich and enabled Purcell to head into the empty goal. Hardly had the cheering died away when Dixon, who had moved out in support of Isherwood, made the mistake of trying to beat Purcell with the ball before clearing. Purcell robbed him and closed in on the goal to net the sixth goal to Exeter and the ninth altogether with a lovely cross-shot.

The match was a most enjoyable affair, and the smart play of the xeter front line was quite a revelation. Cameron's work at outside left was almost up to Billy Death's standard, and that is high praise indeed, while Purcell, apart from scoring three goals, made a convincing return to his best form. Doncaster deserves a special tribute for his brainy positional play and his calculated and dangerous dashes up the middle of the field in the second half which had Bournemouth's defence in utter confusion many times. McDevitt exhibited all his customary genius as a link between the halves and forwards, and Houghton did a really wonderful afternoon's work at inside-left and was the outstanding player of the match. He was brilliant in every respect. 

At half-back Pool and Clarke got through a tremendous amount of work in famous style, and Pollard never spared himself, although now and again, especially in the second half, he threw extra work on himself and Lowton through hesitancy, uncharacteristic of him, in moving in to tackle the man in possession. Miller's clever close marking and judicious tackling was the outstanding item of Exeter's defensive play, and Eyre, one of the most dangerous leaders in the Southern Section, was kept well in check. Apart from his mistake in the matter of Bournemouth's opening goal Campbell had an excellent afternoon "between the sticks."


Boxing Day at Home Park.
Western League 
ARGYLE RESERVES 9 (Channon Sloan Grozier 7) 9
EXETER RESERVES 1 (Streets) 1

In the return game at Home Park on Boxing Day the Grecians were beaten by no less than nine goals to one. Channon opened the scoring and Sloan obtained the second goal. Then Grozier, at centre-forward instead of his usual place on the right wing, scored seven times in succession. Streets got a goal for Exeter near the end