Exeter City v Brentford SECOND HALF GOALS DEFEAT THE GRECIANS
Brentford's First Away Win : Exeter's League Position Now Serious

Saturday, December 29th 1928.

EXETER CITY 2 (Lowton Streets)
BRENTFORD 3  (Drinnan Watkins Sherlaw)

Referee:- Mr F.J.Matthews, of Bristol.


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

Brentford: Fox; Herod and Winship;
Davies, Bain, and Ware; Sherlaw, Lane, Watkins, Drinnan, and Douglas.

Cold and showery weather was the order of the day at St James's Park on the occasion of the last match of 1928. McDevitt was absent from the Exeter ranks because of a knee injury, and Streets, who stepped into the vacancy at inside right, was making his sixth appearance for the "Chiefs." He is the second top goal-getter in the Reserves' list with eight to his credit.

Brentford's Early Goal.

A feature of the opening play was a clever bit of work by Cameron, who got by Herod, and centred right into the Brentford goalmouth, but Winship lifted the ball clear of Doncaster and Houghton. But in the following play Exeter seemed able only on very rare occasions to get the hang of things, and were forced back on the defensive by the more energetic and workmanlike methods of the "Bees," for whom Davies, Bain, and Ware were in sparkling form. Less than five minutes had passed when Brentford worked the ball rapidly along in front of the grandstand, and from Sherlaw's strong centre Watkins supplied the ball to Drinnan, who opened the scoring with a shot to the right of Holl and, the goalkeeper being unable to reach the ball. Bain was a tower of strength in the Brentford team, his quickness and skill enabling him to deal effectively with Exeter's forwards. On the one occasion when he was beaten, by Houghton, Fox saved the visitors' goal from falling by jumping to turn Cameron's shot over the bar. The ball, from Cameron's left foot. was directed, with plenty of pace, towards the top left hand corner of the goal, and the last-minute save by Fox was an example of goalkeeping at its very best. The left wing combination of Houghton and Cameron was the most promising feature of Exeter's play, but so keen and quick was the defensive play of the visitors that the Grecians found the going very difficult, and at quarter time the seven thousand spectators had found very little over which to enthuse. At this point a bright Exeter advance was spoiled by Purcell, who fed Fox with a simple shot from thirty yards' range instead of bringing the ball closer in towards goal, as for once he had a clear field before him.

Lowton's Equaliser.

Houghton enlivened the proceedings with a nice dribble, but the move finally broke down, and then, after 31 minutes the City were awarded a free kick for a foul twenty-five yards out from the Brentford goal. Lowton advanced to take the kick, and there was great jubilation all round the ground when he equalised the scores with a wonderful shot into the top comer of the net. The speed of the ball gave Fox no hope of saving. Five minutes later Streets, who had mostly been guilty of holding on too long to the ball when in possession, thereby giving the Brentford defenders to get into position, redeemed himself by giving Exeter the lead. A quick pass from Houghton to Purcell caught the defence unprepared; Purcell gathered the ball in his stride and middled to the goalmouth, and although Doncaster just failed to reach it Streets was there and he slipped the ball quietly into the net. When the City got another free kick in the Brentford half there were shouts for Lowton to "try one," but this time the burly full-back lobbed the ball forward to Houghton, whose header went over the bar.

Second Half.
Lowton kicked out a scoring shot from Davies right in the goalmouth, Holland in the next minute saving from Lane. Purcell got the City attack moving, Fox eventually saving from Cameron, then play opened out again and Miller conceded a corner in checking Douglas. Miller in fact quite failed to produce his usual good form, and Lowton had a whole lot of difficulties to contend with in covering his partner. Brentford persevered with their close passing game, the forwards running into position cleverly to anticipate the next move, and twenty minutes before the end they were rewarded with the equalising goal, Watkins gaining possession inside the Exeter penalty area and beating Holland with a flashing shot to the bottom of the net. Two minutes later another swift Brentford advance had the City backs in two minds. Lowton failed to stop Douglas, and the winger's centre was put behind by Miller. From Douglas's flag kick Sherlaw jumped and headed into the net for the winning goal to the visitors, who thus gained their first victory in an away match this season. There had been too much blind kicking by the Exeter backs, and the forwards had been left to fend for themselves. The City's position in the League in view of this latest defeat is serious indeed, and requires no stressing.

Southern League
EBBW VALE 6
EXETER CITY RESERVES 1.

Exeter City Reserves, playing at Ebbw Vale in a Southern League match today, were 3-1 down at half-time and 6-1 at the finish. Hoskins opened the scoring after Campbell had partially saved a penalty kick by Johnson, and a second goal was credited to Atkins. Gumm, of St. James's, scored for Exeter, Davis then restoring the Vale's margin. One goal by Atkins and two by J.Davies settled Exeter's fate in the second half.