EXETER CITY'S NEW LEADER. CENTRE FORWARD SECURED FROM BRISTOL CITY.

Thursday, January 24th 1929.

Exeter City today secured from Bristol City the transfer of a centre-forward, William Morris Hick, for whose signature the Ashton Gate club paid Southend United a fee of £1,400 during the summer, and he will lead the Exeter attack. in their Football League match at Northampton on Saturday. Hick was with Southend United for four seasons, and in the last three of them he scored no less than 71 goals in 81 matches, his goals totals in the League games being 14 in season 1925-26, 28 in season 1926-27 and 25 last season. Much was expected of him at Bristol, but somehow he has not fitted in there, and if he can now reproduce in Southern Section games with Exeter City that lively and dashing play which made him such a conspicuous figure at Southend the Devon club should benefit greatly by his acquisition. Standing 5ft. 9in. in his socks, and weighing 12st. 71b., Hick is a strongly built and robust player. He was born at West Pelton, Yorkshire.

Exeter's Team at Northampton.

The Grecians' party will leave Exeter tomorrow afternoon, staying the night in London.

The side is:- Campbell; Lowton and Miller; Clarke, Pool and Dennington; Purcell, McDevitt, Hick, Doncaster, and Cameron.

Saturday, January 26th 1929.

NORTHAMPTON TOWN 4 (Loasby 2 Hoten Weston)
EXETER CITY 0

Up to the interval the Grecians had as much play as Northampton, but in the second half two quick goals decided their fate. The forwards did not work so well together as in the earlier period, but the defence was sound despite losing four goals, both Lowton and Miller playing with wonderful precision. Campbell was a satisfactory goalkeeper, and Pool, Clarke, and Dennington worked untiringly.

Northampton:- Hammond; Russell and Brett; Allon, Maloney, and Shaw; McIlvenny, Smith, Loasby, Hoten, and Weston.

Exeter City:- Campbell; Lowton and Miller; Clarke, Pool, and Dennington; Purcell, McDevitt, Hick, Doncaster, and Cameron.

The game began brightly but deteriorated towards the interval. McDevitt from a position right in front of the Cobblers' goal shot yards wide, but Hick was always on the mark with his shooting, Hammond making two brilliant saves from Exeter's new centre forward. Loasby scored for Northampton a minute before the interval. Northampton in the second half altered their early methods and swung the ball about, bringing McIlvenny and Weston into the game. Lowton and Miller played a strong defensive game for Exeter, but in fifteen minutes Hoten registered Northampton's second goal. Worse was to follow, for a series of unaccountable errors on the part of the City's defence enabled Loasby to run through and score a simple goal. In the closing stages Exeter's defence began to crumble against the skilful play of the home forwards, and after Loasby had driven the ball into the City goalmouth Weston scored with a good header.

Western League
EXETER CITY RESERVES 9
BRISTOL CITY RESERVES 3.

Visitors to St James's Park this afternoon in a Western League match, Bristol City Reserves gave a trial in goal to Wensley, of Exminster. The Grecians were skippered by Phoenix, who won the toss.

Exeter City Reserves: Holland; Phoenix and Noble; Sheffield, Ditchburn, and Christie; Bluck, Streets, Smith, Bastin, and Death.

Bristol City Reserves: Wensley; T.Williams and Geddes; Jennings, Smailes, and Smith; Gilhespy, B.Williams, Perry, Barber, and Beale.

The Bristol goal had several narrow escapes, Death firing over after being put through by Bastin, and Wensley then making a brilliant save from Death. After twelve minutes a mistake in midfield by Ditchburn led to Smailes feeding a beautiful swinging pass to Gilhespy, who outpaced Noble and closed in to net the ball for the opening goal. Sheffield transferred play from the Exeter half to Smith, who scored, but the goal was disallowed by Mr H.F.Curtis, the referee, for a foul. Sheffield from a free kick placed into the goalmouth and Bastin headed against the bar. A general scramble ensured in the Bristol goal area, Death barging in finally to bang the ball into the net. Wensley saved brilliantly from Bastin. Christie centred from midfield and Smith scored Exeter's second goal, firing the ball low into the net.
Half-time:
Exeter Res. 2 Bristol Res. 1.

Second Half.
Three minutes after resuming Exeter scored twice in rapid succession, through Death from a free kick, and Streets, from Death's corner. Death gave Bastin a perfect pass in the penalty area, from which the ex-"Ladybird" ran through to score Exeter's fifth goal at close range. From Bluck's accurate centre Streets shot and scored, and T.Williams, trying to hook the ball out, turned it into his own goal. The Grecians now slackened off, and Perry got two quick goals for the Babes. Smith scored Exeter's seventh, Streets the eighth, and the ninth was put into. the Bristol net by Geddes, after T.Williams had failed to stop Death bursting through.

• FOURTH ROUND OF THE F. A. CUP. HUDDERSFIELD TOWN v. LEEDS UNITED.

At the Town Ground, Huddersfield, in ideal weather, the ground being filled by a crowd of about 55,000 people for this great Yorkshire "Derby." Play began at a fast pace and Leeds had the better of the early exchanges. Huddersfield after a long spell of defence improved, Cumming with a good shot causing Wilson (Leeds goalkeeper) considerable anxiety. Generally defence prevailed over attack, Edwards, of Leeds, being continually applauded for clever work. Brown missed the best chance of the match so far by passing to Smith, who was offside. After half an hour there occurred seven sensational minutes. Wilson saved a penalty, Smith scored for Huddersfield and Jackson added two further goals. Nearing half-time Turnbull hit the Huddersfield crossbar with a rousing show which rebounded a third of the way down the field. Play early in the second half was tame, Leeds again having the better of play in a territorial sense, though their attacks lacked the necessary penetration and power. Keetley and Wainscoat failed with simple chances in front of goal. The attendance was 53,700 and the receipts £4,742, a record. The result was:
Huddersfield Town 3
Leeds United 0.

• FROM THE EXETER CITY PROGRAMME OF TODAY.

What the team can do against the might of Leeds United they are quite capable of performing against Third Division clubs. A well known football authority who saw the Exeter v Leeds matches declared: "The one thing that Leeds shone in, by comparison, was that they had ten men who could trap the ball instantly, whereas there were only three on the Exeter side with the same ability."