Exeter City v Fulham

CHANGES WHICH SPEEDED UP THE ATTACK

Fulham Beaten by Improved City Team

Saturday, September 28th 1929.

EXETER CITY 2 (Purcell Guyan)
FULHAM 1  (Avey)

Half-time City 1 Fulham 0.

Exeter City: Alderson; Howson and Miller;Sheffield, McDevitt, and McMullan; Purcell, Thomas, Guyan, Hemingway, and Doncaster.

Fulham: Beecham; Rosier and Gibbon;
Oliver, McNab, and Barrett; Temple, Haley, Avey, Craig, and Penn.

Referee:- Mr E.C.Sambrook, of Swansea.

Miller, the Exeter City captain, who has been out of the team since being injured at Gillingham on September 4th, returned to the left back position, and Guyan reappeared at centre-forward. McDevitt was selected at centre half, which was his position when he came to Exeter in 1925, and before the City converted him with such outstanding success to one of the best inside rights in the Southern Section. Thomas, formerly of Torquay United, made his debut at inside right. Barrett won the toss, but the afternoon was dull, and Fulham's advantage was only that of a very light breeze from the St James's Road end of the field. After the teams had lined up Alderson was told by the referee to change his white jersey so as to avoid any confusion between him and the white shirted. Fulham men. Alderson changed to a crimson one.

A SENSATIONAL OPENING.

The game opened sensationally. Exeter, who had played five games without
scoring, now got a goal in the first minute. Fulham had raided the Exeter end and Haley had shot wide. Then, direct from Alderson's goal kick Hemingway fed Doncaster, who took the ball right down the field to within a yard of the corner flag before centreing. McNab jumped to head the ball, which went over him, and Guyan on the first bounce shot to the top corner of the goal. Beecham was beaten, but the ball hit the crossbar and rebounded into play. Gibbon failed to clear, whereupon Purcell nipped in and banged the ball into the net for a very welcome goal. Alderson, who has quickly established himself in the good books of the Exeter supporters, won loud applause when he brought off a magnificent save from a shot by Temple that was en route to the top corner of the goal. Alderson next kept two dangerous headers from Temple and Haley out of the City net. In the
next City attack Doncaster flashed the ball across the face of the Fulham goal, with no other forwards far enough up to take advantage, and at Exeter City's end Alderson again "brought down the house" with a marvellous save from Penn.

Fulham meanwhile continued to improve their game, and eventually settled into the quick and accurate combination they had showed when they came here in the 1928-29 season, on that occasion scoring four goals. McDevitt was getting in some clever interceptions and some equally astute passes forward, but it was the excellent defence of Miller which aroused the crowd's enthusiasm as much as anything.

EXETER'S HAIR-RAISING ESCAPE.

Three minutes before the interval Exeter had a great slice of luck, when a characteristically clever move by the Fulham forwards ended in Avey putting Haley through with a pass which left the inside right all the goal to aim at. A curling ball was driven by Haley against the inside of the post on the left of Alderson, and to the amazement of all it ran right across the goalmouth to be thankfully kicked clear by Howson. Half-time City 1 Fulham 0.

SECOND HALF.

Thomas, who made a splendid partner to Purcell, and who had contributed very largely to the improved form of the City front line, had the misfortune to injure his foot. Now hobbling more or less on one leg, his speed was reduced to about half its normal, neither was he able to kick the ball properly. He moved to outside-right with Purcell inside. From Purcell's ground pass Guyan took the ball forward and netted, but offside was given, though the decision appeared to be incorrect from the grandstand. Thomas was now a cripple, and could do nothing. Guyan aroused enthusiasm when he robbed Gibbon and tried a shot, the ball going over the crossbar. Gibbon was again relieved of the ball, this time by Hemingway, and a brilliant series of rapid passes between him and Doncaster ended with Guyan heading the City's second goal. Alderson made two sensational saves from the eager Fulham men, but was beaten eight minutes from the end by Avey, who collected a lovely crossfield pass by Temple, all along the carpet, then dribbled the ball past the goalkeeper and into the empty net.

SOUTHERN LEAGUE
TAUNTON TOWN 3
EXETER CITY RESERVES 3.

Southern League. Taunton were two goals to nil ahead at the interval. Early in the second half Houghton netted from a penalty and Corrigan obtained Exeter's equaliser. Bryant, who had scored Taunton's first-half goals, beat Holland for the third time, but Henderson replied with another goal for the Grecians. The Exeter team was Holland; Noble and Shanks; Baugh, Gurkin, and Dennington; Armfield, Clarke, Henderson, Houghton, and Corrigan.

PLYMOUTH ARGYLE RESERVES v EXETER CITY RESERVES.
WESTERN LEAGUE MATCH AT HOME PARK: JUNIOR DEVON DERBY.

Wednesday, October 2nd 1929.

ARGYLE RESERVES 2 (Borley Matthews) CITY RESERVES 0
Half-time 0-0.

Argyle Reserves:- Cann; Bland and Russell; Voden, Pullen, and Hardie; Matthews, Findlay, Borley, Fellowes, and Coxen.
City Reserves:- Holland; Noble and Shanks; Baugh, Gurkin, and Dennington; Armfield, Clarke, Henderson, Houghton, and Corrigan.

Exeter City Reserves were defeated on Wednesday evening by Plymouth Argyle Reserves at Home Park, both goals being scored late in the game. Borley opened the scoring twelve minutes from the finish by heading past Holland a centre from Alf Matthews, the ex-Grecian, while a little later a finely placed centre from Coxen was passed on by Borley to Matthews, who sent a hard right footed drive into the net, well out of Holland's reach.

ARGYLE GOALKEEPER IN FORM.
The game was very keenly contested throughout, and Exeter had their share of the chances, but Cann was in great form in goal for the Argyle Reserves. Early in the game he made splendid saves from Armfield and Corrigan. Armfield played speedy and clever football in opposition to Russell with the result that the Welsh International was fully extended. The City Reserves came close to taking the lead directly after the interval, when the ball was twice passed across the front of the home goal, and four shots were blocked on the goal-line by Pullen and his colleagues.

PLYMOUTH RESERVES TWO GAMES IN THREE DAYS.

The match against Exeter City Reserves was Plymouth Reserves' second game in the space of two days, for on Monday they travelled to Kettering, where they engaged the local side in the Southern League Championship match between the winners of last season's Eastern and Western Sections of the League. Driving rain persisted throughout the match, which was won by the Argyle by the score of 4-2.

The Argyle fielded a very strong team, as follows:- Craig; Bland and Titmuss; Mackay, Pullen, and Hardie; Grozier, Sloan, Bowden, Leslie