Exeter City 6-1 Crystal Palace

PALACE FALL TO PIECES

Forward Contrasts at St James's: Shaky Palace Defence. 

Saturday, October 12th 1929.

EXETER CITY 6 (Houghton Guyan 2 Hemingway Purcell 2)
CRYSTAL PALACE 1 (Simpson)

Half-time 2-1.

Exeter City:- Alderson; Howson and Shanks; Clarke, Ditchburn, and McMullan; Purcell, Houghton, Guyan, Hemingway, and Doncaster.

Crystal Palace:- Callender; Wetherby and Charlton; Hamilton, Wilde, and Duthie; Charlesworth, Turner, Simpson, Butler, and Fishlock.

Referee:- Mr W.Evans, of Barry.

Conditions overhead and underfoot were ideal for today's match at St James's Park, where 6,000 people attended. Exeter had to take the field again without Miller, the recurrence of the captain's knee trouble at Norwich last week making another rest imperative. Clarke was introduced for the first time this season, after assisting so regularly last year, and Ditchburn was at centre half. The Palace, who made two changes in their attack, were accompanied by their manager, Mr Fred Mavin, formerly of Exeter City. Stan Charlton, the old City full back and captain, received a big ovation when he led out the Glaziers, and Exeter followed immediately, with Ditchburn as captain. Ditchburn won the toss, but this carried no advantage, the sky being overcast and the air calm.
THE GAME.
Few of the spectators at St James's Park were prepared to see the Grecians gain such an easy victory against Crystal Palace. Nothing about the early play suggested such a result, as the Palace were the livelier combination. But in twelve minutes the City secured the lead. Clarke was fouled on the touch-line and took the free kick himself, sending well into the visiting penalty area. Guyan touched the ball on to Houghton, who had it in the net in a twinkling, Callender having no chance with the excellent cross-shot. The Grecians held the lead for only four minutes. At the end of that time pressure on the Palace left ended with Butler giving Simpson a quick pass. Unmarked, and right in front of the goal, Simpson had plenty of time to trap the ball and pick his spot to aim at. Alderson was beaten by a stunning right foot shot from the fair-haired Palace leader. Exeter improved, and Guyan in forty-one minutes restored the Grecians' lead by heading through a centre by Doncaster. Although employing unorthodox methods the Exeter forwards after the interval were very dangerous, and further goals were scored by Guyan, who headed a centre from Purcell into the net, and Hemingway, who dashed after the ball with a clear field before him and steered the ball past Callender. Hemingway was injured in collision with the Palace goalkeeper, but resumed after a brief rest. Thus after exactly one hour and a quarter's play the City led by four goals to one. Doncaster and Hemingway very nearly paved the way for another goal, but when Callender parried Doncaster's final shot Houghton sliced the ball outside the gaping goal from six yards. But almost in the same minute Purcell scored the fifth point after Callender had been drawn out of position. The Palace half-backs were helpless and Exeter were repeatedly dangerous. In the last five minutes there was only one team in it, and continuous pressure at the Palace end resulted in Purcell obtaining Exeter's sixth goal.

Comments. 
Although the forwards scored six goals betwee them Exeter's real strength lay in their half-back line. Ditchburn played a masterly game at centre half, keeping well up behind the forwards and supplying them with a stream of good passes which caused havoc in the Palace defence. The speed and dash of Clarke and the scheming of McMullan were other telling factors in the City's great victory. The Palace were let down by their half-backs, who were hopeless. Charlton was the better of the backs, but he and Callender were at a loss in the face of the general collapse of the defensive machinery. Wetherby was very weak. Simpson had few chances to shine, but when on the ball was as dangerous as any forward on the field, and his goal was a "gem."

Southern League
BARRY 4
EXETER CITY RESERVES 1.

Exeter City Reserves were at Barry this afternoon, when they engaged the local side in a Southern League match. The scoring was opened in the first half by Ward, for Barry, but Goldsworthy, of Exmouth United, equalised for the Grecians. Ward gave Barry the lead again twenty minutes after the change of ends, and a third goal was added by Davies from the penalty spot following "hands" by one of the Exeter backs. Davies obtained Barry's fourth goal with a shot which hit the underside of the crossbar on its way into the net.

Exeter City Reserves were represented by:- Holland; Baugh and Noble; Gurkin, Mason, and Dennington; Armfield, Sheffield, Goldsworthy, Corrigan, and Thomas.