GRECIANS WIN AGAIN AT ST. JAMES'S PARK. SOUTHEND GOALKEEPER HURT.

Boxing Day Football
26th December 1929

A holiday crowd of more than eleven thousand people saw Exeter City defeat Southend United at St James's Park by three goals to one on Boxing Day. It was Exeter City's first home match since November 16th, and it was Exeter City's first victory since that date. The Grecians touched their very best form in the first half, and established a lead of three goals at the end of 25 minutes. They then became complacent, and in the second half their play deteriorated to such an extent that the one goal scored in this period was got by Southend. Exeter City delighted the onlookers with many quick and ingenuous moves in the first half, and when Moore, the Southend goalkeeper, badly jarred his right hand against the goalpost soon after the change of ends, and had to give the goalkeeper's jersey to Shankley, it was only natural for the crowd to expect the score to mount higher and higher. Instead, the Grecians stuck at their three goals, and only once after the centre-forward of Southend had taken up position between the posts did the City really look like scoring. Then, in a very tight corner, one of the backs came to Shankley's assistance and cleared with a flying kick.

GOALKEEPER AT OUTSIDE LEFT.

Southend, for their part, made a very good fight of it when things seemed to be going all wrong for them. Borland moved in from the left wing to assume the leadership of the attack, and Moore came dashing on to the field again to fill the role of an outside-left. He showed great eagerness in his new and unaccustomed position, and very nearly realised his ambition to score a goal. Guyan opened the scoring for Exeter ten minutes after the start, Doncaster doubling the total ten minutes later. Twenty-five minutes after the start Hemingway paved the way for the third
Exeter goal. He outwitted two opponents and then sent the ball nicely down the left wing to Doncaster, who rounded French before centreing. Purcell took the ball on his chest and ran close in to beat Moore with a hard low drive which entered the goal off the far post. Bailey obtained Southend's goal in the twentieth minute of the second half, and a badly judged backwards pass by Dennington nearly resulted in Moore, the injured goalkeeper, getting a goal, but Alderson saved the shot.

Southern League
BATH CITY 6
EXETER CITY RESERVES 0.

The Southern League match at Bath on Boxing Day was played in fine weather before a large crowd. Bath won the toss, and strong pressure led to their scoring after only seven minutes, Brittain shooting into an empty net after Holland had run out and unsuccessfully tried to clear. At the end of 24 minutes Alsop put Bath further ahead, and two minutes later Walter obtained their third goal with a strong cross-shot. Exeter played better in the second half, but lacked the finishing touch to their midfield moves. After a quarter of an hour Compton netted, a shot by Brittain having previously struck the bar. Jefferies added the fifth goal and Compton the sixth. 

Alsop and Plummer, of Bath City, have been transferred to Coventry City for a combined fee of £650, and they were making their final appearances for the Somerset club in the above match.