Exeter City v Luton 

LUTON TOWN EQUALISE IN SENSATIONAL FINISH

Clarke Outstanding in Grand City Half-Back Line

Wednesday, September 3rd 1930.
EXETER CITY 1 (Houghton)
LUTON TOWN 1 (Slicer)
Half-time 0-0.

Exeter City: Davies; Gray and Miller;
Clarke, Inglis, and Dennington; Purcell, Houghton, Varco, Halliday, and Lister.
Luton Town: Banes; Kingham and Richards; McGinnigle, Clark, and Hale; McNestry, Yardley, Rennie, Armstrong, and Slicer.
Referee:- Mr T.W.Chamberlain, of Ilford.

There was a big disappointment in store for Exeter City on Wednesday evening in their match with Luton Town at St James's Park. After having played much the better football throughout the first half and more than held their own in field play in the second period they scored a well deserved goal nine minutes from the finish, only to see victory dashed from their grasp. With but three minutes of the play remaining Luton equalised, and the teams finished level at one all. In fact there was a remarkable accident when Luton scored, through Slicer from McNestry's pass. So elated and excited were the visitors at their unexpected success that one of them seized Slicer's hand and pulled it so hard as to cause him to swing round, lose his balance, and fall heavily on the rock-hard ground. Slicer was stunned and had to be assisted from the field.

Clarke's Inspired Game.

The result was doubly tantalising to Exeter because the Luton forwards were so well held by Inglis and his colleagues that their scoring efforts were limited to two shots only up to the time of their goal. Both these shots had been cleared confidently by Davies. On the other hand Varco was very prominent in the opening half, and had hard luck in not scoring on four occasions. Twice he hit the framework of the Luton goal with Banes in difficulties, and with two other shots he seemed very likely to score because the Luton goalkeeper had been drawn yards away from his charge. These two shots were cleared by Kingham, who had dropped back to the goalmouth. Clarke shared with Varco the honours of the match, the old Exeter Loco player in the right-half position playing an inspired game, and showing himself to be the quickest and most effective intermediate on view. This was certainly no mean distinction, because both Dennington and Inglis were in capital form, but "Nobby" managed somehow to get through an enormous amount of work, and everything he did he did well. He was a tremendous stumbling block to Armstrong and Slicer, and a wonderful support to the Exeter forwards in front of him. Not only that; he had the best possible understanding with Inglis, doubling back in defence resource fully at any time when the need arose. Rarely has a half-back come through a match with so much credit. Exeter's goal, nine minutes from the end, was an elaborate affair. Lister and Halliday, by the best bit of inter-passing of the match, took the ball right down the field on the grand-stand side and got the Town defenders on the run. Lister was challenged by Kingham when he made his centre, and the ball was diverted slightly by Kingham's foot. It spun goalwards and dropped in front of the angle on Banes's right. Banes had to act quickly, and he could only knock the leather up in the air, and as it bounced in front of the Luton goal two Luton defenders were left standing as Houghton dashed between them and rushed the ball into the net. Miller was much more effective than he was on Saturday, and gave a very sound and clever display, his accurate placing of the ball being a good feature. Gray was not so reliable and was twice penalised for hand-ball to prevent Slicer getting past him. The match was witnessed by 5,000 spectators.

Thursday, September 4th 1930.

Friendly
YEOVIL AND PETTERS 2
EXETER CITY RESERVES 4.

Exeter City Reserves left the Huish enclosure on Thursday evening feeling quite elated at their success in beating the Western League champions by 4-2. It was a "friendly" game organised by the officials of the League to augment their funds.

Yeovil:- Johnson; Dyer, and Day; McDade, Pratt, and Parkin; Bloxham, Edmunds, Whitelaw, McNeil, and Rankin.
City Reserves:- Jones; Baugh, and Bright; E.Keefe, Angus, and Barber; J.Gumm, McCosh, Parsons, Allison, and Doncaster.

Exeter were run off their feet in the first twenty minutes, and clever work by McNeil put White law through to beat Jones with a sharp drive. Shortly before half-time Allison equalised and Parsons gave Exeter the lead. From one of Gumm's many good centres in the second half McCosh missed the ball, but Parsons, standing beside him, tapped the leather into the net close to the upright, Johnson having no chance. Allison scored Exeter's fourth goal with the Yeovil defenders standing still appealing for offside, and in the last minute Whitelaw reduced the "Glovers!" arrears, having received the ball from Pratt.