EXETER'S FAILURE WITH THE FINISHING TOUCHES

Attack Must Be Improved
Saturday, September 13th 1930.

EXETER CITY 2 (Halliday Houghton).
TORQUAY UNITED 2  (Trotter 2)
Half-time 1-1.

Exeter City:- Davies; Gray and Miller;
Clarke, Inglis, and Dennington; Purcell, Houghton, Varco, Halliday, and Doncaster.
Torquay United:- Wright; Fowler and Hill; High, Butler, and Smith; Waller, Clayson, Trotter, Hutchinson, and Bell.
Referee:- Mr F.W.Reeve, of Devonport.

Wet weather this morning affected the "gate" for today's Devon Derby between the Grecians and Torquay United for League points at St James's Park. There were 8,000 present when the captains met in the middle along with Mr Reeve, and at his fifth attempt this season Inglis had the pleasure of winning the toss. He chose the St James's Road end for the City in the opening half.

"Devon Derby" Disappointing.

From the football standpoint the Devon Derby at St James's Park was rather disappointing. A big score should have resulted but faulty finishing spoiled good midfield work. Torquay on the whole were better together. They showed superior constructive methods and appeared much faster than the Grecians. Meanwhile Exeter seemed incapable of applying the finishing touches, and the attack needs to be improved if matches are to be won regularly. Fourteen minutes from the start Gray cleared a corner from Waller, and play was taken upfield with Purcell leading the attack. His centre from the touch line was met by Halliday, whose first-time shot entered the net at shoulder height, Wright having no chance. It was a splendid goal, and Halliday's shot from ten yards was first-class, but Exeter did not deserve the lead on the run of the play. At this point the rain started again. Four minutes later Gray could not resist the temptation to handle the ball as it was passing overhead, just outside the corner of the penalty area. His foolishness cost Exeter dearly, for the referee decided that the offence had been committed inside the area, and gave Torquay a penalty. Trotter took the kick and scored. Davies saved the penalty shot, a low ball and straight at him, but lost his balance and his hold on the ball and Trotter ran up and banged it into the net. Then the sun came out, and Torquay almost took the lead through a bad blunder on Miller's part. With Trotter in attendance he showed uncharacteristic hesitation in the goal area, and it was pure luck for the City that Trotter's shot flashed by the post on the wrong side.

Second Half.

Five minutes after the restart Torquay took the lead. Inglis, under pressure, gave away a corner, and from Waller's flag kick Clayson headed high towards goal. Davies punched out, but straight to Trotter, who promptly headed the ball into the top of the net. This was a very pretty goal, and the 1,500 Torquay supporters present were of course highly elated. Their joy was short lived, however, because only three minutes later a centre from Purcell was turned behind by Hill, and from the corner kick, taken by Purcell, the ball was headed first-time into the Torquay net by Houghton for an equally clever goal to Exeter.

Comments.

Exeter will have to improve their attack. Varco was seldom in the picture, and the only man in the front line to do himself justice was Houghton, taking the game all through. Halliday faded after a bright beginning, and neither of the wingers rose above the ordinary. The City half backs were only moderate, though Dennington was unlucky not to open the scoring with a fierce shot in the tenth minute. Gray was very shaky, and his expensive blunder probably cost Exeter one point. Butler, the old Arsenal centre-half, played a strong game for Torquay, being chiefly responsible for Varco's ineffectiveness.


Southern League
TORQUAY RESERVES 2
EXETER RESERVES 3.

The junior "Devon Derby" at Plainmoor in connection with the Southern League was played in showery weather before a crowd of nearly 2,000. All the goals were scored before the interval.

Torquay: Millsom; P.W.Beer and James Wright; Freer, Hewitt, and Weightman; Mackie, Fisher, Burrows, Keeling, and Birkett.

Exeter City: Jones; Baugh and Shanks; E.Keefe, Ditchburn, and Barber; Armfield, McCosh, Parsons, Allison, and W.Ware.

Burrows opened the scoring in five minutes, and McCosh equalised with a long dropping ball that deceived Millsom. Allison next scored for Exeter following a corner by Armfield, and Mackie with a strong shot that Jones handled but was unable to stop, got Torquay's second goal. A penalty was awarded against Torquay for "hands," and the kick was entrusted to Baugh, but it had to be taken three times before the referee was convinced that the Torquay players had not rushed back before the kick was made. On the third occasion Baugh put the ball low into the net. The feature of the second half was the brilliant play of Allison and McCosh in the Exeter attack, although McCosh failed to score on one occasion through delaying his effort, and was dispossessed by Freer in the act of shooting.