BRENTFORD CRASH AT ST. JAMES'S PARK

Grecians Four Goals in Second Half

Saturday, September 27th 1930.

EXETER CITY 4 (Armfield Baugh Doncaster Houghton)
BRENTFORD 0 

Referee:- Mr C.F.Moon, of Bristol.
Exeter City: Davies; Baugh and Miller; Clarke, Ditchburn, and Barber; Armfield, Purcell, Varco, Houghton, and Doncaster.
Brentford: Fox; Hodge and Adamson; Davies, Bain, and Salt; Foster, J.Lane, W. Lane, Blakemore, and Payne.

Brentford in the first half showed the better constructive methods, and on the run of the play were unlucky not to cross over with a lead. It was in the second half that Exeter showed to advantage, and time and again they had the Brentford defence in a tangle.
Armfield opened the score fifteen minutes after the interval, running the ball into the net after Doncaster had beaten the defence with a smart dribble. Davies (Exeter) saved from W. Lane and Payne in turn, and a header from J.Lane went wide. Five minutes after the City had scored their first goal they got another. This time Doncaster was dribbling clean through from the left to the front of the goal when he was tripped, and Exeter were awarded a penalty. Baugh came up to take the kick, and he coolly placed his shot to the top corner of the net with Fox hopelessly beaten.

Good combination between Houghton and Armfield next gave Varco a shooting chance, and with a sharp cross-drive he just missed the goal. Rain came on about this time, but it failed to damp Exeter's ardour. Doncaster scored the third goal with a lovely cross-shot just inside the post. Hardly had play restarted when Houghton took the ball clean through the entire opposition, goalkeeper and all. The Exeter inside left was bundled off the ball at the last minute, but although falling, managed to steer the leather into the untenanted Brentford goal to the accompaniment of tumultous cheering.

Comments.

The splendid result speaks eloquently of the big improvement brought about in the City team by the recent changes, and by the forwards' policy of speeding up their play and going all out for goals. The game was full of good football, but in the second half the action was almost all at the Brentford end. There was a degree of craftmanship about some of the Brentford forwards' work which the City could not match, but the Grecians more than made up for this by their wholehearted enthusiasm, and their uncompromising defence saw to the rest. Exeter showed a very marked advance in the wing forward positions, Armfield and Doncaster being very dangerous after the interval, while Ditchburn deserves the greatest of credit for his sound play at centre half, and for his intelligent use of the ball to create attacking situations. Ditchburn lost the toss, and Exeter had to face the sun from the St. James's Road end in the first half, so that the goals were all scored at the far end.

Houghton's Brilliant Goal.

The last goal, by Houghton, was the best of the series. Houghton received the ball in midfield, and was repeatedly challenged, but dribbled past man after man. Reaching the penalty area he was tackled but escaped, and Fox came out of his goal. Houghton was then charged off the ball by Hodge, but although on the ground he managed to get his foot to the ball and sent it trickling over the line. The match was attended by 5,000 spectators.


Southern  League 
MERTHYR TOWN 1
EXETER CITY RESERVES 3.

A boisterous wind was blowing at Penydarren Park, where Exeter City Reserves. played a Southern League match against the "Martyrs" this afternoon.

Merthyr Town:- C.Williams; Bow and Powell; Bailey, Davies, and D.Richards;
Edwards, Atkins, E.Williams, Walters, and P.Richards.
City Reserves: Jones; Gray and Shanks; Inglis, Angus, and Dennington; J.Gumm, McDevitt, Allison, Halliday, and Lister.

Exeter took an early lead, Allison scoring a "gift" goal put in his way through a defensive blunder between Bailey and Bow. The play then went entirely in the Martyrs' favour, and twice Exeter's goal was saved from certain capitulation through Edwards and P.Richards, only by brilliant custodianship by Jones. The Merthyr forwards were however inclined to keep the ball too close, whilst Exeter adopted the open style, and the skill of McDevitt in opening out the play gave full scope to Gumm and Lister. On the half hour Davies levelled the score for Merthyr through a penalty kick, the legality of which was hotly disputed by Exeter. The play in the second half was of a mixed character. The defences indulged in lot of loose kicking, and rough tactics were adopted by both sides. Exeter regained the lead through a penalty, scored by Allison, and two minutes later a smart breakaway by the City forwards was turned to account by Lister. Allison grazed the crossbar with an unstoppable drive, and when the Welshmen rallied Shanks and Gray were an unbeatable pair of backs, and Jones never mis-judged a single ball.