THAMES THE POOREST SIDE SEEN AT EXETER THIS SEASON

And the City Gave a Very Moderate Display:

Saturday, October 18th 1930.

EXETER CITY 4 (Varco Purcell Armfield Houghton)
THAMES 3  (Butler 2 Perry)
Half-time 1-1.

Exeter City:- Jones; Baugh and Miller;
Barber, Ditchburn, & Clarke; Armfield, Purcell, Varco, Houghton, & Doncaster.

Thames: Dobbin; Russell and Smith; Lindsay, Coombes, and Igoe; F.J.LeMay, Butler, Perry, Townsend, and Curwen.

The Babes of the Football League, Thames Association, paid their first visit to Exeter today and there was a crowd of 6,000 people to welcome them. Sporting dark red and blue quartered jerseys with white knickers, the visitors were led out by Moses Russell, the famous old Plymouth Argyle and Wales full back, and there was a big round of applause for the veteran when he moved up to the centre circle for the preliminaries. Russell beat Ditchburn in the toss and Exeter kicked off towards the St James's Road end of the field.

Through the Goalkeeper's Legs. 

The weather was showery, but the game had hardly started when the sun came out, full in the faces of the Grecians. A header by Varco from Purcell's centre was practically in the net, bu Dobbin reached out and pushed the ball away. Two minutes later the Thames took the lead by means of one of the softest goals ever seen on the ground. Butler shot from outside the penalty area, the ball striking one of the City defenders and travelling towards goal. Jones had ample time to cover the shot, which was not a very powerful one, but somehow the ball eluded the goalkeeper's hands, slipped through his legs and trickled over the line. A lovely bit of passing between Purcell and Armfield paved the way for Exeter's equaliser, five minutes later. Purcell finished the move with a terrific drive which Dobbin managed to fist out, and from a position near the corner flag the ball was captured by Doncaster, from whose centre Varco netted very smartly. The visitors were a poor team, and Exeter seemed little better. To the relief of all Barber and Clarke changed places at the start of the second half, and resumed their normal positions. Purcell, Armfield, and Houghton in turn scored for the Grecians, who by this time appeared comfortable winners, but almost at the close of play poor defensive covering allowed Butler and Perry to get two goals for Thames. Never did a side less deserve to score three goals!

Friendly 
Tiverton v Exeter City Reserves 
Without a League match today, Exeter City Reserves played a friendly at "The Elms," Tiverton, and beat the local side by seven goals to nil.