THE F. A. CUP: SECOND ROUND REPLAY AT COVENTRY
Exeter City's Great Win: An Exciting Finish

Thursday, December 18th 1930.

COVENTRY CITY 1  (Bowden)
EXETER CITY 2 (Varco Doncaster).
Half-time Coventry 0 Exeter 1.

Coventry City: Allen; Watson and Tilford; Stokes, Baker, and Bell; Reay, Ball, Phillips, Lake, and Bowden.
Exeter City: Davies; Baugh and Miller;
Clarke, Dennington, and Barber; J.Gumm, Purcell, Varco, Houghton, and Doncaster.
Referee:- Mr W.F.Bourne, of Bristol.

After the heavy fog of last night the conditions at Coventry for the re-play of the F. A. Cup Second Round tie between Coventry City and Exeter City this afternoon were more favourable than had at first been expected, the light at the time of the kick-off (2.15) being quite good. Rain, however, made itself felt as regards the playing surface, and there was a thick carpet of sawdust in front of each goal and in the centre circle. Coventry had out the same team which had played at Exeter and the League game at Coventry on December 6th, when the Grecians were defeated by three goals to one, while on the Exeter side Jimmy Gumm appeared on the right wing in place of Armfield, who was injured. The Coventry captain won the toss, as he did at Exeter, and he took advantage of the light breeze.

Exeter On the Defensive.

Baugh halted the first Coventry attack and Dennington effected further relief. Exerting every effort in the hope of snatching an early goal, the Coventry forwards moved ahead again, and Davies saved a shot from Bowden. Play after about ten minutes suddenly became very keen, the Grecians speeding up their work appreciably, but they were compelled to remain on the defensive for some time although the goal was not endangered. Varco at length sent the ball out to Gumm only to hear the whistle sound for offside against the Exeter amateur. Another move by Purcell and Varco promised better, but Baker interposed cut out the danger. Coventry retaliated and Davies saved a brisk low shot from Lake. dangerous situation when Bowden rounded Baugh and centred, and Phillips, who had run into position very smartly, headed the ball over the bar. Exeter up to now had not made an attack of real importance. But after play had remained in midfield for about two minutes the Grecians brought off a concerted dash for the home goal which threw the Coventry defence into confusion, and it looked as if Exeter must take the lead. Gumm centred nicely from the right touch-line and in a scrimmage in front of the Coventry posts the ball finished up in the net. The referee, however, despite all the protests of the Exeter players, refused to allow the goal, and gave Coventry a free kick.

Varco's Brilliant Goal.

Immediately afterwards a similar scene was witnessed at the other end. Davies was beaten but Coventry received an adverse decision from Mr Bourne. Then before Coventry could recover from their disappointment Houghton broke through the home defence and transferred the ball to Varco, who with a right foot shot scored a brilliant goal from just inside the penalty line. The game now entered upon an extended exciting phase, Coventry making vigorous efforts to break down Exeter's resistance. During this period Baugh, Miller, and Dennington did some wonderful defensive work and Davies was not tested. When the siege was at last relieved Doncaster made a sparkling run on Exeter's left wing. Closing in on the Coventry goal he shot in full stride and sent the ball flashing over the crossbar. Near the interval Purcell received an ankle injury, but after treatment by the trainer, Eddy Jones, was able to continue playing.

Second Half.
Exeter pressed on the resumption and Varco shot a centre from Doncaster into the hands of Allen. Barber then opened up a movement for his forwards, and Coventry were in trouble until Watson cleared. Both teams were swinging the ball about freely, and the class of football was distinctly good. Exeter followed determined go-ahead methods and found these paid off well, but it speaks volumes for the Coventry defence that Varco and his colleagues were kept at arms' length. Allen saved from Houghton, however, on the goal-line, and Baker had his work cut out against the bustling Varco. Barber stopped a dangerous Coventry rush and on the other side of the field a similar attempt at a break-through was halted by Clarke. Baugh, in heading away free-kick taken by Baker, was knocked out, but quickly recovered. Miller was brightly conspicuous for clean and strong kicking under pressure, and Reay and Ball generally had a thin time against the City's left back. Exeter were in fact now showing very confident form and having far more of the game than in the first half. A spell of passing between Purcell, Varco, and the young Jimmy Gumm ended with the amateur sending right across in front of the Coventry posts, but Doncaster was just a fraction too late in getting to the ball. Coventry's best attack of the second half brought them a goal, though against the general run of the play. Phillips fed Bowden with a through pass right on the edge of the Exeter penalty area, and Davies was beaten by a fast oblique shot from the Coventry outside-left. It was a goal of more than average merit, and it left the teams level with 17 minutes to go. The game continued to be a thrilling contest with Exeter the stronger team, and the spectators were kept in a high state of enthusiasm. Each side attacked in turn amid tremendous ex citement, and eight minutes before the finish Doncaster scored after cleverly working an opening in front of the Coventry goal, having received a very good cross-field pass from Gumm. And once they had recaptured the lead the Grecians never looked like losing it again, winning by the narrowest of margins a splendidly contested game.

Comments.
The people who saw the Cup match at St James's Park on Saturday, and said that they could not imagine Exeter City being beaten in the replay, must feel very happy. The Exeter team of today are to be congratulated upon a very splendid performance. The "Peeping Toms," it must be remembered, beat the strong Northampton side at Northampton in Round One, and for Exeter to follow up their highly creditable but unsuccessful game of last Saturday with a well deserved won on Coventry's ground today, required a very special effort indeed. Exeter won handsomely, and although bitterly disappointed at the outcome of the match, the ten thousand or so Coventry spectators evidently appreciated to the full the sparkling play of the visitors from Devon.

Scenes of Jubilation.

Exeter City's success today means that Derby County will visit St James's Park in round three of the Cup on January 10th. Counting Aston Villa, who played at the "Park" before the war, three First League teams have appeared at Exeter in the Cup, so far, and they have all been fortunate to escape defeat. Will it be the Grecians' turn to pass on to the next round this time? There were scenes of great jubilation and wild excitement in the vicinity of the offices of the local newspaper, High Street, Exeter, this afternoon, when the result appeared in the later editions of the "Express and Echo" within a minute or two of the end of the game at Coventry. Hundreds of people were soon on the scene, and traffic was held up for some minutes, so immense was the congestion caused by the crowd.

Praise for Jimmy Gumm.

A special word of praise is due to Jimmy Gumm, the Exeter amateur, who stepped into the breach caused by the absence of Armfield, injured, at outside-right. There are two or three players in the Grecians' Reserve team who would easily secure first-team positions with many of the clubs in the Southern Section and Gumm is one of them. His strength and speed on the right wing was one of the features of Exeter's forward play at Coventry, and it was from his pass into the penalty area eight minutes from "time" which enabled Doncaster to obtain the winning goal.