The City Swamped at Shepherd's Bush

GODDARD SCORED FOUR GOALS FOR THE RANGERS

Saturday, December 20th 1930.

QUEEN'S PARK RANGERS 7 (Goddard 4 Rounce 2 Coward)
EXETER CITY 2 (Varco Houghton)
Half-time 3-0.

Rangers: Cunningham; Pollard and Harris; Sales, Smith, and Whatmore;
Coward, J.C. Burns, Goddard, Rounce, and Howe.;
City:Davies; Baugh and Shanks Inglis, Dennington, and Barber; Purcell, McCosh, Varco, Houghton, and Doncaster.
Referee:- Mr E.Pinckston, of Birmingham.

Exeter City, after their gruelling Cup-tie at Coventry two days ago, proved easy prey for Queen's Park Rangers at Shepherd's Bush. From the start the Rangers' superiority was apparent. The game was only three minutes old when Howe gained possession and with a smart turn put across a centre which was met and steered into the net by Goddard. From then onwards the result never appeared to be in doubt. Rounce scored two further goals before the interval, in between which Davies saved a penalty by Burns, who had been brought down by Shanks in the area. 

The City rallied in the second half and Varco in four minutes and Houghton in fifteen scored for them. It now appeared as though the Grecians had a chance of retrieving a seemingly hopeless position, but within two minutes Goddard secured a fourth goal for Queen's Park. The Rangers attacked with renewed vigour after this, and a quick dash into the penalty area by Rounce enabled Coward to score again within five minutes. With Exeter a tired team in the closing stages Goddard netted two more goals.

A Question of Stamina.

Three years have elapsed since Exeter City last recorded a victory against the Rangers, and as the teams opposed each other at Shepherd's Bush this afternoon with almost identical records the London club, with ground advantage, started naturally as favourites. During the week both sides took part in hard games, the Rangers on Wednesday securing a League point at Gillingham, while a day later the City triumphed in the strenuous Cup-tie at Coventry. As a consequence today's struggle was largely a question of stamina, and on their own ground the Rangers came out best. Exeter made three changes, Shanks coming into the team for Miller and Inglis deputising for Clarke. Purcell moved to his old position, outside-right, as Gumm was still feeling the effects of Thursday's match, and McCosh came in at inside-right. The journey to the metropolis had been somewhat interfered with by fog, but the Exeter party arrived at Shepherd's Bush well before the time of the kick-off. There were about 6,000 spectators when Goddard started the game on a muddy and treacherous ground enveloped in mist. The City were three goals down at half time, and owing to the bad light the teams crossed over without taking the usual interval. Undoubtedly the Rangers were the better team, apart from a brief City revival early in the second half, when they scored two goals. Unfortunately the effort was not sustained and the Rangers went on to get four more goals. Baugh and Shanks tried their hardest to stem the tide, and Davies, who saved a penalty kick, was in no way to blame for the large score against him. In other words the Rangers were right on top of their form. Note:- Coventry City on their own ground beat Torquay by six goals to one, and Derby County beat Huddersfield Town by four goals to one, at Derby.

Southern League
CITY RESERVES 7
TAUNTON TOWN 1.

Taunton Town were the visitors to St James's Park this afternoon in a Southern League match. It was the third fixture between the clubs this season, but the other two were postponed because of Taunton's extended run in the F.A.Cup.

City Reserves:- Jones; Gray and Bright; E.Keefe, Angus, Hill; Allison, Ditchburn, Parsons, Halliday, and Lister.
Taunton Town:- Bristowe; Wilcox and McLean; Walker, Maclachlan, and Clemett; Smith, Paul, Western, Thomas, and Fish.
Referee:- Capt.C.F. Linnitt.

Exeter secured an early lead, Parsons scoring with a neat shot in two minutes following a misplaced pass by Maclachlan which gave Exeter the ball. Parsons shortly afterwards scored Exeter's second goal, heading a centre from Allison into the Taunton net. Bristowe saved a header from Ditchburn and one from Allison, but in eighteen minutes Parsons scored again and completed the "hat-trick." Taunton improved, and made a few attacks, but their shooting was wild, Jones as a result having very little to do. After 25 minutes Parsons, who was in irrestible form, ran through from the half-way line, showing a clean pair of heels to the opposition to score his fourth goal of the afternoon. Ditchburn and Allison combined to take play into the Taunton territory again, and when Allison was fouled the free-kick, taken by Keefe, was converted by Parsons for his fifth successive goal. The centre forward was warmly applauded by the two thousand spectators as the teams left the field at half-time. Parsons after putting a drive narrowly over the crossbar shot fiercely into the roof of the net for his sixth goal, and as a result of clever play on the City right wing Lister added the seventh. Parsons scored again but the point was ruled offside, and a minute from the finish Western ran into the Exeter net a centre from Smith.