Exeter City' Christmas SHOCK FOR THE GRECIANS AT NEWPORT

Yesterday's Return Game

Christmas Day:
Newport County 4 Exeter City 0.

Boxing Day:
Exeter City 3 Newport County 0.

Exeter City were such good value for their three clear goals success St. James's Park yesterday, that it seemed very remarkable that they were beaten by four goals to nil at Somerton Park only the day before. In each game the first half play took much the same course, except that at Newport the City failed to get the ball into the net. At Exeter they managed at it once. Changing ends at Newport with the score-sheet blank the Grecians soon found themselves in difficulties, a couple of opportunist goals being scored by the Ironsides within the space of four minutes. Then Baugh injured his leg. Having once obtained a lead Newport played with great confidence and scored two more goals. The successful marksmen were Gittens, Pearce 2, and Davies. The teams were as follows:

Newport:- Blakemore; Fox and Hickie; Clifford, Lawson, and Riley; Brown, Gittens, Pearce, Davies, and Thomas.
Exeter:- Davies; Baugh and Miller; Clarke, Dennington, and Barber; Armfield, Purcell, Varco, Houghton, and Doncaster.
Referee:- Mr C.F.Moon, of Bristol.

At St James's Park yesterday, before 7,000 spectators, the City in the second half held on successfully to the advantage of the goal scored by Houghton, and in the last twelve minutes scored twice, through Varco and Doncaster. Baugh having been injured in the match at Newport, Gray stepped into the City team at right back, and played exceedingly well in the Boxing Day encounter. Miller also gave a very fine display in that game, and Davies had very little to do. Whereas Exeter City's only team change was the substitution of Gray for Baugh at right back, the Newport side was altered considerably from that advertised, Riley (right half), Jones (left half), Bagley (inside left), and Wardell (out side left) replacing Clifford, Riley, Davies, and Thomas, in that order. The weather was mild but stormy, and there were patches of thick mud in front of both goals and at various other places on the field. Newport did very little attacking after the interval, and shots by Pearce and Brown were easily saved by Davies. The best chance was wasted by Wardell, who shot several yards wide when he could have just tapped the leather into goal, Davies being badly positioned to save at the time. Wardell, however, had the excuse that on the previous afternoon he was playing on the opposite wing in the County's reserve eleven. Exeter would have scored more often if one or two of the forwards had been content to get through their work expeditiously. Too often the man in possession tempted Fate too far, all because he was ancious to do an extra little bit before parting with the ball. When it came off, it looked very good, but it is not good football to be robbed in possession as many times as Exeter players were robbed yesterday. Houghton and Doncaster for the most part shone brilliantly in the City attack, and Varco was unlucky with one hot drive which rattled the crossbar. Armfield used his speed to good effect, being always too fast, and generally too clever for Hickie to combat. Fox, although opposed by the lively Doncaster, played a very fine game in Newport's other defensive position. Purcell delighted the crowd with many clever moves, but his shooting, so often his strong point, was disappointing. Clarke and Barber played excellently in midfield, and gave plenty of good support to the front men.

THE RESERVES' SPLENDID DOUBLE.

Exeter City Reserves have come through their Christmas matches with the Newport County Reserves in great style, following up their splendid seven-nil victory at St James's Park with an equally meritorious four-one success at Somerton Park yesterday, and so adding four more Southern League points to their very useful total. This is championship form without a doubt.

At Exeter on Christmas Day the 1,800 spectators were really impressed with the skilful play and deadly shooting of the Grecians' attack. Goals came almost automatically, or so it seemed, at the Newport end. Allison, Halliday, Lister, Parsons (2) all scored before the interval in the order named, and very early in the second half Parsons and Allison put on further goals. The City Reserves' big victory was very meritorious, because Newport Reserves played quite good football all through the game, and Jones, in the Exeter goal, had a full share of the play.

The Exeter team was:- Jones; Gray, and Shanks; Ditchburn, Angus, and Inglis; Allison, McCosh, Parsons, Halliday, and Lister.

THE MATCH AT NEWPORT.

The team which went to Newport and won by 4-1 yesterday was: Jones; Hill, and Bright; Keefe, Ditchburn, and Inglis; Allison, McCosh, Parsons, Halliday, and Lister.

The scorers for Exeter were McCosh (2), Lister (1), and Parsons (1).