Match 41
18th March 1931
Southend United v Exeter City

Wednesday March 18th 1931
SOUTHEND UNITED 5 EXETER CITY 1 

Owing to Donovan being unfit Southend played Johnson at left half back. The City were unchanged from the side which beat Watford on Saturday. It was a beautiful spring afternoon, and 4,000 spectators were present. The Exeter players received a big cheer on entering the field, in recognition of their brilliant F. A. Cup achievements. Dixon beat Miller with the toss, and set the City to face the sun and wind, and in the first minute a clearance by French struck Varco and the ball was only stopped from bouncing into the net by Moore with great difficulty.

Southend:- Moore; French, Robinson; Dixon, Wilson, and Johnson; Barnett, Jones, Shankley, Pike, and Crompton.

Exeter City:- Davies; Baugh, Miller;
Ditchburn, Angus, Barber; Armfield, Purcell, Varco, Houghton, and Doncaster.

Referee:- Mr A.J.Attwood, of Newport.

Exeter should have taken the lead after twelve minutes, for after Houghton had beaten three opponents in a great dribble he shot too straight, Moore being able to scramble the ball away. Barnett beat Miller and Baugh in turn and centred right across the field. It looked certain that Pike would score, but Ditchburn stuck out his foot and effected a rather lucky clearance. Southend were quicker on the ball than Exeter, and they opened the scoring in 27 minutes. Dixon went through on the right and centred to Pike, who headed
hard into the Exeter net. Doncaster was rendered a cripple through spraining his ankle, but continued to hobble about at outside left. Doncaster eventually retired, then Baugh was crocked, and for some minutes the City had only nine men on the field. Two minutes before half time Jones scored for Southend with a long left-footed shot.

Second Half.

Doncaster was still absent when the second half commenced, and against three robust half backs the four Exeter forwards found progress difficult, though Houghton made an amazing dribble, taking the ball from the half way line to the corner flag on the right wing, but sending behind the goal. After 25 minutes Barnett scored for Southend, Varco replying for Exeter from a centre by Barber. Shankley then obtained Southend's fourth goal, all three goals coming within five minutes of each other. Shankley headed a fifth goal for Southend from Jones's centre. Baugh fisted the ball out but the referee instead of awarding a penalty kick allowed the goal to stand.

Comments

Allowed tags: <p>, <a>, <em>, <strong>, <ul>, <ol>, <li>