Exeter City  v Fulham

Saturday, March 16th 1929.

EXETER CITY 1 (Hick)
FULHAM 4 (Avey 3 Hammond)

Exeter City's success in gaining five points of the last half-a-dozen played for gave them confidence for today's tussle with Fulham at St. James's Park, when the "Cottagers" paid their first visit to the Devon capital. Exeter had to take the field without Pool, who was on the injured list with a damaged leg. Dennington was chosen to fill the vacancy at centre-half. Fulham had Gibbon, their new capture from Merthyr Town, he being the son of the "Martyrs"" Chairman, at right back to the exclusion of Hebden. Binks, formerly of Southend, was chosen at centre half in preference to McNab, and Price reappeared in the forward line. The weather was fine, although there was a cool easterly breeze. Fulham were first on the field, and were greeted by a crowd of about 6,000.

Fulham: Mason; Gibbon and Barrett (captain); Oliver, Binks, and Lawson; Temple, Price, Avey, Hammond, and Penn.

Exeter City:- Holland; Lowton (captain) and Miller; Phoenix, Dennington, and Clarke; Purcell, Doncaster, Hick, Houghton, and Cameron.

Referee:- Mr G.Franklin, of Portsmouth.

Exeter City today were outclassed by the cleverest team seen here during the present season, even including Leeds United. Fulham's superiority individually was very noticeable, especially among the forwards, while collectively the Londoners had a great advantage because of their infinitely better positional play. For all that, Exeter had only themselves to blame for not putting up a better show. With taller men than themselves in opposition, the obvious thing to do was to keep the ball low, and this is what the City did not do. Kick and rush was the only Exeter plan, and it failed hopelessly against this side of fine footballers. The first three goals should have been prevented, and perhaps the fifth, by the respective goalkeepers, but Fulham's last two goals were remarkably well worked for, and no-one could possibly begrudge the victors their victory. Exeter City must not be discouraged. Not all the teams they have yet to meet are in the class of Fulham, not by a long way, and the Grecians must fight their way through steadily.

Fulham's First Goal Was a Gift.

The skill of Fulham was in evidence right at the start, and in eight minutes they took the lead, but the goal was a "gift" from the City defence, mostly from Holland. Temple obtained the ball from a rebound off Phoenix's legs and centred direct to where Holland stood. The goalkeeper should have cleared with ease, but with two Fulham men close by Holland missed the ball, and then saw Avey steering it into the Exeter net at the St James's Road end of the field. The feature of the game at this stage was the clean and cool play of Barrett, who was an inspiration to his side. Play ran in the Fulham half for a while, and Gibbon twice intervened to stop Cameron breaking through. In eighteen minutes the City equalised. Purcell forced a comer and placed his flag-kick almost to the penalty spot, whereupon Hick jumped high in the air and scored with a glorious header near the top corner of the goal on Mason's left. In another Exeter raid Purcell drove over the angle of the goal. Purcell tried a long shot which sailed over the bar, and Mason saved a drive all along the carpet from Cameron. Play continued at a fast pace and Barrett covered Purcell so well that the usually dangerous City winger only got a moderate proportion of the passes intended for him. Five minutes before the interval Fulham went ahead again with another simple goal. Miller conceded a corner, and from Temple's flag kick Hammond, almost underneath the crossbar on Holland's left, headed the ball quietly into the goal without moving his feet.
Half-time: Exeter City 1 Fulham 2.

Fulham Failed With a Penalty.

The second half opened sensationally, Holland saving a penalty kick taken by Hammond, and given against Miller for bringing down Temple unfairly. At the other end Mason punched out a long cross-shot by Cameron. Fulham were the cleverer team in ensuing play, their players positioning so well and being so quick off the mark that they always seemed to have an extra man on the field. Midway through this half Hammond put Avey in possession with a lovely through pass between the backs. Avey with only Holland in front of him went on to net the ball with a swift shot along the ground which turned into the goal off the bottom of an upright. A fourth goal was credited to Fulham seventeen minutes from the end. Temple received from Hammond, passed low across the front of the posts to Avey, who beat Holland from about six yards' range. Fulham made goalscoring appear to be the simplest thing in the world.


Southern League 
LOVELL'S ATHLETIC 0
CITY RESERVES 0.

In this Southern League match at Newport, the City Reserves commenced with a couple of fast attacks, and Streets sent wide in the first, Bastin clearing the crossbar in the second.

Exeter stood appealing for offside when Cook went through for Lovell's, and a last minute intervention by Ditchburn saved the situation. A fierce drive by Wade was brilliantly saved by the Lovell's goalkeeper, and just before half time Bluck shot hopelessly wide from two yards after Wade had provided him with a perfect opening. Two more stinging shots by Wade were somehow saved by the Newport goalkeeper after the interval, and when Bastin at last netted a goal for Exeter City it was ruled offside.

Exeter City Reserves:- Campbell; Hill and Noble; Sheffield, Ditchburn, and Christie; Bluck, Streets, Wade, Bastin, and Death.