Watford v Exeter City

Saturday, April 6th 1929.

WATFORD 3 (Barnett Daniels Sheppard)
EXETER CITY 0

Wade, who replaced Hick at centre forward, kicked off for Exeter, who had the advantage of the sun at their backs, but the first attack was made by Watford, a shot by McPherson going just wide. The weather was spring-like and the ground was bathed in sunshine. There were 8,000 spectators.

Watford: Hewett; Prior and Brelsford;
Moule, McBain, and Woodward; Chapman, Barnett, McPherson, Sheppard, and Daniels.

Exeter City:- Holland; Pollard and Miller; Sheffield, Dennington, and Clarke; Purcell, Houghton, Wade, Bastin, and Cameron.

Holland punched away a shot by Sheppard. Exeter so far were holding their own, though their forwards were rather weak at close quarters. Holland made two more good saves from Sheppard and one from McPherson. The Grecians were in luck when Sheppard scored, the referee disallowing the point on account of "hands." It was also fortunate for Exeter that McPherson was not his usual self, for he missed several goals and made a complete hash of a beautifully placed centre from Chapman which should have been converted with ease.

Poetic Justice.

There was a remarkable incident when McPherson fell over the ball inside the City penalty area, the referee for reasons best known to himself, awarding a spot kick. Even this "gift from the gods" was missed by McPherson, but it was only poetic justice, as no offence had been committed by an Exeter player. Three minutes from the interval Barnett headed the ball into the Exeter net from Daniels's centre. Five minutes after the change of ends Daniels scored Watford's second goal, and midway through the second half Sheppard got the third with a hot drive, the ball having come to him from Daniels. Apart from one or two isolated raids by Cameron and Wade the City were never in the game with a chance. Attendance 9,350, receipts £470.

Western League
EXETER CITY RESERVES 5
YEOVIL AND PETTERS UNITED 1.

Cameron having travelled with the City Chiefs to Watford, Doncaster moved to outside-left in the Reserves' team which received Yeovil in the last Western League match at St James's Park for the season, and McDevitt turned out to fill the vacancy at inside-left. The weather was brilliantly fine, and the ground dry and hard. Phoenix skippered the Grecians and won the toss. Hick sent over the bar from a nice pass by Bluck. The City forced a corner, and from Doncaster's centre Streets headed in smartly but Rogers stopped the ball on the goal line. The play then went up to the other end where, with the home defence off balance. Fowell ran in close and drove the ball hard and low into the Exeter net for the opening goal of the game. A snappy break-through by White almost gave Yeovil another goal, but he was eventually crowded off the ball by the combined efforts of Hill and Phoenix. Hick then took the ball past the Yeovil backs and rammed it into the net to level Exeter's account, and ten minutes before the interval Streets, with a marvellous solo dribble from the centre line, finished with an unstoppable shot which left Rogers helpless.
Half-time:
Exeter City Reserves 2
Yeovil 1.

Yeovil were the first to become dangerous after the interval, Campbell saving from Goulden and Newman in turn. Streets in the next few minutes fed Bluck, and from the young winger's centre Hick headed a lovely goal. Hick followed with another goal, Exeter's fourth, in three minutes' time. Yeovil rallied midway through this half, and Campbell had to be at his best to dispose of a centre from Newman and a low shot from Goulden. Doncaster spoiled his clever work by poor finishing, and Hick might have had a "hat-trick" had he made better use of a glorious pass from Bluck. Almost on time Streets from Bluck's pass, scored Exeter's fifth goal with a shot that whistled into the net with the speed of a cricket ball.