EXETER'S RESISTANCE IS FEEBLE
Two Goals in Each Half Give Coventry an Easy Home Win

Saturday, September 19th 1931.
COVENTRY CITY 4 EXETER CITY 0.

Exeter City, weakened by injuries, were only a shadow of their real selves at Coventry. There was scarcely any snap about their movements and the side was lacking in balance, combination was faulty, and the ball put too often in the air. Woodward, though lacking Houghton's craft at inside left, was included in this position following some good performances in the Reserves, at centre forward, but he made little impression on the game. Armfield was the only City forward to shine, and Ditchburn played a creditable game at centre-half, where he was opposed to Bourton, Coventry's new leader from Blackburn Rovers.

Coventry City:- Allen; Watson, Tilford; O'Brien, Baker, Heinemann; White, Lauderdale, Bourton, Lake, Bowden.

Exeter City:-Davies; Baugh, Miller; Gray (J), Ditchburn, Barber; Armfield, Purcell, Varco, Woodward, Doncaster.

Miller lost the toss and the City kicked off facing bright sunshine. In the first Exeter attack Varco drove the ball against the side net, and when play was transferred Miller broke up a Coventry move with a clever overhead kick. But the home forward line, ably led by Bourton, was generally too fast and too skilful for Exeter, and following a prolonged assault two goals were scored in the space of a minute, with first Lake and then Bowden beating Davies. A further Coventry raid ended with Lake shooting over the bar. Doncaster got away smartly for the Grecians, but allowed the ball to go into touch. The half time interval arrived with Coventry leading by two goals to nil. Exeter improved slightly for a while in the second half, and a promising run by Doncaster was stopped by Watson's tackle. Ditchburn shot over the bar from a free-kick, but when play returned to the other end Bourton got through and rattled the crossbar with a fierce drive. Towards the finish play slackened off with both sides feeling the heat, and with the ball being frequently ballooned and kicked into touch, the play became very dull. There was, however, a good measure of determination in Coventry's play which was not a feature of the City's, and although Davies distinguished himself by making several excellent saves he was beaten twice by the lively Bourton in the final 15 minutes. The resistance of Exeter was feeble in the extreme, although at different times in the match they had Baugh and Barber injured, which seems to be their usual luck these days. Coventry City appear to have signed on three smart forwards in Bourton (Blackburn Rovers), Lauderdale (Blackpool), and White (West Bromwich Albion).

EXETER CITY RESERVES 1
TORQUAY UNITED RESERVES 4. Western League match at St James's Park.

The game, attended by 2,500 spectators, opened with a glut of corner kicks, of which each team had an equal share. Bond, of Dawlish Argyle, kept goal for the City Reserves.

Exeter:
A.Bond; L. Phillips, Bright; A.Johnson, Angus, Hill; Keen, Graham, Whitlow, Halliday, Courtney.
Torquay: Millsom; Webster, W.J.Johnson; Hewitt, Parkin, H.G.Kellow; Waller, P.R.Beer, Cooper, Knott, H.F.Rogers.

Referee:- Mr F.W.Yandle.

Shortly before the interval Millsom fielded a shot from Halliday, and Exeter claimed that the goalkeeper had carried the ball into his goal, but Mr Yandle waved the game on, and at the interval there was still no score. Torquay rearranged their side in the second half, Webster moving up to outside right, with Waller at right half and Hewitt right back. The changes seemed to work, for Webster immediately supplied a centre from which Knott opened the scoring. Torquay quickly increased their lead, Rogers centring for Waller to find the net with a capital shot, and in another ten minutes Webster cleverly placed the ball into the goalmouth for Cooper to head past Bond. Whitlow, who was playing almost a lone hand in the Exeter attack, carved out an opening for himself, and went on to leave Millsom helpless with a cleverly placed shot to the corner of the goal. Cooper twice struck the City crossbar, and six minutes from time Hewitt scored from a penalty for "hands."

City Reserves v Yeovil
BENEFIT MATCH AT ST. JAMES'S PARK

Three First Half Goals Against the Grecians: Then a Keen Struggle

Wednesday, September 23rd 1931.

EXETER CITY RESERVES 3
YEOVIL & PETTERS UNITED 4.

The match at St James's Park on Wednesday evening, for the benefit of the Western League funds, was attended by just over 1,000 spectators. The City Reserves paid the penalty of a poor start and were beaten by the odd goal of seven. Dick Pym, the famous goalkeeper of Exeter City and Bolton Wanderers, was "between the sticks" for Yeovil.

City Reserves:- Davies; Phillips (St James), Bright; Johnson (Friernhay), Angus, Halliday; Gumm, Graham, Whitlow, Woodward, Courtney.

Yeovil & Petters:- Pym; McDade, Day; E.Wakeley, B.Horsey, Parkin;
Millington, Molloy, Pemberton, R. Dash, Moger.

The "Glovers" were the most impressive of the two teams in the first half, and their passing movements were beautifully executed. Two goals were scored with shots from close range from R.Dash and Pemberton which gave Davies absolutely no chance, and a third, from the foot of Dash, was the result of another very classic advance which put the Grecians' forward play absolutely in the shade. The game underwent a transformation in the second half. Yeovil eased up rather too much for their own good, and an early goal was scored for the Grecians by Whitlow, who cleverly headed past the redoubtable Pym a well placed free kick by Halliday. Yeovil were now beaten back on the defensive and remained there for a long time, but Pym was as agile as a cat, and covered his goal in such a capable manner that the spectators almost despaired of seeing the ball go into the Yeovil net again. At last, however, another header by Whitlow at close quarters did the trick, and soon afterwards, following a corner to the City, McDade had the misfortune to send the ball into his own net, and the teams were level with three goals each. Exeter had now done so much that, with ten minutes remaining, the spectators looked to them to obtain the winning goal. Instead, in a spirited breakaway by Yeovil, the ball was crossed by Moger for the brilliant young amateur inside-left, Dash, to shoot past Davies again. The improvement in the Grecians' football was so marked in the second half that it was reasonable to suppose that a more enthusiastic opening would have been the means of ensuring Exeter the victory. The half-backs and forwards especially made big strides in their work, both as a team and individually after the change of ends. Woodward, however, was a live wire all through the game, and there were no more consistent workers on view than the amateurs, Phillips and Johnson on the right flank and Jimmy Gumm at outside right. "Pincher" Pym, that marvellous goalkeeper, seems to have lost nothing with the passing of the years. His play, as always, was brilliant.

• NEW PLAYER FOR EXETER CITY. WILLIAM FOX OF NEWPORT COUNTY.  Exeter City have engaged a new right full-back, William Victor Fox, on trial for a month, and he will assist the Reserves at Eastville on Saturday next. Last season Fox made 37 Football League appearances for Newport County (these included the two Christmas holiday matches against Exeter) and was offered terms for this season, but declined. Previously with Wolverhampton Wanderers and Middlesbrough, the new full back is 5ft. 9ins. in height and weighs 11st. 71b. In the summer he plays cricket as a professional for Worcestershire, having joined them in 1923.