EXETER'S LAST HOPE VANISHES: BEATEN AT SWINDON. CITY CLUB TO APPLY FOR RE-ELECTION.

Saturday, May 4th 1929.
Swindon Town 2 Exeter City 0.

Exeter set out today to do better than Merthyr Town, in order to settle the relegation issue in the Southern Section, and the players, therefore, were very keen on winning this afternoon's match at the Wilts County Ground.
Swindon  Nash Dickinson Wylie Low Bew Viggars Denyer Eddleston Morris Roberts Thom

Referee:- Mr. W. Musther, of London.

Exeter City. Holland Miller Lowton Dennington Mason Sheffield Death Doncaster Hick Clarke Purcell

It was raining steadily when the Exeter players reached Swindon, at 1.30 p.m., and this continued through the rest of the afternoon. The weather, also the fact that it was the last match of the season with nothing at stake as far as the "Railwaymen" were concerned, doubtless accounted for the smallness of the attendance, only about 2,500 spectators being present at the start. Dickinson won the toss, and gave Swindon the advantage of the stiff breeze which swept across the field diagonally, and drove the rain into the faces of the Exeter players when the teams lined up. Swindon nearly scored a goal with the game less than a minute old. Denyer got clear on the right and found himself in the Exeter penalty area, with only Holland to beat. He could have scored himself but instead passed to Morris, whereupon Lowton stepped in and sent the ball behind for a comer. From the flag kick the ball travelled to Bew, who shot several yards over the bar. It was nevertheless a lucky escape for the Grecians, with so much depending on the result at the end. When Eddleston manoeuvred to get the Swindon forwards going the Exeter backs threw them offside. A similar move was repeated, and when Exeter appealed for offside this time the referee allowed Morris to proceed, and the big Swindon leader, faced only by Holland, slipped the ball over to Eddleston, who tapped it into the empty goal. An appeal for offside by the Exeter players went unheeded and the City were a goal down ten minutes after the start. Nash cleared smartly from Hick, but Exeter generally were not dangerous, and when Swindon took up the running again Holland saved from Dickinson.

Exeter Very Nervous.

Morris was proving a source of trouble to the Exeter defence with his weight and speed and general bustling tactics, but when he fed Thom, the winger was successfully tackled by Sheffield, the ball going for a comer. A clearance by Lowton set Exeter on the attack, but Hick disappointed with a hasty shot which sent the ball flying over the bar from an easy position. Exeter were very nervous and all the best football was coming from Swindon. Roberts missed the City goal by inches with a fierce shot, and Holland saved cleverly from Denyer when the winger was clean through. The interval arrived with Swindon winning by a goal to nil, and when the teams came out for the second half the rain was streaming down in torrents. A shot from Clarke which just missed the goal was Exeter's best effort of the afternoon, then Death tried to go through on his own but was pulled up fouling Wylie. for The issue was settled ten minutes before the end when Eddleston headed the ball past Holland from Thom's excellent centre. Both goals came about through the Exeter backs not playing to the whistle and hoping to get offside decisions.

EXETER CITY RESERVES 6
SWINDON TOWN RESERVES 3.

Streets scored for the City Reserves after fifteen minutes at St James's Park, beating Bourne with a well-timed header which simply flashed into the top of the net. Daniels equalised with a high shot, and from a movement started by Christie the City regained the lead, Streets again heading through. Exeter were lucky in the second half when Noble brought Culley down inside the penalty area but the referee only gave Swindon a free kick outside the area. Four quick goals were scored by the City, the marksmen being Cameron, Gumm (2), and Streets, and in all these successes the artistry of Houghton was much in evidence. Swindon eventually attacked and Campbell caught a centre from Walker but was charged over his goal-line with the ball in possession by Daniels, who later scored again to complete his "hat-trick," thus emulating Streets for Exeter. Just before the end there was a set-to between Streets and Weston, and it was some little time before order was restored.

Exeter were represented by:-
Campbell; Hill and Noble, Ditchburn, Pool, and Christie; Bluck, Streets, Gumm, Houghton, and Cameron.