Saturday, January 30th 1932.
EXETER CITY (DONCASTER VARCO PURCELL) 3
COVENTRY 0.

Glorious weather favoured the Southern Section match at St James's Park today, in which Exeter needed both points to keep in touch with the leaders in the promotion race. The visitors included in Bourton one of the three most success ful goal-getting centre-forwards in the whole of the Football League. The City relied on the side which beat Bournemouth by a goal to nil in the week, and the visitors had Johnson instead of Sheppard at outside left.

Exeter City:-Davies; Gray and Miller; Clarke, Childs, and Barber; Armfield, Purcell, Varco, Houghton, and Doncaster.
Coventry City:- Hewett; Plummer and Tilford; O'Brien, Baker, & Heinemann;
White, Lauderdale, Bourton, Lake, and Johnson.
Referee:- Mr D.J.Davies, of Newport.

This was one of the most stirring games seen at St James's Park for months, and the City must be congratulated on a very fine success. The forwards got off the mark grandly, and simplified Exeter's task by obtaining three goals before the interval.

Varco was among the scorers, too, and after his many blank days his return to the sort of form expected from him was doubly welcome. Coventry made tremendous efforts to score after the interval, and in this rousing period Davies, Gray and Miller played at their very best. Throughout the game the Exeter half-backs were a very workmanlike trio, Childs, in the centre, being a dominating pivot and giving Bourton very few chances. Davies's thrilling double penalty save at the expense of Bourton was about the most exciting incident of all in a great game. There were 6,000 people present when Miller won the toss, and Exeter occupied the St James's Road end for the opening half. Exeter's first goal was netted by Doncaster after only five minutes, and shortly after this Varco obtained the second with a beautiful header.
The third goal, which was scored by Purcell after 27 minutes, was the best shot of the match. Tilford miskicked, Armfield raced in behind him and gave the ball to Purcell, who drove it at lightning speed into the top of the net from fully twenty-five yards. Midway through the second half play became over-vigorous, and Coventry, for some reason known only to the referee, were given a penalty. Bourton took the kick, but shot too straight, and Davies covered the ball. He fell in saving the shot and Bourton dashed in for a second attempt, but Davies just managed to reach out and knock the ball away from him. This splendid feat on the part of Davies was accorded the biggest cheer of the match.

Southern League 
Barry v Exeter City Reserves 

In the Southern League match at Barry the City Reserves scored through Courtney and Keen, and these two goals equalised the two previously scored by Barry, and enabled the Reserves to bring home a useful point.