City Badly Beaten
COVENTRY SCORE TWO IN EACH HALF WITHOUT REPLY 
Big Crowd at Highfield Road

Saturday, September 3rd 1932.

COVENTRY CITY 4  (Lauderdale Holmes 2 Bourton).
EXETER CITY 0

Half-time 2-0.

Exeter City stayed overnight at Stratford-on-Avon and completed the journey by road this morning. Heavy rain had fallen in the night but when the crowd began assembling for the match the sun was shining through. The playing pitch was in beautiful condition but a strong breeze was blowing from goal to goal.

There were 14,000 spectators to greet the teams as they came out and the turnstiles were still working busily. Davison beat Miller in the toss, and the Grecians lined up facing the wind in the first half.

Coventry City: McSevich Bennett Bisby O'Brien Davison Heinemann Holmes Lauderdale Bourton Lake White

Referee:- Mr B. J. Davies, of Newport.

Exeter City: Davies Gray Miller Barber Childs Clarke Welsby Houghton Poulter Connaboy Scott

Clearly Exeter will have to smarten up quite a lot in the attack if they are to get their share of League points. The wind played a big part in today's game, but it does not explain this heavy defeat. Coventry this season are a more dangerous side than they were last year, the forward line being better together, quicker, and greatly superior in the art of developing their attacks at a high speed. Their workmanship was admirable. It was a great day for the young local amateur, Holmes, who shot two goals in magnificent style and had a big share in the one that Lauderdale scored in the fifteenth minute. The superiority of the Bantams reated entirely with their attacking department. In other respects the sides were evenly matched. Lauderdale and Lake excelled in constructive football, while the wingers and Bourton were in tremendous form. A redeeming feature from Exeter's viewpoint was the success of Childs in his many and long-drawn-out duels with Bourton, the brilliant Coventry leader. Welsby was the only Exeter forward to shine.

CITY RESERVES 4
PLYMOUTH ARGYLE RESERVES 3.

An amazing game was witnessed at St James's Park this afternoon, where Exeter City Reserves, three goals down at half time, rallied after the interval, moved Whitlow from outside-right to centre forward, and scored four times to win by the odd goal in seven.

City Reserves: - Ince; Ditchburn, Hughes; Robinson, Angus, E. Tappin;
Whitlow, Kennedy, S.Hurst, Higgins, Courtney.

Argyle Reserves:- Cann; Bland, Birks;
Fellowes, McKenzie, Hardie; Melaniphy, Sloan, Simpson, Wilson, Williams.

The Argyle played football of high quality in the opening half, and Simpson, their new leader from Partick Thistle, scored three goals in quick succession. After the interval Whitlow took over his old position in the centre of the attack with Hurst on the right wing. It was a sensible if belated move, and the revised Exeter forward line did much better. Where Cann had been practically an idle onlooker he now had all his work cut out in saving from Whitlow and Kennedy. There was far more method about the City's approach work now, and the home side should have had a penalty when Bland deliberately fisted the ball. On another occasion Whitlow sent Hurst away with a nice first-time pass, but the centre was delayed too long and the Argyle defence was able to cover up.

EXETER REWARDED.

Twenty-five minutes from the end Exeter were rewarded. Kennedy in feeding Hurst with a beautiful pass showed a glimpse of his real form, and when the ball was centred Bland appeared to handle. The referee waved play on, however, and Whitlow, with his back to the goal, hooked the ball into the net past the surprised Cann.

The Grecians might have scored again but Courtney's centre was missed by Whitlow, and Cann, running out, kicked clear. A second goal, the best of the match, was scored by Exeter twelve minutes from the end. Kennedy picked up a pass just outside the penalty area and swerved past the opposition before beating Cann with a high cross-shot.

Meanwhile Whitlow, surely one of Exeter's unluckiest players, met with an injury to his shoulder and had to go to outside right once again. Exeter's spirited reply was delighting the spectators, who numbered between three and four thousand, and there was tremendous enthusiasm when Higgins equalised, cutting past the backs before crashing the ball into the net. The Argyle were now a demoralised force, and just before the end Higgins scored the winning goal. An astonishing game thus ended in which the proud Argyle were made to look very cheap in the last half an hour.