Exeter City v
Crystal Palace 
April 30th 1932.

EXETER CITY 0 CRYSTAL PALACE 1.

Rain fell steadily for several hours before this, the last home Football League match of the season, and the pitch was in a sodden state when the teams lined up as follows:

City:- Davies; Gray, Miller; Clarke, Childs, Barber; Purcell, Roberts, Varco, Houghton, Doncaster.
Palace: Callender; Parry, Crilly; Wilde, Nicholas, Rivers; Harry,Turner, Simpson  May, Clarke.

Crilly beat Miller with the coin and play commenced before 4,000 spectators in steady rain. There was a big sensation at the Palace end within half a minute of the start, Varco driving the ball with great force against the crossbar. After 23 minutes' play the Palace took the lead. There was a quick raid by the visitors' right wing pair, and the ball was taken almost to the corner flag. It was centred by Harry to Simpson, who headed it on for Turner to beat Davies at close range.

• Fulham won the first match here and now the Palace have won the last. In between these Exeter have played nineteen matches with 16 won and 3 drawn!

CITY OUTPLAYED IN PURCELL'S BENEFIT MATCH

Alf. Matthews on the Target
Monday, May 2nd 1932.

EXETER CITY 2
PLYMOUTH ARGYLE 4.

George Purcell's benefit match, played at St James's Park between Exeter City and Plymouth Argyle on Monday evening, attracted about 3,000 spectators and furnished some very pleasing football. For long periods the Grecians had to play "second fiddle" to a very bright young set of men in the famous green and black shirts who specialised in accurate ground passes and quick finishing. The Argyle, who beat Exeter recently in the Devon Championship, won by four goals to two, and the score reflects the run of the game to a nicety. Only three members of the Argyle team took part in the Second League match with Bradford at Home Park at the week end, namely Cann, Pullen, and the ex-Grecian, Matthews. Exeter City fielded their full League eleven.

Exeter City:- Davies; Gray and Miller;
Clarke, Childs, and Barber; Purcell, Roberts, Varco, Houghton, and Doncaster.
Plymouth Argyle :- Cann; Thompson and Turner; Fellowes, Pullen, and Gorman; Matthews, Bird, D.M.Mackay, Sloan, and Wilson.

Referee:- Mr H. Langmaid, of Exeter. Linesmen:- Messrs F.L.Allen and F.Lovell.

Many of the spectators arrived too late to see Mackay open the scoring within a minute of the kick-off, but they could not fail to take pleasure in the splendid team work shown by the Pilgrims, with Sloan a regular little masterpiece of true artistry at inside left, and with every member of the side revelling in clever ground passing movements which kept Exeter's defence exceedingly busy at times. The City forwards generally were not quick enough in developing their attacks. The ball was checked and turned back to the halves too often, and more go-ahead methods would have paid better. The home forwards apart from Varco were not very impressive with their shooting, either. Triangular play between Gorman, Wilson and Sloan on the Argyle left took the eye frequently in the early stages of the game, but Exeter improved, and two good openings were created for Doncaster and Varco. Both the final shots were put wide of the Argyle goal, however. The City equalised, however, after 34 minutes, Roberts shooting low into the net from an inwards pass from Purcell who had been put through by Doncaster. Varco had hard luck with a lovely shot which skimmed the turf and rebounded off the bottom of the post, and this incident was quickly followed by a second goal to the Argyle, the ball being crossed and re-crossed in front of the City goal till Matthews fed Bird, who banged the leather into the net well wide of Davies. Roberts missed narrowly with a lob which passed over Cann's head but also about two inches over the crossbar.
Half-time: City 1 Argyle 2.

Matthews was instrumental in raising the Argyle's total of goals to four within ten minutes of the re-start. First he met a centre from Wilson with his forehead and brought the ball down sharply to bump into the net. Next, he jumped high to head past Miller, and gaining possession shot so strongly that Davies, although getting his hands to the ball, could only palm it further into the net.

Sloan continued to be the inspiration of the Plymouth forwards, and with all the team pulling well together smart football was played in effortless fashion and the City were outplayed for long periods. Bird and Mackay in turn shot over the Exeter goal when well placed. Cann was a spectator for much of the second half through Exeter ballooning the ball, thus playing into the hands of the taller Argyle defenders, but Barber pleased the crowd when eleven minutes from time he beat Cann with a powerful drive from the edge of the penalty area.

THE CONSISTENCY OF PURCELL.

George Purcell, the beneficiary, who came to Exeter from Swindon Town in the 1926 close season, and who is equally at home in either of the right wing positions, was for five seasons the most consistent player ever to wear the red and white of the Grecians. His League appearances in those five campaigns read 41, 40, 42, 40 and 42, in all a total of 205 out of a possible 210. One of the brighest stars of last season's F. A. Cup "giant-killing" campaign, Purcell has rendered excellent service to Exeter City, and it is earnestly hoped he will continue to do so.

Southern League
HURST SCORES A REMARKABLE GOAL FOR THE CITY RESERVES:

Even Game at the "Park"
Wednesday, May 4th 1932.

EXETER CITY RESERVES 1
YEOVIL & PETTERS 1.

The match at St James's Park on Wednesday evening was the fifth meeting of the City Reserves and Yeovil this season, and for the Glovers this closing tussle was the most important of all. Forcing a draw, one all, Yeovil retired in very good spirits, for another draw in their last match of the season, against the Argyle Reserves, will assure them of the championship of the Western Section of the Southern League competition.

Exeter City Reserves: Jones; Ditchburn and Baugh; Graham, Angus, and Robinson; Armfield, Woodward, S.Hurst, Halliday, and Courtney.

Yeovil and Petters: Pym; Pratt and Day;McAndrew, McDade, and Parkin; Millington, Davin, Pemberton, Molloy, and Rankin.

Good football was rather scarce in this match, the light ball being booted about far too much and far too indiscriminately, but teams showed great keen-ness, and there was not the usual "end of the season" attitude among the players as often is seen at this time of the year. Stanley Hurst was a very lively centre forward in the early play, and his quick and purposeful touches gave the Yeovil defence more than a little anxiety. And the first incident of note was a remarkable goal to Exeter by Hurst. Receiving from Courtney, he shot hard and unexpectedly from outside the penalty area. The ball flashed past two defenders on its way to the goal and Pym had scarcely any chance of sighting it. The leather struck the inside of the far goalpost, and rebounding hit Pym's foot and glanced into the net. Fifteen minutes before the interval Yeovil equalised when Molloy headed a centre from Millington into the Exeter net.