COVENTRY SUCCUMB TO SUPERIOR PLAY

City Still Winning. 

A Five Goal Victory

Saturday, January 7th 1933.
EXETER CITY 5  (Houghton 2 Whitlow 2 Kennedy)
COVENTRY CITY 0  
Half-time 1-0.

Much has happened since Exeter City and Coventry met at High fields in the beginning of September, when the Grecians lost by four clear goals. The Exeter personnel got together splendidly before the end of that month, and the club has been beaten only twice in League football from that time. The weather today was quiet and misty, and when the game started the crowd numbered about seven thousand.

Exeter City.
Davies Gray Hughes Clarke Childs Barber Scott Kennedy Whitlow Houghton Welsby
Referee:- Mr D.J.Davies, of Newport.

White Lake Bourton Lauderdale Woolhouse
Boileau Davison O'Brien
Bennett Perry
McSevich
Coventry City.

Influenza robbed Higgins of his place in the Exeter team for this afternoon's home game with Coventry, but Kennedy, who replaced him, was one of the outstanding attackers on view. Exeter took rather a long time to get into their stride, but wanted badly to keep their own goal intact, and did not become really aggressive till they had got the measure of Bourton and his colleagues in the Coventry front line. The first incident of note was a hard cross-shot from Bourton which Davies saved. Mc Sevich then fielded a shot from Kennedy, who was supplied with the ball by Barber. Davies saved a low drive from Lauderdale near the post, and from the corner kick Woolhouse's centre bounded on top of the Exeter crossbar and went behind. Good football was difficult on the muddy ground, and Welsby was checked by Perry in a strong Exeter attack. From Whitlow's pass Kennedy tried another shot at goal, Mc Sevich tipping the ball over the bar. Six minutes before half time Welsby took a corner for Exeter, the ball going to Scott, who returned it straight to the goalmouth. Whitlow prevented the backs from clearing, and in the melee which followed Houghton netted with a well aimed shot, the ball going into the net off the goalpost.

SECOND HALF.
Within one minute of the change of ends a roar of cheering greeted another Exeter goal. A nice centre from Scott found Whitlow well placed, and the centre-forward, timing his effort to a nicety, headed strongly into the net with Mc Sevich hopelessly beaten. Only a moment later Kennedy drove a rasping shot against the bar, and when play was transferred quickly to the other end Lauderdale had an opportunity of reducing his side's deficit, but he shot hurriedly and wide of the mark. Sixteen minutes of the second half had elapsed when the Grecians obtained their third goal. Boileau handled, and Clarke's free kick into the goalmouth was turned on to the crossbar by Mc Sevich. A short sharp struggle when the ball rebounded ended with Houghton scoring. Whitlow was fouled badly when going through, and the free kick, taken by Childs, was brilliantly saved by Mc Sevich. Scott netted with a sharp drive but the whistle had sounded for offside. The Grecians were now playing with every confidence, and Kennedy was one of the big successes of the match. He crowned an excellent afternoon's work by gaining possession on the half-way line and dribbling right through to beat Mc Sevich at close quarters, for Exeter's fourth goal, and the best of the game so far. Whitlow followed suit very quickly with a very similar goal, the crowd being overjoyed at this sweeping Exeter success in a match that on paper had looked a very difficult one. The Grecians continued aggressive till the end, and Kennedy was given a standing ovation as the players left the field. Coventry in the second half were quite outclassed.

FRIENDLY MATCH:
ST AUSTELL v CITY RESERVES.

The visit of Exeter City Reserves to St. Austell this afternoon aroused considerable interest, and there was a good "gate." St Austell opened with delightful football, passing cleverly, and
a good shot by Ford was stopped by Ince on the goal-line. After twenty minutes Gumm scored for the City Reserves following a corner from Courtney on the opposite wing. The "Saints" forced the pace and Exeter were lucky to maintain their lead till half time. Right from the kick-off in the second half St Austell attacked, and R.Pine only just missed. After five minutes' play the Cornishmen equalised, R.Pine netting a grand goal which made his total one hundred since joining the club at the beginning of the 1930-31 season. Three minutes from the end St Austell broke away and Maddocks, with a well placed shot out of the reach of Ince, gave them the lead, which they deserved. Another goal by Maddocks resulted in the City Reserves being defeated by 3 to 1.

EXETER CITY v AN ARMY XI. SATURDAY, JANUARY 14TH 1933.

The Football League fixture with Brighton and Hove Albion being postponed for reasons of Brighton's interest in the F. A.Cup, Exeter City arranged an attractive friendly match with the Army, who fielded their full representative team.

The match was favoured with beautiful weather, but the attendance was disappointing, with only 2,000 present. The Army players wore red shirts and stockings, with dark blue knickers. Childs again captained Exeter City, and the teams were:
Exeter City Davies Gray Hughes
Clarke Childs Barber Scott Kennedy Whitlow Houghton Higgins.
Army X1 
L/cpl C.Pettitt (Grenadier Guards)
Gdsm.A.Dixon (3rd Coldstream Guards)
Pte.A.Buckley (Sherwood Foresters)
Fus.Tatchlett (Royal Fusiliers)
Sgt.B.O. Rogers (Royal Engineers
Gnr. R.Hornhill (Royal Artillery)
Pte.W.G.Izzard (Royal Tank Corps)
Cadet G.W.White (Royal Medical Corps)
Pte.G.Austin (Royal Army Ordnance Corps)
L/Br.W.Westmorland (Royal Artillery)
Fus.A.Curtis (Royal Fusiliers)

Referee:- Mr A.W.Martin, of Exeter.

Exeter opened with a very smart move on the left wing, and a low centre from Higgins was neatly secured by Pettitt. Kennedy after twelve minutes opened the scoring, breasting the ball into the goal from Higgins's corner kick. Exeter played pretty football and scored three more goals before half time, through Whitlow, Whitlow again, and Houghton.
Two more goals by Whitlow and one by Houghton gave Exeter a lead of seven - nil before the second half was ten minutes old. The City then eased up and Austin got two goals for the soldiers. Twice the Army broke away and took the ball to the Exeter end of the field, but each time the movement fell flat, first Izzard, and then White, shooting wide of the goal. When Exeter returned to the attack Pettitt tipped on to the bar a drive by Houghton that had looked destined for the net, and a marvellous save by the Army goalkee per prevented a full blooded drive by Whitlow going into the goal. Barber then beat Pettitt all the way with a spectacular shot at a range of fully thirty yards. Ten goals had been scored now, and of these the City had claimed eight. In a rush by the Army forwards Izzard scored with a shot that entered the net off the goalpost. Westmorland scored for the Army and Whitlow, with a header, for Exeter. A penalty for "hands" was awarded the City, and from the spot-kick Childs scored with a shot which all but broke the net. Austin finally replied for the Army, and an interesting game in which Exeter's overwhelming superiority and the Army's splendid pluck were nicely reflected in the scoring, ended with the score:-
Exeter City 10 The Army 5.