Saturday, March 7th 1936.
EXETER CITY 4 READING 5.

The Exeter City club's appeal for a 10,000 gate was evidently in vain. Indeed, there was little hope of the attendance being half that figure. It was an unlucky afternoon for the City. Soaked by drizzling rain which fell throughout the day, the ground was in a heavy condition, a fact which no doubt suited the powerful Reading side. Lowton captained the City, and winning the toss, set Reading to attack the St James's Road end. Beby, the new goalkeeper, signed on Thursday from Darlington, was given an encouraging round of applause as he took up his position in the Exeter goal.

EXETER CITY
Beby
Lowton Crompton
Clarke Bamsey Angus
Hurst T.Scott McCambridge Dunn V.Hoyle

Referee:- Mr A.J. Brown, of Bristol.

Owen Barley Tait Fielding Briggs
Wright Hayhurst Johnson
Robson Gregory
Mapson
READING

Exeter City's reorganised side suffered a dramatic defeat in the closing stages, when two minutes from the end Crompton was unlucky enough to kick the ball into his own net. Up to then it has been a thrilling struggle, a fine recovery by the Grecians holding promise of even better things to come. They did not compare with Reading in the finer points of the game, but more than made up for this by a purposeful and robust determination that very often upset the calculations of the men from the biscuit town. The first incident of note was a powerful shot by Dunn which narrowly missed the target. Then, in the second minute of the game Hoyle, endeavouring to swerve past Gregory close to the touch-line, was tripped, and falling on the cinder track, cut his face. The trainer was summoned and Hoyle had to be assisted from the field. Reading initiated a strong attack down the centre, and Beby "brought the house down" when he dived full-length to save a flying shot from Fielding.

MCCAMBRIDGE'S SMART GOAL.

With the return of Hoyle the City attack had a more balanced look about it. Hurst, showing clever footwork and being faster than either Robson or Wright, burst through twice, but on each occasion the movement was spoilt through inaccurate shooting from too great a range. Though Reading were playing the better football, the City, by enthusiastic methods and keen following up, were giving every bit as good as they received, and fourteen minutes after the start they took the lead. The attack developed on the right, where Hurst, eluding Robson, passed inwards to McCambridge. The angle was sharp and McCambridge had to act in a hurry, but his low oblique drive succeeded, Mapson diving to his right and only partially parrying the shot. The ball trickled towards the net and Hoyle, dashing in, made doubly sure by running it into the goal. After half an hour a clever round of passing by Scott and Dunn culminated in Hoyle gaining possession just inside the penalty area, and with the coolness of a veteran Exeter's little winger sidestepped Gregory neatly before lobbing the ball into the middle. It sailed across the goalmouth and Hurst headed it back to Tom Scott, who shot hard into the net from close range.

READING DRAW LEVEL.

Two goals in front, Exeter appeared well on the road to victory, but Reading were not submitting weakly, and from a corner taken by Briggs Owen shot past Beby to reduce the deficit. Reading, who time and time again drew Exeter's defenders out of position with well conceived attacks, scored an equalising goal two minutes from the interval, Tait shooting past Beby from a range of about six yards. A bad quarter of an hour for Exeter followed the resumption of play. Fielding scored Reading's third goal, and straightaway from the next kick-off Tait got the fourth goal, to place the issue seemingly beyond doubt. Exeter, dangerous only on isolated occasions, now managed to score in one of their isolated attacks. McCambridge, chasing a ball which had been lobbed into the goalmouth, was pulled down from behind. A penalty was awarded, and Clarke's fast rising shot from the white spot had Mapson well beaten. The game underwent several dramatic changes now. First of all the diminutive Owen failed with the goal at his mercy. Next, in a dashing City raid, McCambridge steered the ball into the net only to be whistled up for offside. Again, when McCambridge got all his weight behind a fierce and accurate drive Mapson caught the ball with all the certainty of a cricketer. Exeter were fighting all they knew for an equaliser. The crowd was in a fervent of excitement as the gallant Grecians stormed up the field in a series of fast raids, the Reading defenders being glad to kick anywhere for safety.

CROWD DELIGHTED: THEN ANGERED.

Reading were still the cleverer side, however, as they had been all through, but the City fought dourly and enthusiastically. The crowd went wild with delight when a full-blooded drive by Dunn caught Mapson unawares. The ball hit the goalkeeper on the shoulder and as it spun in the air McCambridge hurled himself forward and charged ball and goalkeeper into the net. A further ding-dong struggle ensued, and the crowd booed loudly when the referee declined to suspend play with Lowton lying on the ground injured for some minutes. At length Mr Brown called a halt, and Lowton recovered after he had received the attentions of the trainer. Then, with barely a minute remaining tragedy overtook Exeter. Owen, too speedy for Bamsey, nipped around him and worked the ball to within a few yards of the goal. There should have been no danger, for Crompton had reasonable time in which cleared, but to the consternation and disappointment to have of his colleagues, the crowd, and himself Exeter's left back sliced the leather into his own net. Thus in an amazing game Exeter City went down to Reading by the odd goal of nine, and Reading's winning goal was scored by one of Exeter's players.

• NOTES ON JACK BEBY. Exeter's new goalkeeper was born at Gillingham on August 23rd, 1907, and has played for Gillingham, Leicester City, Ashford United, Bristol Rovers, Crystal Palace, and Darlington.