Match 48
17th April 1937
Third Division
Millwall v ECFC

Southern League
City Reserves v Tunbridge Wells

19th April 1937
Jack Angus Benefit
Exeter City v Blackburn Rovers

21st April 1937
Devon Professional Championship
Plymouth Argyle v Exeter City

Exeter and District League
Friernhay v Exeter City Reserves

Saturday, April 17th. 

MILLWALL 3 EXETER CITY 3.

If ever a team earned an away point Exeter City in this game. It may have been again the book of form for the lowly placed Devon side to come and take half the spoils from the Lions in their own Den, but there was real merit about the equal division of 6 goals which gave Exeter City a very welcome point. It may well be that Millwall were feeling the strain of four games in eight days, but even so the fact should not be forgotten that the home side led by 2-0 and 3-1 during the first half of this game. In fact the half-time score of three to one seemed to have put the Lions on easy street for an ultimate victory, but the Grecians, to their infinite credit, never gave up, and before the end actually went near to winning the game on more than one occasion.

SEMI FINAL RECALLED.
Yuill, the Scottish goalkeeper who played such a great game for the Lions in the Cup Semi-final against Sunderland a week ago, proved the saviour of his side yet again in the closing ten minutes when E.Smith and Inns were being overrun in alarming fashion by Smith and Owen, two lively wingers.

Millwall:- Yuill; E.J.Smith and Inns; Brolly, Wallbanks, and Forsyth; Daniels, Barker, Burditt, McCartney, and Thorogood.
Exeter City:- Tierney; Brown and Stimpson; Clarke, Angus, and Shadwell; F.Smith, Bussey, Williams, McGill, and Owen.
Referee:- Mr L.E.Gibbs, of Reading.

The scoring started very early, for a bad mistake by Brown gave a chance to Thorogood that the Millwall winger could not miss. Then Daniels added a second goal and Bussey reduced the margin, but in half an hour Burditt restored Millwall's two-goals lead, and the home side looked to be well on the road to victory at half-time when the score was 3 to 1. In the second half Williams narrowed the City's deficit to a single goal, and during a hectic last ten minutes McGill finally levelled the scores.

Southern League
CITY RESERVES v
TUNBRIDGE WELLS.
Exeter City Reserves wound up their home programme of Southern League matches this afternoon with a visit from Tunbridge Wells Rangers, who beat them in Kent by six clear goals in September.
City Reserves:- Chesters; Hobbs, Boyle; Pollard, Bamsey, Barnes; Keane, Scott, Ebdon, Johnson, and Urmson. Tunbridge Wells:- Gower; Hartley, Scholfield; J.Hill, Mainbey, Weightman; Grainger, Samuel, Iles, Todd, and Terry.
Result:- A goalless draw.

Monday, April 19th.
BENEFIT MATCH FOR JACK ANGUS
Exeter City v Blackburn Rovers

A sensational goal by Williams brought the crowd to its toes at St James's Park on Monday evening, when four thousand spectators saw the City beaten by four goals to two by Blackburn Rovers in a benefit match for Jack Angus, the Exeter City skipper. Standing with his back to the goal Williams took the ball while it was in mid-air, and with an amazing overhead kick he deflected it high into the net. The effort surprised everyone, and most of all Hughes, who was left helpless. Williams was the scorer of Exeter's other goal, an orthodox header from Smith's centre.
EXETER CITY
Tierney
Brown Stimpson
Pollard Angus Shadwell
F.Smith Bussey Williams McGill Owen
Referee:- Mr C. E. Trengrove of Exeter.

Guest Astill Sale Butt Bruton
Wightman Pryde Whiteside
Crook Lanceley
Hughes
BLACKBURN ROVERS

As an exhibition of football this match fulfilled expectations. Blackburn moved on neat and skilful lines. Their moves contained variety in plenty, and they looked more like a First Division than a Second Division team. The game was also satisfying through the absence of the "go as you please" atmosphere usually associated with friendly matches. The players on both sides maintained a fast pace without taking undue risks, and there were several exciting periods.
THE CLASS OF BUTT.
Len Butt, the former Huddersfield Town player, whose transfer was negotiated by Blackburn earlier in the season, is a really first class inside forward who will help materially in the endeavour of the Rovers to regain First Division status. His every move bore the hall-mark of class in this match. Deft ball control, creative ability of outstanding merit and correct positioning were some of the qualities at Butt's command. His right wing partner, the famous Jack Bruton, who is Blackburn's captain, was another brilliant raider, a winger able to command the ball whilst moving at top speed. Some of Bruton's runs along the touch-line represented all the best that is in wing play. Guest, formerly of Birmingham, on the opposite flank, was another resourceful and thoughtful forward, and with Sale, once a club mate of Walter Bussey at Stoke, a sharpshooting spearhead in the middle, the Blackburn attack was a formidable line.
CITY PLAYED PLUCKILY.
Against clever opposition the City played pluckily. To the credit of the Exeter players, they tried to emulate the subtle touches which the Rovers employed so often. The Grecians did not of course move with the same fluency, but the attempt was made, and without recourse to ultra vigorous tactics, which would have marred the performance. Williams was the pick of the attack, although in Pryde, he was up against a dour and uncomprising centre-half who also has a degree of skill not often seen in the Third Division. Angus did some good work, and it was appropriate that he should have done so in this, his benefit match. Blackburn Rovers, who led by two goals to one at half time, scored their goals through Astill, Sale (2), and Bruton in that order. The match was splendidly refereed by Mr Trengrove, of Exeter.

WHEN THE ROVERS WON THE CUP.

Blackburn have, as everyone who follows Association football here or hereabouts knows, been to Exeter before. They were Exeter City's fourth round opponents in the English Cup competition, of season 1927-28, and after playing a drawn match at St James's Park won the replay at Blackburn in sleet, snow, hail, and rain on the following Thursday afternoon. The Rovers of that season, who went on to win the Cup, admitted on many occasions that their hardest struggle on the way to Wembley was the match at St James's Park versus Exeter City.



Wednesday, April 21st.
DEVON PROFESSIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
Argyle v City


Exeter City, who defeated Plymouth Argyle by two goals to one, at Home Park, on Wednesday evening, will go on to meet Torquay United in the final match of the competition. It is expected that it will take place at Exeter next Wednesday.

PLYMOUTH ARGYLE Cann Kirkwood Milne Ryan Hill L. Stock Dougan Woods D. Smith Eggleston S.Black
EXETER CITY Tierney Boyle Stimpson Pollard Bamsey Shadwell Keane Scott Ebdon Pope Urmson

Neither team was at full strength, the Argyle fielding a complete reserve eleven and the City playing only three members of their regular first team. The gate receipts amounted to £99.13s. The City, a goal in arrears until twelve minutes from the finish, were the more impressive, and Scott gave a particularly clever and forcing game at inside right.

SOUND DEFENCES.
Urmson was another member of Exeter's attack who was nearly always prominent, but the outstanding player of the side was Tierney. His goalkeeping was clean and confident. Bamsey generally kept a tight reign on D.Smith, and sound defence by both teams was the feature of the match. There was no score until two minutes before the interval, when Sam Black, who revealed touches of his old brilliance, netted an easy goal from close range. Shadwell with a stinging shot and Urmson with a header scored for Exeter. 


21st April 1937 
Exeter and District League 

On Wednesday Exeter City Reserves defeated Friernhay in this League by three goals to nil.

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