STROKE OF LUCK FOR CRYSTAL

PALACE FORD SAVES CERTAIN GOAL BY ACCIDENT.

Saturday, October 13th 1945.

CRYSTAL PALACE 2 (Kurz, Blackman)
EXETER CITY 2 (Walker)
Half-time score Palace 1 City 1.
Attendance 15,000.

Crystal Palace:- Ford; Gregory, F.Dawes; Lewis, Humphreys, Hudgell; Kurz, Robson, Blackman, Stamp, Wilson.
Exeter City:- Goodfellow; Murray, Roughton; Jordan, Blood, Angus; Baxter, Wardle, Walker, Ebdon, Challis.

A fortituous and absolutely accidental save by Ford may have changed the entire course of the game at Selhurst Park where the City were beaten by 2 goals to 1. Only a couple of minutes remained to the interval when Challis from the inside left position hit the ball hard and true. The goalkeeper was off his balance and looked beaten all the way until the leather swerved, hit him on the wrist, and shot away over the goal line for a corner. Each side had scored once when this incident occurred, and in a first half which produced bright and entertaining football from all the players there was no advantage to either side. There was a big improvement in Exeter City's play both defensively and in attack during the opening 45 minutes. Kurz scored for the Palace three minutes after the start and Walker, playing his first game at centre forward, equalised with a stinging close-range shot ten minutes before half time. The winning goal was scrambled through by Blackman for the Glaziers two minutes from the end of the game.