FIRST LEAGUE MATCH FOR SEVEN YEARS. 

UNLUCKY CITY FAIL TO BEAT TORQUAY UNITED.

Saturday, August 31st 1946.
EXETER CITY 1 (Wright)
TORQUAY UNITED 1 (Kernick)
Half-time City O Torquay 1.

City: Hoyle; Thompson, Blood; Cutting, Hanford, Walker; Wardle, Hydes, Ebdon, Wright, Regan.
Torquay: Joslin; Keeton, Calland; Phillips, Head, Markham; Smith, Conley, Kernick, Harrower, Mercer.
Referee:- Mr J.M.Wiltshire, of Sherborne.
Attendance 11,468, receipts £912. 15s. 6d.

Exeter City were an unlucky side not to have beaten Torquay United. In the first half, beyond doubt, they did the greater part of the attacking although Torquay improved and came more into the picture later on. Wardle, troubled by the recurrence of an old injury, did not have a very good match. He tried hard enough, yet apart from a few clever and speedy bursts he was generally mastered by Calland, who is more than a useful full-back. Ebdon operated with all his accustomed dash and was unfortunate not to have brought victory to his side when in the closing minutes he ran clear of the opposing defence and drew Joslin out of his goal to slide the ball inches wide of the net. In the Torquay forward line Harrower stood out as a thoughtful and talented footballer. Kernick was still the industrious player of old, but not much was seen of Charlie Smith, the old City winger, or Mercer. Exeter should have had a penalty when Ebdon was unfairly brought down in the second half. Wright eventually equalised an earlier goal from Kernick to save a point for Exeter. The first Football League match at St James's Park for seven years was warmly appreciated by a larger than average crowd.