CITY GO TO THE TOP OF THE LEAGUE. BUT TEAM LACKING IN STAMINA AND STAYING POWER.

Wednesday, September 11th 1946.

EXETER CITY 4 (Ebdon, Regan, Wright, Wardle)
ALDERSHOT 1 (Anderson)
Half time City 4 Aldershot 1.

City: Hoyle; Thompson, Long; Cutting, Hanford, Walker; Wardle, Hydes, Ebdon, Wright, Regan.
Referee: Mr W.E.Plyer, of Weymouth.
Aldershot:- Gage; Rogers, Sheppard; Brinton, White, Brown; Hobbs, Griffiths, Anderson, Fitzgerald, Hassell.

Attendance 9,538.

Exeter City won their third victory of the season and go to the top of the League as a result. But until their players can stay the full course of ninety minutes they will give their supporters many frights and anxious moments. Inability to stay the place was a noticeably bad feature of their display against Aldershot, despite the fact that the match ended in the Grecians' favour by 4 goals to 1. For while the City were dominant in the first half, when all their goals were obtained, the initiative passed completely into Aldershot's hands after the change of ends. Exeter's second half decline was al most unbelievable. Keeping the ball on the move, the Grecians' forwards out-played the weak Aldershot defence and scored three goals in a hectic opening spell. There were visions of a big Exeter victory but things did not work out that way. Anderson crowned a clever attack with a goal from close range, and although Wardle restored the margin by shooting into an empty net a minute later that was just about the end of Exeter City as a match winning combination. Distress signals were flying in the second half. There was panic in the ranks and an alarming lack of speed and stamina. Against a team stronger than Aldershot the City would have been in dire trouble.