Singleton Shines In Goalless Game
BY NOMAD.
IN keeping with the general run of goalless contests, Exeter City's home game with Ipswich Town was an uninteresting struggle between two poor teams. Very few combined movements were seen, and most of them came from Ipswich.

The Teams
EXETER CITY
Singleton, Thompson, Blood Owen Hanford Fellowes Wright Wardle Walker
Regan Challis
IPSWICH TOWN Burns Bell Rumbold Fox O'Mahoney Perrett Roy Parker Day Connor Smith

Once again Exeter paid the penalty for slowness on the ball. Too often they stood off and allowed the opposition to take command. Singleton gave a fault less display in goal, and Thompson and Blood, two over-worked full backs, were others to come through with credit.
Hanford was the pick of the half back line, which again suffered through lack of pace on the flank. The forwards were seldom seen as a really impressive force, and Walker, mastered by O'Mahoney, hardly ever looked the part at centre-forward. The wing men. Challis and Regan, were also below par, and the best of an indifferent line were the two in side men, Wright and Wardle. The City, however, had hard luck in not gaining victory in the closing minutes when a shot from Regan struck the crossbar. Kept out of the side because of a twisted knee injury suffered at Watford last week. Ebdon missed his first match of the season. In his enforced absence the attack was led by Walker, I who is no stranger to the centre for ward position, though most of his ap pearances for Exeter have been at half-back. There was a good effort by Challis, who again showed the right idea by slipping a straight ahead pass to Wardle, who, however, was unable to get his shot in before being challenged by Rumbold.
City were on top now, and in a thrilling run Wardle beat two men and finally forced a corner. No sooner had the kick been cleared than Blood drove less than a foot over the angle of the goal as he met the ball on the half volley from the half way line.
CITY SET TRAP
Sustained Exeter pressure ended when Ipswich broke away in the best combined movement of the game so far. It was started by Smith, and then Day had the defence going the wrong way as he cleverly back heeled to Connor, Only a smart save by Singleton, who fell on the ball and smothered the outside-right's cross, saved the City goal from falling. Ipswich were having rather more of scrambling exchanges now, but three times in as many minutes they fell victims of the City's off-side trap. Hanford headed out a centre from Connor, and then the lively Smith forced a corner, which was headed clear by the centre-half. Speedier and more determined, Ipswich looked by far the likelier side at this stage, but neither team really impressed. Dashing work by Thompson, who plunged into the thick of a goalmouth skirmish to dispossess Day earned a big cheer from the crowd, and deser vedly so. Indeed, had it not been for Thompson's timely intervention Day must have scored. Following a long spell on the de fensive. Exeter got going when Wright sent Regan away with a long pass down the wing. Doubling back, the winger cluded Bell and then centred low into the goalmouth. The raid ended in Challis shooting nar rowly over as he met the ball first time
SINGLETON AGAIN

Away came Ipswich, and Singleton twice distinguished himself, first by holding a centre from Smith and then by falling sideways to gather a point blank cross drive from Day. Exeter were finding it difficult to break down the quick-tackling Ips wich defence, but they almost suc ceeded during a sporadic raid when Wardle's centre flashed across the goalmouth to Regan, whose return header was kicked clear by O'Mahoney standing underneath the crossbar. A corner to Exeter was easily cleared, and Ipswich took play once more to the City end just before the interval. A dull first half, with Ipswich the better of two poor teams. 

Half-time:
CITY 0-0 IPSWICH

After Wright had shot against the side netting in Exeter's opening attack after the interval a misunderstanding in defence let the visitors through. Singleton again came to the side's rescue, coming out to beat down and
clear a cross shot from Day. Exeter were much too slow on the ball, though an occasional burst by Wardle brought relief to the general monotony. It was from a quick break-through and centre by the in side right that Burns had his most anxious moment of the game up to now. He had to jump and fist, the ball away from over the heads of a bunch of players.

DEFENSIVE HEROES
Singleton, running out to scoop the ball away from Roy's feet, was in jured in the process, and a big sigh of relief went up when he was able to resume. The goalkeeper and Thompson had certainly done big things in defence. From a shrewd pass by Wright, Regan had a grand chance to run in and shoot, but his right foot drive lacked force and Burns was not seriously troubled in clearing. Showing more enterprise, the City were unlucky not to have been awarded a penalty when Walker was impeded from behind when trying to manoeuvre for an opening to shoot. Referee Lowe turned down the claim, and also allowed several other infringements by both teams to pass unpunished. Regan roused Exeter's hopes when he outpaced Bell, but his shot missed the near upright by a foot. A square pass might have paid better, for Walker and Challis were both stand ing unmarked.
Result:
EXETER CITY 0-0 IPSWICH TOWN

Southern League 
DARTFORD v. CITY RES.

Exeter City Reserves made two changes for their Southern League match with Dartford, J. Orton displacing Hoyle in goal, and Windle coming in for Jones, at outside left. Dartford were at full strength, except for Collins, inside right instead of Hubbard.

Mr. A. J. Storey was referee.

Exeter kicked off before 2,000 people, and the game developed at a terrific pace. Dartford forced three corners in the first five minutes, and Long and Murray did well to intercept scoring shots. First attack by the visitors developed on the right, when Mustard broke through and crossed the ball into the goalmouth, but Gee headed away. Woolhouse went through on his own at the other end, but Orton had his shot well covered.
DARTFORD AHEAD
In another Dartford attack Orton Lifted the ball over the crossbar when Moseley went close with a clever header. COCKER gave Dartford the lead from Gee's pass after 20 minutes. Coles, the Exeter centre half, who was playing a fine game, broke up. several promising attacks. Exeter fought back strongly and equalized after thirty minutes, VAUGHAN finishing a spectacular burst through the middle with a fine shot into the roof of the net. At the other end Orton made a fine save when Etherton headed in, following a free kick. Lively Exeter attacks were broken up by a sound Dartford defence, but VAUGHAN got through again in the closing minutes of the first half to give Exeter the lead.

Half-time:
DARTFORD 1-2  CITY RESERVES 

Dartford resumed strongly, and soon had the Exeter defence in difficulties. Woolhouse missed an open goal from five yards, and then Orton saved at full length from Smith, When Exeter hit back Hyde extended the home sides lead. Result 

Dartford 6-2 City Reserves 

MATCH STOPPED BY FOG. REFEREE CALLS A HALT WITH NINE MINUTES LEFT.

Saturday, November 23rd 1946.
LEYTON ORIENT 2 (Pullen, Roberts)
EXETER CITY 1  (Challis)
Half-time Leyton 2 City 0.

The match between Leyton (previously Clapton) Orient and Exeter City at Brisbane Road, London, was stopped by the referee on account of fog with nine minutes left. The referee, Mr Searle of Salisbury, reported that the light was so bad in the closing stages that he could not follow the flight of the ball. He allowed play to go on for a while hoping that the conditions might improve, but they became steadily worse. Allowing for injuries the game still had 9 minutes to run. And it was unfair to both teams to continue playing under such farcical conditions. There was some criticism of the late kick-off, 2.45 p.m. for a match in East London in November being later than the normal time. The match itself was an unpleasant one. Too much vigour was brought into play by too many. Challis was carried off on a stretcher with an injury to his back after being heavily charged. Mustard and Wardle, of Exeter, and Hunt, of the Orient, were victims of needlessly vigorous tackles. The attendance was eight thousand. Exeter City team:- Singleton; Thompson and Blood; Wardle, Hanford, and Walker; Mustard, Hydes, Owen, Wright, and Challis.

RESERVES LOST AT HOME.
Exeter City Reserves 2 (Vaughan, Windle)
Guildford City 4 (Monk 2, Roberts, Gummer).

This Southern League match, at St James's Park, was attended by a crowd of 2,000 people.

City Reserves:- Hoyle; Gingell and Long; Branton, Coles, and Fellowes; Windle, Granville, Lee, Vaughan, and Jones.