ECFC 1-3 Reading
Scorers: Ebdon
Attendance: 10000

CITY WERE

Reading Resource Gained 3-1 Win

(By NOMAD) 

Speed and ability to keep the ball moving accurately SPEE were Reading's chief assets at St. James's Park to-day. They paid a handsome dividend against an Exeter City team who were outclassed in all phases. The City, beaten by 3 goals to 1, could not complain at the result for they were never the equals of Reading either in defensive resource or constructive skill.

The visiting wingmen, Fisher and Deverell, were given yards of room in which to operate and they made the most of their opportunities, particularly Fisher.

Exeter's defence was very unsteady and much too slow. There were bad weaknesses at full back, for neither Thompson nor Blood covered his man. Hoyle was the only member of the rearguard who escaped the general criticism, though Cutting was a big worker at half-back. The forwards were never together and passes went astray with irritating frequency. Ebdon, closely marked by Young, was starved for most of the game, and his inside forwards Wright and Wardle were completely out of touch.

Granville had his moments on the right wing, but his centres were lacking in strength, while Regan, on the opposite flank, marred his performance by failures near goal, which are unusual for him.

German prisoners of war saw the game. They viewed the match from the enclosure in front of the old Press box.

Apart from a keen wind, conditions were ideal, and there was a big crowd to welcome the City on this, their first appearance at St. James's Park for five weeks. 

The sun shone strongly from an almost cloudless sky, and the attend ance was in the region of 10,000 when the teams entered the field. There were no last-minute team changes.

TRESADERN WATCHES

Jack Tresadern, the Argyle manager, was among a number of spotters who were present.

Left wing attacks, firstly by the City and then by Reading, featured the opening minutes. Getting away to a flying start, Exeter had the opposing, defence in difficulties, and O'Sullivan had to move across smartly to gather a bouncing centre from Regan.

Reading's reply was immediate, and the danger did not end until the ball rolled behind for a goal kick.

It was following a smart inter-passing movement on the right that Exeter launched their likeliest raid yet. The ball was nodded by Wardle to Granville and the latter went on to beat Glidden cleverly, but his pass inside was handled by Gulliver a few yards outside the penalty "box."

BRILLIANT SAVE

Cutting's free kick, a grand effort was brilliantiy tipped over the crossbar by O'Sullivan, who leapt to make a great one-handed clearance. From the corner kick, Wardle headed across the goalmouth, but none of his colleagues was in position to apply the finishing touch.
It was Cutting who made another
spectacular attempt to give the City an early lead. Going through smartly he shot unhesitatingly from the edge of the penalty area, and O'Sullivan was
completely beaten by a low drive which flashed inches on the wrong side of the far post.

Reading were the superior side after this survival. Their forwards combined cleverly, and first time low passes had City defence on the run. Hoyle made two magnificent saves. He fell to catch a centre from Fisher and afterwards fisted away a menacing centre from Deverell."

READING'S REWARD

The visiting attack was persistent, however, and the City were a goal down midway through the first half. Deverell started the movement by passing to the unmarked McPhee. and, though the latter's point blank. cross shot was parried by Hoyle, the ball dropped at the feet of HENLEY. who promptly drove into the far corner of the net.
Determined City bids for a quick equalizing goal were unavailing against a keen tackling defence, which covered effectively. The home forwards would have done better to have kept the ball moving instead of holding on-a fatal mistake against a rearguard so pur poseful as Reading's. Easily the best Exeter efforts came from the wing half-backs, Cutting and and Walker, from whom O'Sullivan made good clearances in succession, Exeter were unlucky, though, when a shot from Regan bounced along the crossbar and out of play.

A GOAL APIECE

Grand movements by Reading had the City defence floundering, and the visiting side went further ahead when
Hanford miskicked and let McPhee through. The latter passed wide to the right, where the midget winger, Fisher, was waiting. Taking the ball in his stride, FISHER made rapid tracks goalwards, and his final drive, perfectly placed, rocketed into the top far corner of the net.

Following this setback the City played with more life, and Ebdon reduced the margin just before the interval. He owed his opportunity to Cutting, who slipped the ball between the visiting backs. O'Sullivan came out and partly blocked the oncoming EBDON, but the centre-forward regained possession and shot into an empty net. A couple of minutes later Reading scored again, and once more the limitations of the home defence were exposed, for when Fisher got away and centred there was no one to cover HENLEY, who had the easiest of tasks to head past Hoyle.

Half-time:

CITY 1 READING 3

Reading's first half successes were the outcome of fast and accurate football. There was no doubting the superiority of the visiting side in almost every phase. They were more impressive in defense, and much cleverer in attack. But their chief asset was speed and the ability to make an accurate first time pass. Fisher and Edelston were a sparkling wing.

DEMORALIZED

City restarted like a side completely demoralized, and the fast Reading forwards swept through an unsteady defence almost at will. Fisher once miskicked and sliced the ball wide with the goal at his mercy. Not until Wardle dribbled through from inside his own half did the City look like reducing the gap.

The Exeter inside right outpaced his
challengers. but shot when he should
have parted to an unmarked colleague. His effort, from an acute angle, went behind for an unproductive corner.

Regan led the next Exeter attack, only to overrun the ball to give the alert O'Sullivan the chance to come out and scoop it clear.

A READING ESCAPE

Then Reading had an escape. Ebdon had forced the ball past an advancing goalkeeper before turning it into the middle, where Wright's shot was blocked by a defender. When the rebound came back, Wright tapped it into the goalkeeper's hands. The longer the game continued the worse the City became. Reading were toying with them at this stage. In the closing stages Exeter had their chances but Regan, after fail ing with an open goal, went on to shoot straight into O'Sullivan's arms. Following a corner kick, Granville headed across the goaimouth, but again the City attack misfired badly at the critical moment.

Result:
EXETER CITY 1-3 READING