Saturday, October 29th 1949.

EXETER CITY 3  NEWPORT COUNTY 3

GOALS SPATE DUE TO BAD DEFENSIVE PLAY.

City sacrificed a point they could not afford to lose and were a team with several individual weaknesses in this drah struggle. Six goals were scored and prima facia, that could be evidence that there were two competent thrustful attacks in opposition. The true story however is that the scoring rate was due to rank bad defensive play. Both teams Goalkeepers were far from blameless. Singleton erred when Newport County scored their 2nd soul following a poor clearance, Comley shot from 25 yards range to fire home. The Newport Goalkeeper Fearnley completely misjudged McClellands corner kick which cave the City the lead.

City were two goals up after 20 minutes, Smart scoring the 2nd. They should have been capable of maintaining their advantage, defensive lapses however enabled Newport to fight back. Parker and Comley scoring. Regan put Exeter back in front but Newport equalised again through Griffiths. Exeters Halfbacks failed with one exception, the burly Doyle, He had no superior in defensive play, a relentless tackler. His long throw ins were useful and reminded one of Nobby Clark in his heyday.

Half-time City 2 Newport 2.
Attendance 8,000.

City: Singleton; Johnstone, Rowe; Doyle, Davey, Greenwood; Mitchell, Smart, Smith, McClelland, Regan.
Referee:- Mr C.P.Jacobs, of Bath
Linesmen:- Messrs G.W.Stevenson and C.G.Porter.
Newport:- Fearnley; Stansfield, Amphlett; Roffi, Depear, Newall; Payne, Comley, Parker, Griffiths, Lewis.

Scorers
Exeter City McClelland, Smart, Regan. Newport C. Comley 2. Parker.

Southern League
CHELTENHAM TOWN 0
CITY RESERVES 1 (Harrower).

Exeter Stole Two Points From Robins.

Once again a lack of finish near goal cost the Robina two points on Saturday, which badly needed. were City Reserves, who returned home with the honours by the only goal of the match, were not to be compared with the Town in the liveliness of their play. which was largely in tenham's favour. Vernon Crowe's elusiveness with the ball in midfield, and Cobb's aggressive play near goal, should have brought re- ward to the Robins during the early stages of the game, but lack of fintch among the for wards many times robbed them of chances of taking the lead in a rather uninspiring first half. Exeter's answer to heavy pressure was one or two break-away attacks, but the home defence had nothing like the work which fell on the City's rear department.

By one of those unfortunate chances of the game, a long shot by Harrower, the City's Inside-left, deceived Coltman, in the home goal, during a short raid soon after the Interval. With this on the credit side, fought hard against the Town's later efforts, and were lucky in scrambling clear several attacks which deserved in large measure this was due to Hoyle, in goal, who saved well from the inside forwards. Many of Cheltenham movements originated through Horder, who played his customary sure game in the halves, and sound work by Titcombe defence and Miller in the defence.

• Exeter City have signed James Murphy, outside-left, from Stirling Albion, and
• Albert Greenaway (amateur), outside-right.