GOALS AGAINST TALLY MOUNTING.

DEFENCE NOT GOOD ENOUGH.

Saturday, December 3rd 1949.
SWINDON TOWN 7
(Simner, Owen 2, Bain 2, Lunn 2)
EXETER CITY (Smart) 1
Half-time Swindon 4 City 0
Attendance 10,785.

Swindon:- Burton; White, Young; Cowie, Ithell, Kaye; Lunn, Dawson, Owen, Simner, Bain.
Referee:- Mr L.G.Webb, of Bath.
Exeter City: Hoyle; Johnstone, Rowe; Doyle, Davey, Greenwood; Harrower, Smart, Smith, McClelland, Regan.

The goals against tally continues to rise at an alarming rate. The total now stands at 45 in 18 Third Division games, and the figures prove that the defence is not good enough. The display at Swindon was pitiful. Owen and his colleagues in the home vanguard found progress easy against half-backs who were short of pace or lacked positional sense and strength in the tackle. Behind an intermediate line whose members failed to do their job in the proper way the full backs were unable to cope with the pressure exerted by the Swindon forwards, yet added unnecessarily to their difficulties through their neglect to mark the opposing wingers. From the scoring of the opening goal five minutes after the kick-off until Swindon gained their seventh success in the 80th minute, the City's defence was jittery, and no match for a clever, resourceful, and speedy Swindon vanguard. The road to goal was left wide open by defenders who either moved too late or failed to move at all.

Southern League
CITY RESERVES 0 GRAVESEND 0.

The Southern League match at St James's Park fell far short of standard of entertaining football that has been seen in the this League recently. It was a scrappy affair, marred by over-vigorous tackling. Walker was injured after only 15 minutes' play and had to have a dozen stitches inserted in a wound over his right eye.

City team:- Singleton; Warren, Clark; Fallon, Carter, Powell; Greenaway, Rew, Walker, Hutchings, Murphy.