ECFC 0-2 Bristol Rovers (L 0-2) Attendance: 13325

Bristol Rovers 2-0 Winners

(By NOMAD)
Returning to his old haunts ex-City goalie Bert Hoyle received a big ovation from the biggest crowd of the season when he led out the Bristol Rovers team at St. James's Park. There was another cheer when Hoyle, the Rovers captain for the day, spun the coin for choice of ends. He lost the toss and the City had the advantage of the sun in the opening half. Both teams were unchanged, which meant that the City again had Regan playing outside-right, while the Rovers continued to persevere with. 18-year-old Barrie Meyer at inside right.
The Line-up
City: Singleton; Clark, Rowe; Fallon, Goddard, Davey: Regan, Smart, Smith, Lynn, McClelland.
Rovers: Hoyle; Bamford; Fox; Pitt, Warren, Sampson; Petherbridge, Meyer, Lambden, Roost, Bush.
Referee: A. H. Blythe, London.

Before the match, officials of the Rovers Supporters' Club were enter tained to lunch by Mr. A. D. Bayley, chairman of the Grecians' Association.
Fully 14,000 saw the Rovers settle down quickly. The visiting forwards lost no time in following up, and firstly Goddard and then Rowe checked dangerous raids,

Rovers Ahead
City retaliated, but were sent back,
and the Rovers, in their next breakaway, took the lead five minutes after the start. The ball was pushed down the field by Bush. LAMBDEN sprinted past Goddard and shot on the run. Down went Singleton, but the ball appeared to hit the inside of the near post before rebounding over the line. Lambden's diagonal shot was a brilliant one. This unexpected reverse roused the City, and a first-time oblique shot from Regan looked like bringing a lightning equalising goal until Hoyle went on his knees to gather and clear 
competently. McClelland cut through at top speed a minute later, but his right foot shot was a yard wide of the near post. When the Rovers returned to the attack, a free kick just outside the penalty area was easily cleared, and then Petherbridge tapped the ball into the net, but was several yards offside.
Lambden broke through and he looked
all over a scorer until Singleton advanced to the edge of the penalty area and dispossessed him with a great tackle. The game had been in progress for nearly 20 minutes before the City got going properly, and a series of rousing attacks had the Rovers' defence worried for the first time.
Cunning Lob
Cunning lobs by Lynn who did the  
right thing by lofting the ball into the goalmouth whenever the chance. came, brought Hoyle into action. Facing the sun, the Rovers' goalkeeper had difficulty in fisting clear from skirmishes close in. Several corners were forced by the City and from one of them, nicely placed by McClelland, the ball was driven against the crossbar a lucky escape for the Rovers. The game was being contested with that keenness which is typical of City and Rovers battles, and there were several free kicks. From one of these just outside the box, Warren drove into a crowd of players and Meyer, securing from the rebound, shot outside from a favourable position.

Relieved by this let-off, the visiting side regained the initiative. Much faster on the ball and more cohesive in attack, the Rovers were often dangerous and Singleton saved twice from Lambden.
After Hoyle had failed to punch away Regan's corner kick, McClelland moved in and shot, but the ball hit Pitt, who was standing on the goal line, and came back into play. Hoyle later distinguished himself by fisting over a free kick taken by Davey, jumping to catch a Regan corner kick and lastly gathering a fierce cross shot from Smith.
Half time:
EXETER CITY 0-1 BRISTOL ROVERS
It was the first time this season that the City had been behind at the in terval.

Chance Missed
They ought to have been on terms a few minutes after the restart when Regan's centre beat Hoyle, and left McClelland with a golden chance. Eight yards out the outside-left shot first time, but his fast drive missed the near post by less than a foot. City were again out of luck when Smart was too quick for Hoyle. He got his foot to the ball as the goalkeeper came out, but it went tantalisingly wide of a gaping net. City, on top now, kept pegging away, and Hoyle could do no more than pat out a centre from Regan. The ball might have gone to a City forward. It dropped to the waiting Fox, a relieved defender who was thankful to be able to boot away from, a crowded goal area. After being penned in for a longish spell, the Rovers advanced in threatening fashion, and only a timely advance by Singleton, who smothered Meyer's low cross pass, saved the situation.
Slow On Ball
City were slow on the ball, especially in the inside forward posi tions, and the Rovers defenders were on top at this stage, Davey was a useful half-back, but the attack was not good enough. The City's attack continued in in different form, and seven minutes from the end ROOST headed a second goal for the Rovers from Meyer's centre.

Result:
EXETER CITY 0-2 BRISTOL ROVERS

Comments
Exeter City reserved their worst display of the season for the biggest crowd seen at St. James's Park in the present campaign. The home defence was prone to unsteadiness, but the main weakness was in the inside for ward positions. There was not nearly sufficient thrust at close quarters, though the Rover's rearguard was fortunae to survive once or twice. Davey, at left-half, was Exeter's best player. indeed, the only one to approach a normal standard. Bert Hoyle had the satisfaction of keeping a clean sheet. but was indebted to his co-defenders, Fox, Pitt and Bamford.
Attendance 13,325,
Receipts  £980 6s 6d.

KIDDERMINSTER BEAT CITY RESERVES 1-0
Both teams for the Southern League match between Kidder minster and Exeter City Reserves were as selected, at Kidderminster, this afternoon, with the home attack led for the first time this season by player manager Mitchell.
Teams:
Kidderminster: Breakwell; Hick lin, Fenney; Patton, Mardy, Somer field; Johnson, Haycox. Mitchell, Manship, Pinkler.
Exeter City Res: K. Salter; Warren, Powell; Harrower, Doyle, Greenwood; Short, Mackay, Dare, Dunlop. Greenaway.
Referee: G. Roden (Stourbridge).
Exeter were penned in their own half for the first ten minutes and Salter saved from Manship at the expense of a corner and Mitchell, a lively leader, had a shot diverted by Doyle for a second flag kick. Salter was again prominent when he ran from goal to punch clear as Mitchell advanced to improve on a long shot from Hicklin. Good work by Dare resulted in an excellent chance for Greenaway, but 
the winger sliced his shot across the mouth of the goal. Kidderminster kept up the attack, but found Salter in brilliant form. He saved on the line from Manship, and turned a header from Mitchell for a corner. Another good effort, by Haycox, was diverted out of goal by Doyle, but Salter was fortunate when a shot from Mitchell struck his knee and rebounded to safety. Towards half-time Exeter attacked, and Breakwell saved a certain goal by courageously diving at the feet of Dare. Half-time:
KIDDERMINSTER 0-0 CITY RESERVES 
Result:
KIDDERMINSTER 1-0 CITY RES.
SOMERFIELD scored in the 70th minute for Kidderminster

Wednesday, October 18th 1950.

MACKAY STARS IN BEST CITY DISPLAY SO FAR. RESERVES' MATCH WORKED UP TO A THRILLING CLIMAX.

Back to his best form, Angus Mackay delighted the onlookers at the City Reserves v Kidderminster match with a display of inside forward play which has not been surpassed at St James's Park all the season. He and Ken Powell, a hard-tackling left back, were the two chief architects of Exeter's victory in a game which opened at rather a leisurely pace but worked to a thrilling climax in which the home side produced a succession of classy constructive moves.

CITY RESERVES 4
(Mackay, Dare, Dunlop, Greenaway)
KIDDERMINSTER HARRIERS 1 (Somerfield)
Half-time City 1 Kidderminster 0.
Exeter City:- Salter; Warren, Powell; Harrower, Doyle, Greenwood; Short, Mackay, Dare, Dunlop, Greenaway.
Harriers:- Breakwell; Hicklin, Penny; Tatum, Morley, Manship; Johnson, Haycox, Mitchell, Somerfield, Tinkler.
Referee:- Mr G. Sawyer, of Weston-super-Mare.

The only goal of the first half, which the City controlled for a long period, was scored by Dunlop with a free kick 25 yards out. Dare increased the lead from a penalty early in the second half, and though Somerfield reduced the margin in a breakaway, Exeter City's grip on the game was never relinquished. The home forwards were in irresistible mood in the last half an hour. Twenty minutes from the end Mackay cut through the defence to shoot a third goal, and it was he who gave Greenaway the chance to put the ball past Breakwell for the fourth. There might easily have been more goals, so baffled was the away's side's defence by the power of the City attack. In fact Exeter's football in the closing stages was as good if not better than anything seen from a City team this season.

Attendance 995, receipts £59. 4s.6d.