Walsall 1-2 ECFC  
Scorers: Mackay, Walton
Attendance: 5717

13th' Unlucky For Walsall:

Leader Injured

By NOMAD

IN making their 13th visit to Walsall to-day, Exeter City had one change from the side which trounced the Orient by six goals to one a week ago. It was at outside right, where Digby replaced Hutchings, who was suffering from bruised ribs.

A curious feature about the Walsall and City clashes was that none of the previous games at Fellows-road had ended in a draw.

THE LINE-UP

Walsall
Lewis; Jones, Green: Walters, Russon, Aston: Bowen, O'Neil, Bridgett, Evans, Giles

Exeter City:
Singleton: Warren, Rowe: Armes, Doyle, Davey: Digby Smart, Walion. Mackay, McClelland.

Referee: B. M. Griffiths, Newport,

Although the pitch was sodden, it was not waterlogged, and it had made a fair recovery from the effects of overnight rain.

Winning the toss, the City were soon on the attack, and from Davey's pass Smart forced his way through. The inside-right got the better of a tackle by Green, and transferred to Armes, whose long centre flashed across the goalmouth,

A small crowd, not more than 6.000, saw Exeter continue to be the more forcerul and cleverer side in the mud, and Smart, meeting, a Digby centre, headed wide of the far post. 

Walsall broke away after being on the defensive for tally five minutes, and a corner neatly placed by Giles. led to a wontmouth skirmishs before the ball was cleared:

Inches Wide

Neat combined play by the City exposed limitations in the Walsall rearguard, and MeClelland. racing through from near the half-way line, was unlucky in not scoring Shooting from just inside the penalty area as Lewis advanced to arrow the inches wide.

Both teams were prone to keep the ball too close on a pitch which was rapidly churning up, and subsequent exchanges were featureless until Giles almost surprised Singleton with long centre which dropped beyond the far post and out of play.

Showing greater resolution now. Walsall threatened danger and, after Davey had blocked ahot from O'Neil, Singleton dealt confidently with a close-range drive from Bowen,

Then came another Walsall advance, and it gave the City their biggest fright so far. Evans shot first-time and slantwise, a foot wide.

Recovering from an anxious period, the City raided on the right, and accurate triangular play between Smart, Armes and Davey had the home defenders Boundering.

The movement looked full of promise, and Walsall were fortunate to survive when, from Digby's cross, Walton headed a fraction wide, with Lewis beaten.

'Keepers Busy

Both goalkeepers were in action in quick succession. After Singleton had shows perfect judgment to race out almost to the edge of the penalty area, to dispossess Evans, Doyle's uncompromising tackles held up subsequent Walsall attempts, and it was not long before the initiative again passed to the City.

Paid For "Hands"

Walsall's defence resorted to handling twice within a few minutes and these tactics  brought about the home side's downfall 12 minutes after the restart. 

Davey slipped the ball forward and the elusive MACKAY threaded his way through before driving low and hard into the corner of the net The City  deserved their lead. Indeed, It would have arrived earlier had the finishing been of comparable quality to the approach work.

A shrewd going-away shot from McClelland has Lewis saving and giving away a corner, and from the resultant kick Walton's forceful header was just wide.

Armed atid Digby were combining neatly, and one of their inter-passing raids could have increased the City's lead if the ball had not stuck in the mud.

Walsall were being outplayed now, and McClelland's crosa shot the far post by less than a foot missed From Rowe's clearance the ball was switched to the right wing, and City went further ahead in the 71st minute

Walton Heads In

Smart, controlling the ball expertly, beat off successive attempts to dispossess him, and his model centre was headed into the roof it the net by WALTON. City dominated the game and Lewis rushing out and diving at Digby's feet, snatched the ball when a goal seemed certain, The goalkeeper gallant save was the prelude to an unexpected Walsall goal in the 78th minute. Giles, the home outside-left, was streaking goalwards  when he was shouldered off the ball by Rowe, and with Doyle in close attendance a penalty was awarded and O'Neil scored from the spot kick.

Devon and Exeter Lwague 
CHUDLEIGH v. CITY COLTS

Chudleigh opened the scoring through WAYE, and went ahead through S. WATKINS. VEAL scored for the Colts.

Half-time:

CHUDLEIGH ATH. 2-1 CITY COLTS

The second half saw Exeter well to the attack for the first quarter of an hour, in which time they scored four goals through VEAL (3) and BROOKS, After this Chudleigh dominated the play for the rest of the game, and it was only grand defensive play by the City defence that kept the score down to their two goals, which were scored by DOBLE and PARKER.

Result:

CHUDLEIGH ATH. 4-5 EXETER CITY COLTS 5