Coventry City 1-0 ECFC
Attendance: 8588

EXETER CITY BEATEN BY LAST MINUTE GOAL.

SCORED IN GATHERING DARKNESS.

Monday, September 29th 1952.

COVENTRY CITY (Hill) 1 EXETER CITY 0

Half-time 0 - 0.

With one minute to go and Exeter City apparently assured of a somewhat undeserved point Peter Hill netted the winner for Coventry. It was so dark by then that few of the crowd saw who scored the goal. Ten minutes earlier a shot from Lowrie had beaten Kelly but the ball struck the post.

Coventry: Spencer; Timmins, Mason; Cook, Kirk, Simpson; Warner, Dorman, Lowrie, Hill, Nutt.

Exeter:- Kelly; Walton, Rowe; Harvey, Goddard, Davey; Mitchell, Knight, Rose, Murphy, Mackay.

In the first half Exeter controlled the ball better but were never as near as Coventry were to scoring. Knight and Murphy schemed with purpose and skill, but with Mackay and Mitchell having a poor game against their opposing backs the attacks broke down too easily.

WHITE BALL USED.

Exeter had two great chances before half-time. Mitchell missed an open goal after the goalkeeper had run out to help his defenders deal with Rose and Murphy. Then Mackay shot wildly over after Knight had placed him clear.

Ten minutes after resuming (when a white ball was used) Coventry had Cook injured, and he limped on the wing for the rest of the game. Coventry's football, nevertheless, was not affected, and at times they were the only team in it. In the Exeter side credit is due to Goddard and Harvey for excellent defensive work.

City v Johnstone's XI,
Benefit match.

Wednesday Oct 1st 1952. 

WENT NAP AGAINST THE CITY

Ebdon And Dunlop In The Goals

(BY NOMAD)

THERE was one vital difference between Exeter City and the composite XI who opposed them at St. James's Park last evening.

Many members of the City team, beaten by five goals to one, were ser vants of the ball. Every man in the opposing team was a master of the Soccer arts. And ranking high in the llet of talented performers was that grand
old battler, Digger" Ebdon.

He showed his old persistence, was as
fast as any of the rest, and shot two
goals that were in the best Ebdon-tradition.

Ebdon's first success was the out come of a low shot past the advanc ing Hugh Kelly. His second was a grand effort-a right-footed cross shot into the top far corner of the net.

Other former City players to shine in this testimonial match for Cyril Johnstone were Bill Harrower, an outside right whose intelligent display on the right wing delighted the crowd, and Billy Dunlop, an industrious, always purposeful, Inside-left.

Both figured among the goal scorers. Dunlop shot the first and second goals of the match. Harrower netted late on with a craftily-placed lob, which hit the inside of the angle before dropping into the net.

Much good football was seen. Ninety per cent, of it came from the winning team in which I admired particularly the brilliant displays of two Cardiff City, youngsters, Moss at left-half and Nugent, on the left wing. Nugent was a fleet-tooted raider. Moss was a constructive player in the fullest sense.

UPSET BALANCE

In excuse of Exeter It can be written that injuries to Jackie Knight (twisted knee) and Ken Rose (ankle) upset the balance. Yet even at full strength the City rarely moved with the fluency of their rivals.

The match was notable in that it marked the return of Clin Bastin to the scene of his boyhood triumphs. Nearly 23 vears after his last Third Division match at St. James's Park a burller Bastin received a fitting wel come when he led the City team on to the field.

Nothing would have delighted the crowd more than to have seen Cliff score. It was not to be. Forty years have taken toll of the old maestro's pace. His performance last evening was restricted to neat midfield manoeuvres in which accuracy in passing was the lone reminder of Bastin in his heyday.

As he told me after the game: It was taking a big chance. I plaved my last First Division match against Manchester United in November, 1946. I had not kicked a ball for close on six years before to-night."

 OBJECT LESSON

His next comment was: "I don't think I disgraced myself. No, Cliff, you did not, Your distribution was an object leason from which some of the younger lads in this match could learn from. 

Not until the composite side were five goals up did the City score their goal. It came. from consolation goal. Arnold Mitchell's shot into the top corner.

The rival goalkeepers, Hugh Kelly and Bert Hoyle, were in great form. So was the bearded Jack Chisholm, captain and centre-half in the winning side.

The attendance, excluding tickets sold before the match, was 8,745 and the receipts £358 88 6d.

The Southern Railway bandsmen gave their collection to the fund, and it amounted to There were no team changes.

The referee was Mr. Walter Marsh,