ECFC 1-2 Swindon Town
Scorers: Mitchell
Attendance: 13620

LOWLY SWINDON BEAT EXSTER CITY AT ST JAMES'S PARK.

FIRST HONS DEFEAT OF THIS GRECIANS THIS SEASON.

Boxing Day, Friday, Dec. 26th 1952.

EXETER  CITY (Mitchell) 1
SWINDON TOWN (Bain, Ryder) 2.

Half-time Exeter City 1 Swindon 0.

To lovly Swindon fell the distinction of being the first 3rd Division side to lower Exeter City's colours at St James's Park this season. They won by 2 goals to 1 after being outplayed for the greater part of the match.

Two causes contributed to the shock result. The first was the employment of wrong tactics, and the second a defensive weakness on the left flank of the team. The tactical mistakes persisted throughout the game, and every Exeter forward, apart from Mitchell, must share the blame for attempting to weave intricate patterns on a muddy playing surface. Whilst the effect was pretty to watch the reward was negligible.

City:- Kelly; Walton, Rowe; Booth, Goddard, Davey; Mitchell, Knight, Dailey, Mackay, Murphy.

Swindon:- Burton; Hunt, Radford; Betteridge, Hudson, Brandon; Ryder, Lunn, Owen, Millar, Bain.

Referee:- Mr B.M.Griffiths of Newport. Attacking for long spells in the first half the City should have had a commanding lead at the interval. Instead their only success was a goal by Mitchell, who roamed from the wing to good purpose to find himself in the inside-left position. The slowness of Rowe was seen in the last ten minutes, and his failure to check Ryder had fatal consequences, leading directly to Swindon's two goals being scored in the last few minutes. Attendance 13,620, receipts £1,235. 15s. 3d.

Southern League 
WEYMOUTH 4 EXETER CITY RESERVES 2.

In a mud-bespattered game on the Weymouth ground half-a-dosen goals
we're scored, most of them in the last ten minutes after the teams had been level with one each since before the interval. Rose and McClelland obtained Exeter's goals.