Torquay United 5-2 ECFC
Scorers: Mitchell, G. Webster (og) Attendance: 10210

Inside-left Don Mills scored twice as Torquay United blitzed local rivals Exeter City in front of 10,210 at Plainmoor. 

Torquay had shared eight goals with Bristol City in a thriller at Ashton Gate a week) earlier and the new-look. forward-line was quickly on the mark again as United took the lead in the 4th minute. Griff Norman laid on a pass to the right and Ron Shaw, always fast and clever, raced behind left- back Les Doyle to shoot a great goal. But Exeter pushed forward and equalised seven minutes later as Ken Rose's centre was headed back by Peter Fallon to Arnold Mitchell who slammed the ball home. City kept up their offensive and went in front in the 13th minute when Derek Digby's corner-kick dropped into the crowded goalmouth George Webber managed to touch the ball away but it rebounded off Eric Webber's chest into his own net. This quick two-goal burst by Exeter could have changed the whole pattern of the game had Torquay faltered but Eric Webber's side refused to let up and showed the same fighting spirit that had enabled them to recover from an interval deficit at Bristol City the previous week. Time and time again, Griff Norman used the long forward pass to split the Exeter defence. Torquay drew level in the 35th minute when Ron Shaw sent over a dangerous corner-kick and the lively Don Mills rose high above the City defence to head that ball past former Northern Ireland international keeper Hugh Kelly. United regained the lead on the stroke of half-time as Mills worked the ball through and sold a perfect dummy to Sammy Booth before driving in from 30 yards out.

Exeter battled hard to score an equaliser early in the second- half but the home defence held firm and Griff Norman was the most industrious wing-half on the field Torquay made it four in the 52nd minute when Marwood Marchant nodded on a free-kick by Norman and Sammy Collins cleverly chipped the ball over Hugh Kelly's head. Marwood Marchant was rewarded for his impressive display when he scored Torquay's fifth goal after 75 minutesbeating Les Doyle and Ray Goddard before shooting past Hugh Kelly. Although this effectively sealed victory for Unitedthey showed no signs of slackening and there was ast much determination and energy being put into their game in the closing stages as there was at the kick-off. The exciting victory avenged United's 4-1 defeat at Exeter four months earlier and Eric Webber's team also scored five goals at home to Leyton Orient, Bournemouth and Colchester United that season

TORQUAY:
George Webber, Harry Parfitt, Jimmy Drinkwater, Dennis Lewis, Eric Webber, Griff Norman, Ron Shaw, Sammy Collins, Marwood Marchant, Don Mills, Billy Thomas.

EXETER:
Hugh Kelly, Dick Walton, Les Doyle, Sammy Booth, Ray Goddard, Fred Davey, Arnold Mitchell, Peter Fallon, Ken Rose, Neville Black, Derek Digby. 

25th February 1953
Reserve Game
Exeter City Reserves v Hastings

RESERVES GIVEN A LESSON
By NOMAD

Against the run of play, Exeter City Reserves scored the only goal in the first half at St. James's Park yesterday.

The home forwards afterwards showed how easy it was to miss simple chances and their Hastings opponents hit back to score twice in a minute. Moderate would be a flattering description of Exeter's performance. The Reserves were a team without inspiration, without zeal, and without skill. Goalkeeper Singleton was the one man in defence to satisfy. Digby was the only forward to combine initiative with football intelligence, although Murphy had one all-too brief spasm of brilliance which nearly saved a point near the end of the game. He ran on to the ball as it came through the middle, showed deft control, beat his man and shot low towards the far corner of the net. Goalkeeper Humpston was helpless. But Murphy was unlucky in that his angled drive hit the inside of the far post and rebounded into play. Ten of Exeter Reserves' team have had varying terms of Third Division experience. Why then did this outfit fall so dismally? The answer is that their side contained too many players who were indifferent or unskilled. A far higher standard should have been set by a forward line in whose ranks were seasoned campaigners like McClelland, Murphy and Knight.

GRIFFITHS' GRIP

While McClelland opened brightly at outside-right, he was just as ineffective as Rose had been after these two players were concerned in a positional switch. At centre-forward neither could
make any impression upon Griffiths, the upstanding Hastings pivot who was the best player on view. Knight shot the City Reserves into the lead, beating Humpston from close range after a defensive slip by the visiting left full-back. The turn ing point came when Hastings were awarded a penalty just after the in terval when, in a goalmouth skir mish, Wood was adjudged to have. handled the ball as Singleton grabbed the ball from Wood's side. A harsh decision, it gave Asher the chance to level the scores and, within a minute, Barr dribbled through to shoot Hastings into the lead. and victory. The bonus rightly went to the visiting side. They worked for it and earned it by virtue of a whole-hearted exhibition.