ECFC 0-2 Southend United
Attendance: 7300

CITY v SOUTHEND
League 3rd Division South.
Saturday, March 28th 1953.
St James's Park, Exeter.
Attendance 7,300.

EXETER CITY 0
SOUTHEND UNITED 2 O'Neil, Grant.

Half-time:-
Exeter City O Southend 1.

Exeter City were a team at its poorest little ambition and even less craft at no time this season have City played so badly, it is scant reflection that they can not play worse. Exeter showed no semblance of team work. The Inside forwards were as imobile as Policemen on point duty. The Halfbacks failed in the defensive and constructive part of their job. The rearguard was also guilty of lapses. A few more displays like this and City will be down amongst the dead men of the Southern section. The Citys abject display against Southend United bore the re-election applying imprint. That the visitors won 2-0 was due less to their brilliance than Exeters incompetence Both goals were the reult of defensive mistakes. 40 minutes of this listless encounter had ticked by, Wood mistimed his header back to Singleton, the ball beat the City Keeper and O'Neil followed it into an empty net. Three minutes from time Exeter blundered again, Doyle was badly positioned to cope with a Right wing thrust, Singleton was beaten in a race for possession, the ball was crossed into the centre and Grant shot into an unguarded net.

CITY
Singleton;
Walton, Doyle;
Booth, Wood, Davey;
Mitchell, Knight, Dailey, Murphy, Digby.

SOUTHEND
Scannell;
Loughran, Duggins;
Burns, Stirling, Bridge; Sibley, McAlinden, Grant, O'Neil, Bainbridge.

Referee:- Mr E.S. Vickery of Bristol. Line. en:- Messrs W.E.Keel and E.C.Browning.

Friendly.

Friernhay 4 City Reserves 1
at Friernhay.

Tuesday 31st March 1953.

CITY MUST FIND A MANAGER AGAIN.

Tim Ward was last night appointed Manager of Barnsley and that means Exeter City Directors are charged with the task of finding a new team boss to take over at St James Park. Ward was appointed Player/Manager of Exeter City on March 5th and headed north back to Barnsley on March 12th. A reign of 7 days.

Not until several days after Ward had left was any official statement made by the Exeter City club although in the meantime the departure was the subject of public talk and linked with all sorts of ill informed rumours. In view of the circumstances a prompt release of the news was indicated. An official statement at the right time and not the delay could have helped in scotching these rumours.