ECFC 2-0 Crystal Palace  
Scorers: Knight, McClelland Attendance: 7357


League 3rd Division South.
Saturday, April 25th 1953.
St James's Park, Exeter.

Attendance 7,357.

Receipts £603. 13s. 6d.

EXETER CITY 2
Knight, McClelland.
CRYSTAL PALACE 0

Half-time 0-0 

END OF SEASON LOOK ABOUT CITY/PALACE ENCOUNTER.

With little at stake, neither team involved in any issue of promotion ar re-elcetion seeking bids, the game developed into a drab end of season game. Most of the football was featureless and the match was saved from being a complete flop by a storming finish by City when they scored two goals. Knight scored the first goal 8 minutes from time after a goalmouth skirmish then McClelland shot tne 2nd with one minute remainingbefore a strenuos run beating two players before he cut inside to drive hard into the net. The two goalgetters and Murphy were the pick of an Exeter attack, more dangerous than a Palace vanguard which set too much store on finesse and not enough on thrust. Wood and Fallon were Citys best Halfbacks in defence that was steady with Singleton safe in goal and Walton and Doyle workmanlike Fullbacks. As a spectacle the City Palace clash was a flat anti climax to the thrilling midweek match with Coventry City on the same ground.

CITY
Singleton;
Walton, Doyle;
Fallon, Wood, Davey;
Mitchell, Knight, Rose, Murphy, McClelland.

PALACE
Bailey;
George, Choules;
Grimshaw, Higgins, Andrews;
Downs, Rainford, Simpson, Thomas, Devonshire.

Referee:- Mr H.Ball of Worcester.

Southern League.

Hereford United 2 City Reserves 0
at Hereford.

Monday, April 27th 1953.

FALLON'S XI v. ALL STAR XI.

Friendly, benefit match for Peter Fallon.

St James's Park, Exeter.

Attendance 4,000.

FALLON'S XI 1 ALL STAR XI 2

Half-time Fallon's 0 All Stars 1.

There was no need for the masters to chase. England International Wilf Mannion and the other experts in the All Star X1 were able to make the ball do the work and make the game look easy as a consequence. An entertaining game in which the All Star X1 were deserving winners. The opening goal was proof of the class on show, Fitzsimons squared the ball into the penalty area and McCormack was left with the easiest of chances to shoot past Singleton, Fittingly Fallon, who was a useful half back, shot the equaliser from a penalty in the 2nd half. The rest of the game was in favour of Mannions team. They possessed the polish to more than counter the greater energy of the opposition. Brookes shot the winning goal after the left flank, of his attack had created the opening. Then came the save of the match, Mitchell was through a gap in the defence, he shot hard at point blank range but Heath positioned himself astutely and knocked the ball high over the crossbar.

To football purists the game had ample entertainment value, to spectators who wanted all out action it was unappetising dish with little spice. It did show however that distributive skills are an essential ingredient in a footballers stock in trade.

FALLON'S XI
Singleton;
Anderson, Doyle;
Fallon, Wood, McKnight (Chelsea); Mitchell, Dunlop (Bristol Rovers), Rose, Knight, McClelland.

ALL STAR XI

Heath (West Bromwich Albion);
Ratcliffe (Plymouth Argyle),
Levy (Swansea Town);
Brookes (West Bromwich Albion),
Goddard (Exeter City),
Lucas (Swansea Town);
Smith (Chelsea),
Fitzsimmons (Middlesbrough), McCormack (Notts County),
Mannion (Middlesbrough),
Edwards (Notts County).

Devon Professional Championship, semi final.

Wednesday, April 29th 1953.
Home Park, Plymouth.
Attendance 1,100.

PLYMOUTH ARGYLE 4
Ratcliffe, Davis, McCrory, Govan

EXETER CITY 1 
Howells.

Half-time Argyle 0 Exeter 1.

Plymouth Argyle were winners all the way at Home Park when a weak Exeter City team were crushed. The winners strolled to victory and made their job look simple, so great was the difference in class. Leisurely movements by Argyle were more than a feeble City could counter. The covering was bad and not even the stalwart endeavours of Goddard could bolster this slow indecisive Exeter rearguard sufficiently. On a ground where he has played so many grand games, Goddard warked himself to a standstill. Perhaps he attempted too much and so was forced to relax his hold on Davis, a speedy and thrustful Argyle Centre forward. The Exeter attack seldom looked like getting anywhere, The lines lacked a leader, for Armes was obviously mis cast. The inside man always worked across the field and never towards goal, yet the City were first to score in this one sided encounter, the goal was a gift from Goalkeeper Shortt who helped a centre from Howells into his own net.

From then on Argyle turned on the heat and goals from Ratcliffe, Davis,@@@ McCrory and Govan earned Plymouth a passage into the final. Saturday 2nd May 1953.

ARGYLE
Shortt;
Robertson, McKenna; Tilley, Chisholm, Porteous;
Ratcliffe, Dougall, Davis, McCrory, Govan.

CITY
Singleton;
Rowe, Davey;
Harvey, Goddard, Booth;
A.Bolt, Mitchell, Armes, Murphy, Howells.


Reserves 6-1 Merthyr Tydfil 
Southern League

Wednesday 29th April 1953.