SATURDAY 17th OCTOBER 1953.

DONALDSON GOAL SETTLES IT.

SOUTHEND 0.
EXETER CITY 1,
Singleton; Walton, Storey; Booth, Davey, Dodgin; Priestley, Mitchell, Donaldson, Mackay McClelland,

Scorer Exeter City Donaldson. Attendance 8,000,

A thick mist covered Southend ground. At Southend, City won their fourth away match of the season when centre forward Donaldson headed a great goal in the 60th minute of an otherwise defence dominated struggle, Leftback Jimmy Storey on his debut was the creator of the match winning chance. His pass started the movement, next came a left wing cross and finally the perfect Donaldson deflection into the corner of the net,

This was one of those matches in which a goal either way would decide the outcome and so it proved to be. To Exeter came a hard earned victory in a game characterised by hard endeavour more than the constructive craft, Both teams possessed sound defences, neither inspired in attack, the chief weakness being a deficiency of thrust,

No halfback approached the City player/manager for all round ability, he had the defensive strength to break up the Southend attacks. He was one of the few men in this game who brought into frequent use the correctly made first time pass, Storey made a grand debut, a defensive exhibition featured by hard tackling, speed in recovery, sound positioning and well regulated clearances,

Southern League 

Exeter City Reserves v Kettering 

THE POPPIES' LUCK CHANGED

Saturday is a day which the Poppies will want to forget as quickly as possible. It began auspiciously enough, as, in glorious sunshine, they slammed in two goals within three minutes of the kick-off, but it ended dismally, with Dixon being carried off the field on a stretcher, and Wyldes helping the ball into his own net.

The score of 5-3 in favour of City Reserves flatters them, for Kettering had an equal share of the play, particularly in the scrappy second half and with the score 4-2 after quarter of an hour from the end, an equaliser from the visitors was more likely than another goal for Exeter. Then, almost on time came Wyldes misfortune. Commendably doing the work of two men on the left wing in Dixon's absence, he raced back to lend a hand in defence during an Exeter breakaway, and running alongside Knight, who was shaping for a shot he hit the ball past Pickering in his effort to clear. It was hard luck for the lively winger, but in any event his own goal effort was too late to affect the final result, Kettering had lost their grip on the game in the first hall after their two early goals from Dixon and Wyldes. Exeter's local amateur goalkeeper Hunkin should have saved both. Kettering's wing halves failed to hold Knight and Murphy the Exeter Inside forwards, during a disastrous 30 minutes of the first half, and in that period Exeter got four of their goals through Samuels (2) and Knight (2). Curiously, Kettering always looked more dangerous in the second half when they were playing with four forwards.

Middlemiss roamed every where, distributed his passes cleverly, and got a well-deserved goal. Lamie and Wyldes were always thrusting down the wings and cutting in whenever possible, and Dixon got through a tremendous amount of work. Waddell was outstanding at centre-half and Pickering who made some really brilliant saves could not be blamed for his side's defeat. Altogether it was game which promised well, but never came up to expectations.

Result and Teams 
EXETER CITY RESERVES 5
Hunkin; Rowe, Douglass; Packer, Goddard, King; Dailey, Knight, Samuels, Murphy, Parker,

KETTERING 3 

Scorers
Exeter City:- Knight 2, Samuels 2. Wyldes og 
Kettering:- Dixon, Wyldes, Middlemass.

• Norman Packer an amateur from Wales who has done well in local district football in Pontypridd,