QUICK GOALS BEAT READING
EXETER'S PACKED - DEFENCE POLICY WAS A WINNER

Exeter City 2; Reading 0
ST JAMES' PARK usually proves to be a happy hunting ground for Reading but its small, uneven pitch, which had been made  slippery by the rain, caused their defeat on Saturday. Before they settled down. Exeter had scored twice, and though they completely commanded the game after those 1st 15 minutes, they were unable to make up the leeway. Reading's  approach work, especially in the second half, could not
have been better. Their halves, wing and inside forwards combined with quick, on-the-ground passes. which took them through the worried defence time and time again. But goals did not come. The rival team packed their goal mouth, and scrambled away every possible chance before Reading could make use of it. Inside-left Uphill did not ald matters by often holding the ball too long, when wingers, Grieve and Docherty, who were the spearhead of the attack, might have found better use for it. 

Both teams began very slowly, and then the home side got the goal which gave them ther confidence.  After a scramble in the Exeter goal area, inside-left Mackay passed back to his winger, and MCCLELLAND smashed it to the net before Hall could move The Reading defence was all at sixes and sevens at this time. Until the second Exeter goal six minutes later, the Reading defence was under continuous pressure, because, even if they did get the ball away, a bad pass or failure to anticipate one by their forwards, Always put the home team on the attack again, a second goal was a rather surprising and lucky one, because it followed a mistake by John  Wicks, who was complesely sold the dummy" by McClelland, and lucky because after  the forward's first shot had been blocked by Hall, the ball rebounded for him to head over Hall into the empty net. The Reading skipper soon regained his confidence, but was still unable to get his forward's away. Then right-beck Bill Livingstone turice brat McClelland in tackle. and as the winger had been the main thorn in Readings  side, and most dangerous forward the visitors began to improve.

David Grieve, taking the place of Simpson, who was ill with influenza, on the right wing was the first to break the spell. After a long run down his wing he passed across the goalmouth for Docherty to centre. Blackman went up but his header went just wide of the post. From then on, Reading never looked back, and were unlucky not to have scored when Grieve crashed in a terrific shot from about 25 yards. Singleton dived full length across his goal, and just managed to tip it for a corner. Corners at this time were numerous for and if the wingers had centred the ball further from the goal, Blackman might have been luckier, Norman Dodgin, the former player, who is now the player manager of Exeter was injured in a tussle with Grieve , and spent the rest of the game with a plaster over a badly cut eye.    

Outstanding in the fast, end-to end football, was left-half Brian Leach. whose quick and clever touches broke up numerous attacks, and at the same time, sent his own attack away. In the second half it was all Reading They attacked incessantly, but with the whole Exeter team packing its goal area, very few opportunities offered themselves. One of thess few opportunates followed another of the beautiful centres which Docherty was putting across. Singleton made a spectacular save, but could only punch the ball out, and with most of the Reading team milling  around in his goalmouth, how they falled to score will always remain a mystery.

Man of the match was undoubtedly young Brian Leach. He very rarely put a foot wrong, his passing was always right to a man, and with play mostly on the wings, his following-up behind Blackman was always a danger to the home side.

Reading: Hall: Livingstone, Smith; Davis, Wicks, Lench: Gricve, Hinshelwood, Blackman, Uphill. Docherty

Referee:- Mr N.C Taylor of Westbury
Linesnen:- Messers D.L.Scoble and R.L Buscombe. 

Exeter City: Singleton; Walton, Starry: Booth, Davey, Dodgin; Priestley, Mitchell, Donaldion, Mackay, McCelland.

Attendance 10284 
Receipts £912.7s 3d 

Report:
From Reading Standard 
30th October 1953

Southern League 

CHELTENHAM 1
EXETER CITY RESERVES 1
Hunkin; Harvey, Douglass; McLean, Goddard, King; Dailey, Samuels, Murphy, Setters, ?. 

Scorer Exeter City Dailey,


MONDAY 26th OCTOBER 1953.

FRIENDLY.

PLYMOUTH 3,
Shortt; Robertson, Jones; Dougall, Chisholm, Porteous; Davies, McCrory, Tadman, Dews, Edds,
EXETER CITY 1.
Singleton; Walton, Storey; Booth, Davey, King; Knight, Mitchell, Donaldson, Mackay, McClelland,

Scorers
Plymouth Tadman, McCrory, Davies, Exeter City Mackay
Attendance 2,050,

The match completed a bargain made between City and Argyle directors last season, Plymouth then visited St James's Park for the first floodlit game to be played in the City. Exeter promised that they would repay the compliment when Plymouth installed floodlights at Hoe Park,

The game was played in a near gale, rain lashed down and players were drenched, Interludes of bright football mainly in the first half could have made the exchanges entertaining under better conditions. Both teams used the ball intelligently at times and it was against the run of play that Argyle raced into a two goal lead in the 14th and 15th minute through Tadman and McCrory,

Mackay ran onto a Donaldson headed pass and shot into the roof of the net for a deserved City goal in the 27th minute, A similar chance soon after by the same player should have brought City level but Mackay shot straight at Shortt, Donaldson forced Shortt to make a wonder save in the second half but in the final phase it was all Plymouth and Davies shot their third goal that looked to have been offside, Hotly disputed by the City team but the goal was allowed to stand, In the last minute of the game Singleton saved McCrory spot kick.