Mr. George Gillin, the Torquay United chairman has been co-opted as an Exeter City director, misses City draw.

By LIONEL WOTTON

HIS injured wrist encased in a special lightweight plaster cast, Norman Douglass was pronounced fit to play for the City against Queen's Park Rangers at St. James's Park to-day. He had, however, first to receive an O.K. from Referee George Sawyer, of super-Mare. Weston Douglass for Stan Rowe, who was out because of a family bereavement, was the only Exeter change from the team which won at Norwich last week Rangers switched their inside for wards, Bobby Cameron and Conway Smith, and had a last minute alte native at outside-right, where Albert Pounder, signed on a free transfer from Charlton yesterday. replaced Mike Tomkys.

Line-up
City: Kelly: Walton. Douglass: McLean, Davey. Goddard; Priestley, Knight. Donaldeon. Mackay. McClelland.
Q.P.R.: Brown: Taylor. Ingham: Nicholas, Powell. Angell: Pounder. Cameron. Clark. Smith, Kerrins.

• Mr. George Gillin, the Torquay United chairman who has been co-opted an Exeter City director. did not see his new club play to-day. He was at Highbury, In company with Sir Herbert Merrett. the Cardiff City president.
  
  

City kicked off, and it was soon evident that the pitch would cut up bad. The first threats were from the Rangers and the position was serious when Smith passed squarely to the unmarked Kerrins. The young winger responded with a good centre and Davey headed away from the goal area.

In collision
When the Rangers attacked again Nicholas shot wide from long range. A well-timed tackle by Dougiass was followed by an accurate pass from McClelland, and the winger outpaced one defender before Nicholas raced across to intercept. Danger was averted temporarily, was reopened when Nicholas but was riskily passed back to Brown. In dashed Donaldson. Out came the Goalkeeper to smother the ball as the two playere collided. Rangers were awarded a free kick and the better football came from the visiting side who kept the game more open than the City. Pounder twice gave proof of his ticefulness. A low centre from the Ranzers' new signing was deflected by Davey into Kelly's hands. A high cross from the outside-right was headed over the bar by Clark.

Passes astray
Exeter could not get going, and there were far too many passes going astray.
Nearly all the pressing came from the Rangers, and one particularly ended in Cameron strong attack ended in stabbing the ball a fraction over the crossbar. When the City raised the siege. Donaldson drove hard past an up right, but the whistle had gone for offside. In the next raid the centre forward slipped the ball down the middle where the onrushing Mackay was obstructed and thus prevented from getting in a shot. Appeals for a penalty were turned down, but the City came with an other attack it gained a corner from which Priestley headed into Brown's hands. Always conspicuous in the Rangers attack, Smith was only a fraction wide with a fast, surprise shot from 25 yards out. To repel the next visiting raid, Kelly had to turn a centre from Pounder away for a corner. The flag kick cleared, Exeter advanced, and from the home side's best movement vet, Knight shot inches wide with Brown beaten. Good work by Priestley came to naught because Donaldson did not anticipate the winger's pass.

City's barrage
Then came the long awaited thrills, and five corners to the City within a tensely exciting two minute spell. Excitement began when McClelland's flashing 20-yard drive, which looked to be speeding towards the top corner of the net, was magnificently turned over the bar by the leaping Brown. In quick succession, Brown was charged over the line for another correr, and a barrage of shots was blocked by the harassed Rangers' defenders. As one fierce skirmish followed another, it seemed that the City must Acore. An unlucky sufferer was Mackay. whose overhead shot was kept out by Taylor standing on the gonline.
Half-time:
CITY 0-0 RANGERS

Exeter had hard luck when from McClelland's centre Donaldson dashed in at top speed and headed at point-blank range. The ball took a downward direction and was par ried by Brown. who made a 10000 to 1 against save. Brown achieved the seemingly impossible. This time he dived and parried McClelland's fast going-away cross shot, and the Rangers' defence survived yet another desperate attack.

Break aways by the Rangers were effectively countered, and the game settled once more at the other end. But the City could not score that badly-needed goal. Rangers forced a corner within a minute of the restart when Davey headed Pounder's centre behind. Another fright for the City was when Cameron crossed the ball hard into the middle. The centre beat every body in the goal area, and the crowd were relieved when Walton eventually cleared. Exeter's reply was a dangerous thrust down the left flank. It ended when Goddard's first time low shot missed the near post by a foot. Davey was competent and resourceful in the City defence, but the forwards were keeping the ball too close. A change of tactics, however, nearly brought reward. From Donaldson's down-the-middle pass. McClelland was going through when he was fouled just outside the "box."

"No" to penalty
A free kick was given on a linesman's signal, and the ball was pushed forward for Mackay to shoot against Brown's legs. From the rebound, Mackay tried again, and his legs were swept from beneath him. It was a blantant case case for a penalty and there was loud booing when the referee ignored the infringement. Good interpassing between Knight and Mackay gave Donaldson a chance. It broke down when the centre-forward's low shot missed the near post. McLean had a high shot turned over the cross-bar, and then came the wasting of a golden opportunity when McClelland right through. The winger, no more than six yards out, kicked tamely and straight at Brown. He failed again, this time shooting wide of the near post from a Priestley-created opening.

Result
Exeter City 0-0 Queens Park Rangers 

COMMENTS

The City's failure to defeat lowly placed Queen's Park Rangers was due to a combination of bad luck, missed chances, and an irritating tendency to keep the ball too close on the muddy playing pitch. Added to this was some inspired goalkeeping by Harry Brown. He was the Rangers' saviour, particularly in the closing stages, when he made sensational clearances from Donaidson and McClelland. When the City did keep the game open they had the Rangers' defence in dire straits, but every time goalkeeper Brown's anticipation rescued the visiting team. As good as anyone in the Exeter side was Fred Davey. He was an efficient and unflurried centre-half. Douglass also did well under the handicap of playing with his broken wrist encased in plaster.

Attendance 8,133
Reciepts £689 10s 3d.

Southern League 
CITY RESERVES AND CHELMSFORD TIE

Exeter went straight into the attack against Chelmsford City and left-winger Parker slammed the ball just wide. At the other end Harvey's head twice came to the rescue during determined raids. In the seventh minute Chelmsford opened the score through right winger GRAY, who walked the ball into the net from a goalmouth pass by Mitchell. Exeter's right-winger Mitchell worked through to scoring range but drove over the bar. With Murphy doing the scheming, Exeter's attack was moving with speed and precision, but invariably came to grief against quick tackling defenders. Then Chelmsford came storming back and Ayre tested Singleton with quickly-taken ground shot. AYRE was not to be dented, how ever, for in the 17th minute he dribbled up penalty area. to the edge of the and netted with perfectly-placed drive which gave Singleton no chance. When Mitchell lobbed the ball into the goalmouth Murphy had a great chance, but headed over the bar from two yards. Cook looked a certain scorer when he dribbed past the advancing goal keeper and shot, but when left-back Condle appeared from nowhere and headed out from under the bar. Parker shot against the bar, and play continued fast and exciting, with a number of sensational escapes at each end. Exeter were definitely unlucky to be two goals down in this half.
Half-time:
CHELMSFORD CITY 2-0 CITY RES.

Fourteen minutes after the restart Elaway was brought down in the penalty area and MURPHY scored from the spot.

Result:
CHELMSFORD 2-2 CITY RES.

EXETER AND DISTRICT LEAGUE Exeter City 'A' v. Budleigh

Telford narrowly missed a centre by Weeks, and Hunkin blocked a shot by Perkins with his legs. Budleigh Salterton goalkeeper. Roberts, failed to hold a shot from Oaten, and BOLT rammed the ball home for Exeter's first goal. Roberts well held a ground shot from Bond, and then pushed out a header from Toward. A niece flick from Bolt put TOLLARD through and the centre-forward made no mistake. From a Bolt corner CAINES headed nice third goal, and TOWARD fastened on to a poor goalkick by Budleigh, and scored with a beautiful drive. Toward worked the ball nicely, and BOND headed his centre past the out. stretched fingers of Roberts.
Half time:
EXETER CITY "A" 5-0 BUDLEIGH SALTERTON. 

Full time:
?

Friendly (floodlit). St. James's Park.
Wednesday Feb. 17th 1954

EXETER CITY O F.C.VIENNA O

Attendance 6,050.

City:
Kelly; Storey, Douglass; McLean, Harvey, Goddard; Priestley, Knight, Cook, Mackay, Parker.

Vienna:
Engelmeyer; Oslansky, Kotter; Steindl, Teply, Bohm 1; Curda, Bohm 2, Silhanek, Burgstaller, Hammerl.