CITY AGAIN WIN
7 POINTS FROM 4 MATCHES! 

McCLELLAND GOAL AND DEFENCE BEATS COBBLERS

By LIONEL WOTTON

No injuries were suffered at Watford yesterday, so Exeter City decided to field the same team against Northampton, at St. James's Park, to-day. It was an automatic selection in view of that excellent victory on Good Friday.
Northampton, disengaged yesterday, stayed at Exeter overnight. The Cobblers announced two changes in attack. Smith came in at inside-right and O'Donnell moved to inside-left in place of Ramscar.

The playing pitch was as hard as concrete, and it must be a long while since it was so bare of grass.

The line-up

City: Kelly: Walton. Douglass; Booth. Davey. Mitchell; Priestley, Knight, Donaldson, Parker. McClelland.

Northampton: Wood: Marston, Southam: Hughes. Collins, Upton: English, Smith, McLain. O Donnell, Fowler.

Referee: A.A Howlett (Swindon).

City made a brilliant start, and were a goal up in the first minute. And what a great goal it was! Arnold Mitchell, in midfield, intercepted a cross pass from Fowler, took his time, and then placed the ball at Donaldson's feet.

Quick moves
Although blocked at the first attempt the centre-forward eventually worked clear of Collins, and then slipped a neat pass to Knight. A quick flick by Knight was perfectly directed and McClelland clear of the backs, ran in and shot past Woods, who was powerless to save a low cross shot.
This was McClelland's third goal off the reel in two matches, and the crowd, numbering in the region of 10 000. roared their heads off. A free kick was awarded the City just outside the penalty area, but nothing came of it. Much more dangerous was a left-footed Priestley oblique drive which Wood gathered just beneath the crossbar. Play had been in progress 12 minutes before Kelly touched the ball. He had no difficulty in intercepting a slow bouncing shot from McLain. When the Cobblers advanced again, however, Fowler led a threatening movement. He beat the defence, and Kelly showed grand judgment by leaping to catch a centre which landed in a crowded goal area.
Delightful, then
Each side forced a corner in end to-end exchanges. On neither occasion was the defence unduly worried. The hard ground and lively ball were against good football, but Northampton made ground in one delightful movement. It was started by Fowler, and the ball went all along the line, only for the attack to break down through English running into an offside position. Long shots from Booth and McClelland were easily dealt with by Wood. At the other end Davey's resourceful interceptions held up two attempts by the Cobblers to advance down the middle. Hughes was proving a useful at tacking wing-half. and another Northampton player to shine was Southam at left-back. In the City attack McClelland always looked a danger man. He cut into the middle and shot, the ball appearing to be deflected for a corner, which the referee did not award. Then the outside-left dashed ahead, and a flashing cross-shot hit the diving Wood and rebounded behind. This time a corner was given, but with no advantage resulting. Walton was now getting the measure of Fowler. Three times he pulled up the winger by hard, though fair, tackles. Next he raced many yards and dispossessed the outside-left to end. a menacing Northampton attack. From Booth's long diagonal pass McClelland headed the ball past Marston, but McLain was in position to avert further trouble. Nearing the interval Northampton pressed strongly, but without result.

Half-time:
CITY 1-0 NORTHAMPTON.

Exeter were on the attack when Walton's long clearance kick dropped in the visiting penalty area. Then Priestley beat Southam, only for his backheeled pass to be intercepted and cleared by McLain. A long cross-shot from Booth was turned over the cross-bar by Wood and the goalkeeper also cleared Priestley's corner kick.

A foot wide
Unsteadiness in the home defence nearly let Northampton in for an equalising goal. As it was, Fowler shot low and a foot wide of the near post. As the City seemed to tire, Northampton had a near-monopoly of the attack, and Kelly saved a close range header from English. Renewed pressure by the Cobblers was beaten back with difficulty, and In an Exeter breakaway no one was up to take advantage of Donaldson's low cross-pass. Parker shot over from long range, and this was the forerunner of a City rally, in which Wood was fully extended. The goalkeeper punched clear from Mitchell, gathered a point-blank header from Donaldson, and afterwards jumped forward to clear his lines from the thick of a skirmish. Clever work by the home right triangle almost brought a second goal, but again Exeter were defied by Wood who sensationally deflected Knight's close-range, high shot. Douglass and Walton were stubborn defenders when Northampton renewed the attack, and Fowler was heavily shaken in one desperate tackle by the right-back.

Free-kicks
The Cobblers, a robust team, conceded many free-kicks. A back pass from Booth went behind for a corner, and O'Donnell, meeting Fowler's kick, hooked the ball a foot outside the near upright. Davey headed out a corner kick from English, and the City goal was later to undergo a series of dramatic escapes. Northampton, throwing everything into attack, forced corner after corner and were dead out of luck when a header from English missed the angle of the goal by inches.

Thrill on thrill
After withstanding severe pressure the City transferred play when Booth and Donaldson combined to send McClelland away. The winger cut in to within ten yards, and his angled shot was parried by Wood for a corner. A free kick to Northampton was taken by McLain, and Kelly sprang sideways to save at the expense of yet another corner. Again the City's goalkeeper saved his side when he smothered the ball on the goal-line. Thrill followed thrill now, and a header from Donaldson was knocked on to the crossbar by Wood before the ball went behind. The mounting tally of corner kicks continued when Northampton launched a series of desperate attacks in the closing five minutes. The City defence tolled gallantly and held on to their side's slender lead.
Result:
EXETER CITY 1-0 NORTHAMPTON T.
Attendance: 8844

COMMENTS
City had to fight desperately for victory and, taking everything into account, they did well to defeat the well-balanced opposition. It should be remembered that the City learn dia o reach Exeter until three o'clock this morning. Then they had to play a hard game against one of the strongest sides in the Third Division. The balance of play was un doubtedly with Northampton, but Exeter's defence, in which Kelly, Walton, and Davey excelled, carried of the honours. But every man in the Exeter rearguard played a gallant part to-day. In the attack, McClelland took his first-minute goal-scoring chance like a master, and Donaldson showed many deft touches.

Attendance, 8,844; receipts £775.

Southern League
Worcester City (a)

DOYLE'S FIRST-HALF BRACE FOR RESERVES

WORCESTER were ahead within two minutes against Exeter City Reserves, when Harvey mis judged a long clearance up the middle by Spencer, and FRAME had the simplest of scoring tasks. Exeter were in arrears for only five minutes, for they equalised through DOYLE, who broke through the middle to beat Newman easily. Subsequent play was all in favour of Worcester and the Reserves' defence had a hot time. Twice Singleton ran out to boot clear from Frame and Bedford, and twice more Frame, who was proving a lively handful, hit the crossbar, Singleton conceding a corner in the first instance by pushing out a header via the bar. All against the run of play, the visitors went ahead in the 25th minute when DOYLE neatly headed home a splendid cross from Bond. A minute later, Exeter almost got a third when Newman's clearance rebounded off Setters, and with the keeper out of goal, Doyle hit the post with his shot But Worcester continued right on top in one of the most one-sided games seen at the ground this season. The visitors' goal bore a charmed life, and corner after correr failed to bring Worcester the gal they richly deserved.

Half-time:
WORCESTER CITY 1-2 CITY RES, Result: 
WORCESTER CITY 1-2 CITY RES.