SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 27TH:
CITY v COVENTRY
Penalty Missed and Goal Disallowed,
Forwards Fail:

 Exeter City were fully expected today to register their first Southern League victory of the season at the expense of Coventry.
This confidence on the part of the City's supporters was largely due to the fact that the Midlanders went to Watford on Wednesday, and were whipped to the tune of 7-nil. That result, however, was perplexingly at variance with what the two teams had previously done this season, and experienced judges of League warfare warned the Grecians not to take things too easily today, or hold Coventry too cheaply just because of their crushing reverse on Wednesday.

The Exeter City selectors were content to rely on the side which had showed such greatly improved form at the Crystal Palace last week. Coventry arrived last night, and this morning the team was taken for a long brake drive.

CITY
Pym, Fort, Strettle, Rigby, Pratt, Marshall, Whittaker Lovett, Brooksbank, Kirby, Lee.

Referee:- Mr W.Mortimer, of Farnborough

COVENTRY
Jacques, Barnacle, Parton, Yates, Feebury, Harris, Parkes, Dobson, Davison, Jones, Craig.

The afternoon was beautifully fine, in fact, too summerlike for football. The turf was in splendid condition, and everything was in favour of a good game, although the crowd were slow in turning up.

Kirby won the toss, and the game was started six minutes before the advertised time. Davison kicked off for Coventry, facing the sun. The ball went into touch, and from the throw-in Lee, quick as lightning, gave to Brooksbank, who bored his way past Feebury amid excitement, and was not checked until fifteen yards from goal.
Whittaker put across a centre which Barnacle cleared, and from a free-kick Exeter again attacked, Lovett putting over the bar. In these early stages the City were playing very well, and were as keen as mustard. A misunderstanding between Brooksbank and Lovett, however, enabled Harris to set his forwards going, and Pym had to save from Jones, the old Notts County player. Pym beat the ball down cleverly, and Strettle ran round and cleared. After Fort had sent the ball into the Coventry half the visitors retaliated with another sharp raid, and Parkes was given offside with Pym running out to meet him. Play was fast and furious, and Jacques tipped a great drive by Whittaker over the bar. The corner was cleared by Barnacle heading the ball away, but a big fusilade ensued, and Jacques eventually got the benefit of a free kick for a foul.

Kirby Off the Mark.

So far the exchanges had been very fast, and when Coventry at last got moving Jones was offside. Lovett did a good bit of tackling in his own half, and from a throw-in Brooksbank rushed to the fore again, and gave Kirby the leather twenty yards out. The City skipper hesitated between a pass and a shot, then seeing that Brooksbank was offside, decided to shoot, but was right off the mark.

The next sensation was a header by Lovett from Kirby's pass, but it went just wide of the post. Play was stopped because of an injury to one of the Coventry backs, but quickly restarted. With the visitors now attacking Pym ran out and saved, but this was an isolated instance, and Jacques was soon in action again. A centre from Whittaker went right across the goal with no-one able to reach it, then another one from Whittaker was lifted clean over the bar by Brooksbank.

Exeter at last got the ball into the net, but Brooksbank, who scored, was given offside. The home players flocked around the referee protesting, but he was adamant, and Jacques took the free kick. Coventry raced to the Exeter end, and Craig struck the side of the net with a terrific drive. Dobson and Marshall knocked each other out when their heads collided in jumping for the ball, and Dobson was led off the field, Marshall resuming after attention. Coventry played the one back game after this, and in the exchanges which followed Pratt sent a long pass through to Lee, who failed narrowly with a magnificent shot.

Half-time: No score.

The sun had gone behind the clouds during the interval, and on the restart Coventry were still without Dobson. Lee made an effort to burst through but was stopped by Barnacle. From a free-kick about twenty-five yards out Rigby sent in a fast grounder, which was kicked clear.

Dobson returned to the field, and Coventry resumed their normal formation. Jacques ran past five men with the ball, and Barnacle upset Brooksbank needlessly in the penalty area when Jacques had already gathered the ball, and a penalty kick was at once given. Whittaker came up to take the kick, but sent the ball wide with a shot along the ground. Exeter continued to exert heavy pressure, the best effort being a shot from Lovett which Jacques saved at the second attempt.

Time was fleeting, and the City still had nothing to show for all their attacking; in addition to this they had missed a penalty and had a goal disallowed. By way of a change Coventry forced a corner, but back came Exeter, and a fine centre by Whittaker was headed clear by Parton with Brooksbank dashing in. The end came with the City once again failing to score, and the result was:‑

EXETER CITY 0-0 COVENTRY CITY   

Notes on the Game.

The failure to win was the more serious because Coventry were a poor side. The one man who redeemed them from sheer mediocrity was Jacques, a young goalkeeper playing not in the regulation red or blue jersey, but in a white sweater. Apart from defying the regulation providing for goalkeepers' distinctive colours, he also defied, with great success, all the Grecians' efforts to beat him.

Exeter's forwards began well enough, but as the game wore on they missed countless opportunities of scoring, apart from the penalty which Whittaker placed too far wide of the left of the post. There were occasional good shots afterwards, notably the one from Lovett which Jacques pulled down from just under the bar.

Plymouth and District League

TORPOINT v CITY RESERVES.

The Reserves won at Torpoint by a goal to nil, and the whole side did well. With a little luck they would have been three or four goals ahead at the interval, instead of just the one, scored by Gerrish.

Lewis was a rare bustler until late in the game, when he was kicked on the knee and had to retire. Orr was also hurt, but the injuries are reported as nothing serious. The Reserves are now top of the Plymouth League with six points from four games.

 TORPOINT 0-1 EXETER CITY RESERVES