SATURDAY JANUARY 2ND: WEST HAM v CITY
Puddefoot's Three Goals

West Ham 4 Exeter City 1.

There was no mistaking the superiority of West ham at Upton Park this afternoon. They fully earned their 4-1 victory at the expense of Exeter City. There was always a certain liveliness in front of the City goal, while Exeter had to depend upon raids rather than sustained attacks.

WEST HAM

Hughes

Burton Cope

Whiteman Askew Woodards

Leafe Hilsdon Puddefoot Fenwick Casey

Referee:- Mr R.W.David, of Leominster.

CITY

Dockray Goodwin(F) Goodwin(W) Lovett Holt
Smith Evans Rigby

Strettle Marshall

Pym

The attendance at the start was seven thousand. In the first half Exeter City hardly looked like extending West Ham, and the goal they obtained in the last half minute of the game was due more to a bit of luck than merited by the movement that led up to it, though Billy Goodwin must be congratulated for his usual promptness with which he took full advantage of the unexpected opening presented to him by Burton.

From the start the West Ham forwards set the pace, and early in the game Pym dealt with two forceful shots from Leafe. At the end of twelve minutes Casey dropped the ball over to Puddefoot, who, from the penalty line, scored with a left foot drive fax out of Pym's reach. Five minutes later Puddefoot, receiving from Fenwick, beat Pym for the second time with another left foot shot, but. this time in the opposite corner of the net.

Exeter after this had a little more of the play, but Fred Goodwin made a poor shot when well placed. The best effort from the City in this half came from Dockray, who, with a long cross shot gave Hughes a moment's anxiety ere the ball was cleared.

Fifteen minutes passed in the second half before the score

was increased by Fenwick with a terrific drive close in, after which both teams lost a player, Casey and Fred Goodwin having to retire through injuries. Goodwin of course is a former West Ham player, having joined Exeter City a year ago from the London club.

There was a lot of desultory midfield play until Puddefoot, after missing two simple openings, took the chance which Leafe gave him to complete his hat trick. Then followed the goal by Billy Goodwin, already referred to.

West Ham's Improvement.

Once again West Ham made changes in their formation, although one player was different from the side that beat Brighton last week. Butcher was dropped, and Hilsdontransferred from inside left to inside right. Fenwick moved up from left half to partner Casey, while Woodards came in at left half. The effect of these alterations was to give West Ham their heaviest front line of the season, and the changes appeared to justify the reason for them.

In the defence, too, the improvement was noticeable, the half backs in particular not only being strong enough to hold Exeter's forwards, but having sufficient time to feed their own forwards with a series of effective ground passes.

Evans No Match for Puddefoot.

Exeter City, through the absence of Hunter and Lagan, had to make a couple of changes from the side that beat Watford so handsomely, then drew at Northampton. Evans was the centre half, and he failed both in pace and skill to hold Puddefoot.

Pym played his usual sound game between the posts, and he was not to blame for any of the shots which beat him. Strettle and Marshall, under severe pressure for much of the time, were desperate, and in their desperation did not kick with anything like their normal accuracy. Marshall shone the more because he had the fastest wing to deal with in the first half. his task was made easier when Casey was compelled to retire, which happened about the same time that Exeter lost F.Goodwin.

These withdrawals showed the opposing captains' different ideas of strategy, for while West Ham played four forwards the City adopted the one back game.

Dockray was again the most prominent forward on the City's side, his pace leading to many forays in the second half, but they were not properly utilised, for neither of the Goodwinsnor Lovett had brought with them their shooting boots.