City v Swansea

ANOTHER GLORIOUS WIN FOR THE GRECIANS:

Promotion of Oldacre Justified

Saturday, September 20
at St James's Park.

EXETER CITY 2 SWANSEA TOWN  1

Swansea Town, today's visitors to Exeter, have made a rapid ascent from comparative obscurity to their present position in first-class football, and their rise has been noted with great satisfaction throughout Wales and the West country. The Swansea club joined the Second Division of the Southern League in 1912, and having played in it for two seasons, were elected to the premier division at the end of last season. The enjoy a large and enthusiastic measure of support in their Welsh stronghold, and during the summer expended a considerable sum of money on their ground, Vetch Field, which is now capable of accommodating about twenty-five thousand spectators.

CITY

Pym
Coleburne Strettle
Rigby Popplewell Mitton
Connor Oldacre Goodwin Lovett Dockray

Referee: Mr C.E.Green.

Evans I.Brown, Weir, Sheldon, Harris
Pinch W.Y.Brown Durnin
Robson Hewitt
Denoon
SWANSEA

Walt Whittaker, the old City goalkeeper, was Swansea's first manager, before the war. The position is now held by J.Bradshaw, the son of the Southern League secretary, who was formerly the player-manager of Southend United. The players include Denoon, former Queen's Park Rangers goalkeeper, Hewitt, of Wrexham, the Welsh International, and Robson, of Southend, full-backs; Durnin and Burch are former Plymouth Argyle players, the other forward positions are held between Jock Weir (Fulham), Sheldon (Bury), Evan Jones, the captain and a Welsh International, Ivor Brown, a native of Reading, and Harris, late of Notts Forest. The Swansea team arrived in Exeter overnight and stayed at the Bude Hotel.

The turf at St James's Park was a real picture; it had been rolled and cut, and the surface seemed as level as a billiards table. There was rather more wind than on any previous match day, and a heavy shower at 2.45 o'clock caused more people than usual to seek the shelter of the grandstand and covered enclosure. The period of waiting was enlivened by selections of music rendered by the Exeter City Military Band, under Mr George Newman. Makin was unable to turn out, and Oldacre, whose goal scoring feats for the Reserves have been quite sensational, was promoted. Dockray rejoined the team after missing one match.

Swansea Town, in white shirts and knickers, were first out at 3.25 p.m., and were promptly followed by the Grecians, in their usual red and white stripes. The sun had come out again, and the attendance at the start numbered six thousand.

The Game.

Swansea came to Exeter with grim determination, bent on being the first side to lower the Grecians' colours in the Southern League, but returned defeated by the odd goal in three. All the scoring took place in the first half. Twenty-five minutes after the start a swinging passing movement by Goodwin and Lovett led to Dockray hooking across a powerful centre. Denoon only parried the ball and Lovett dashed in and scored. Swansea appealed for offside against Lovett, but the referee signalled a goal.

After Oldacre had cleared the bar with a telling shot Swans ea took up the attack, making ground with several long passes, and Harris, with clever manipulation, got past the backs. The ball was sent out wide to Evans, who worked his way in towards goal before driving a hard, low shot past Pym to level the scores.

Four minutes later Dockray went off on the extreme left, and showing fine control and footwork got himself into an attacking position. He lifted the ball over to Oldacre, who ran in and headed it smartly into the rigging. It was a splendid piece of opportunism on the part of the young forward, whose promotion to the seniors appears fully justified on this form. Thus were three goals got within eight minutes, and the ground rang with cheering. The second half was score-less, although both sides made genuine and well planned efforts. Exeter should have increased their lead, but weak and hasty finishing let them down. Pym came to Exeter's rescue in the last two minutes when he dashed out and snatched the ball from Weir's foot as the Swansea centre forward was in the act of shooting. It was another rousing game, and a glorious win for Exeter, whose unbeaten record is still intact.