GOODWIN'S CLEVER GOAL :
AND A NARROW ESCAPE

Saturday, October 18, at the County Ground.

SWINDON TOWN 1 EXETER CITY 1.

The name of Swindon Town is a proud and honourable one in the football world. The early days of the club in the Southern League were of a very moderate character, but round about the time that Exeter City entered the Competition, Swindon Town achieved their just reward for steady, sustained pluck, excellent organisation, good football, and perseverance. For six years they were one of the most talked-of clubs in the country. From the season 1908-09 to 1913-14, inclusive, the Railwaymen won the Southern League on two occasions, and were runners-up three times. Twice they were English Cup semi-finalists, twice they scored more goals than any other League club in England or Scotland, and once they won their first ten matches of the season. The team that accomplished this consisted of Skiller, Kay, Walker, Tout, Bannister, Jefferson, Silto, Wheatcroft, Bolland, Bown, and Fleming. The two last-named were local products. It may seem strange, but it is a fact that this all-conquering eleven did not cost the club a single penny in transfer fees.

Exeter's Remarkable Record.

It is nevertheless remarkable that during this period, when Swindon Town were at the zenith of their power, Exeter City were the one club which bearded the Railwaymen in their stronghold, so to speak, and robbed them right and left. In four successive seasons the City picked up six points by means of two victories and a couple of drawn games, and the only season in which Exeter have collared the maximum points from Swindon, home and away, was the year 1910-11, when the Red Shirts won the League Championship for the first time.

Exeter City's luck at Swindon was a by-word at that time; many clubs envied the Grecians their good fortune, and the successes achieved certainly did them a great deal of good, especially in the matter of prestige. It atoned too for the "whoppings" which Swindon made a practice of inflicting on the Exonians at the St. James's Park ground.

However, returning to the present, Swindon Town's record this season is a curiously mixed one, and on the whole does not compare too favourably with that of Exeter City. At home the Railwaymen have beaten Merthyr Town, Bristol Rovers, and Gillingham, but have lost to Southampton. On foreign soil, they have been defeated by Plymouth Argyle, Luton, and Swansea, have drawn with Merthyr Town and Reading, and have triumphed over Crystal Palace.

Of the "old brigade" which served the club in 1914-15, Tout, Kay, Jefferson, Fleming, and Bolland are still very active, and Batty, who has just been demobilised, has signed on again for his old club.

The team selected to play for Exeter City today was stronger than that fielded last week against Queen's Park Rangers. Lovett returned to the inside left position, Goodman moved back to his proper place in the centre, and Shreeve took the right wing. The party left St David's Station at 10.33 this morning, being due at the big railway works op at about a quarter to two. The match was started at 3.30.

SWINDON
Hinton
Kay Weston
Tout Sims Lockhead
Jefferson Travers Rogers Davies Bolland

Referee: Mr E.Tolfree, of Southampton.

Dockray Lovett Goodwin Oldacre Shreeve
Mitton Popplewell Rigby Strettle Coleburne
Pym 
CITY


Exeter were first out, led by Rigby, and were followed right away by Swindon, led by Tout. It was a beautiful afternoon with bright sunshine and a clear sky. The ground appeared packed, with approximately ten thousand people in the stands and surrounding enclosures. Rigby for once lost the toss, and Goodwin kicked off for the City facing the dazzling sun. Exeter made the first move, Shreeve going up the right wing, but his pass to Oldacre went to Weston, to be booted down the field in the direction of Bolland. Pym was eventually brought into action, saving from Jefferson. The Grecians tried again, and this time their attack was made by Popplewell, who fed Dockray. The Carlisle man beat Kay, but Weston came across and kicked the ball away, and Coleburne had to be quick off his mark to rob Davies. A spell of somewhat aimless midfield play ensued, the chief feature being a sort of kicking competition between the backs. The hard dry ground and the light new ball were, no doubt, partly responsible for the general lack of combination and accuracy. The Grecians made some headway on the left wing, where Dockray and Lovett got the home defence in a tangle. Dockray eventually middled the ball, which was missed by Goodwin, and Lovett, following up, shot into the side of the net.

In a sudden Swindon breakaway Travers came up the centre at a great pace, racing Mitton and Popplewell, and Pym made the best save of the match up to this point, from the Swindon leader. In the next move Rogers got himself into a shooting position, but trod on the ball at the crucial moment, and Strettle nipped in and cleared. Pym next came in for applause when he effected two smart saves in quick succession from Travers and Bolland, while Mitton cleverly intervened to prevent the inside forwards getting to a centre which had come across from Jefferson.

Exeter survived an appeal for a penalty against Coleburne for "handball," and Pym brought off two more fine saves from Bolland and Davies, but in the closing minutes of this half Davies got through on the left and passed to Rogers, who scored with a hot drive directly in front of goal, and about six yards out. Second Half.

The game continued at a fast pace, and there were exciting incidents at either end. Exeter improved upon their display of the first half, and monopolised the game for about twenty-five minutes, but Kay and Weston allowed Goodwin and company little or no latitude. However, it was during this period that the City obtained the equalising goal. It followed a free kick to Swindon for offside against Oldacre, but Goodwin captured the ball about thirty yards out and shot immediately, with some force. Hinton jumped to the ball and pushed it against the post, whence it re bounded, hit the goalkeeper on the shoulder and dropped behind him into the net.

There was a dramatic conclusion when a Swindon forward shot, and Coleburne appeared to handle, but the referee consulted one of the linesmen, then pointed to the centre of the ground. His decision was that time was up and that there was no penalty. It was a narrow escape for Exeter City.


Plymouth & District League 

The City Reserves defeated the 5th Devons Old Boys by three goals (Fisher 2 and Barnard) to one (Knapman) in a Plymouth and District League match at St James's Park.

The Reserves fielded the following team: Loram, Coates, Thompson, Crawshaw, Potter, Powell, Hydon, Croft, Barnard, Fisher, and Lincoln.