Newport V City

TODAY'S GREAT F.A. CUP TIE AT SOMERTON PARK

Saturday, December 20.

NEWPORT COUNTY 1 EXETER CITY 0.

The Ironsides were opposed today at Somerton Park by Exeter City, the Grecians, in the sixth and last qualifying round of the Football Association Cup. The importance of the match, to both clubs, could hardly be over-estimated, for at Newport, which is a very strong Rugby centre, as at Exeter, a successful run in the Cup competition may represent the difference between penury and plenty on the season's working. Newport, who were excused only the first three rounds, have so far beaten Bath City 5-2, and Merthyr Town 1-0, in their previous ties. They had also beaten Exeter City at St James's Park early in November, but the City ran into such a series of misfortunes on that day that a true comparison of the sides could not be made from that result.

Exeter City selected Strettle at left-back, on the grounds of his greater experience than Medcalf, and Oldacre, by virtue of his excellent showing at Norwich, remained at outside right. The Welsh club included their new centre-forward, Devlin, who was transferred to them from Cardiff City last week. 

THE IRONSIDES
Cooper 
Collins Griffin
Groves Edwards Kelson
Savage Dobs on Devlin Mann Gaughan

Referee:- Mr J.F.Davies, of Bristol.

Dockray Lovett Goodwin Makin Oldacre Mitton Popplewell Rigby
Strettle Coleburne
Pym
THE GRECIANS

The Exeter City team, in the charge of Mr Chadwick and Directors and Officials of the club, left St David's Station this morning at 8.50 o'clock, and had lunch at Temple Meads Station, Bristol. A few enthusiastic supporters accompanied the team, and the party arrived in Newport about half past twelve. There they found the weather warm, dull, and dry. The town seemed alive with black and amber, the Newport colours, and mascot and rosetts vendors did a roaring trade in the vicinity of Somerton Park. The crowd began to arrive early, and an enthusiast who sported a huge umbrella of yellow and black w was quickly followed by a cheering crowd of about twenty Exeter supporters, sporting the familiar red and white. The ground was on the soft side, but seemed in reasonably good condition. There was no wind, and the luck of the toss, to Exeter, carried no advantage. Fully ten thousand spectators were present when the teams lined up.

Newport, who were in brand new shirts for the occasion, looked very smart, and Dick Pym had discarded his usual red jersey for one of royal blue.

The Game.

Sharp at 2.15 o'clock Devlin kicked off, and Mann swung the ball straight out to Gaughan. Coleburne punted well upfield, and Collins returned the leather to the centre. Mitton put Dockray in notion but the Carlisle man ran the ball over the goal-line. Goodwin rounded Collins but was crowded off the ball before he could attempt anything, and Devlin was prominent in two Newport

attacks, but in each case the move broke down through Dobson's failure to return the ball. A threatening round of close passing in Exeter's penalty area roused the crowd to enthusiasm, the ball finally being put over the bar by Savage. Rigby was injured in a collision, but quickly resumed. Dobson swerved round Strettle and tried a shot, but the ball went high over the bar. Then Goodwin gave Oldacre a beautiful pass. The winger beat Griffin and sent across a centre from which Goodwin headed for goal, but Cooper caught the ball and cleared.

Goodwin again lofted the ball across to Oldacre, who tapped it past Griffin with his head, raced his opponent, and centred, but Lovett's header was wide of the mark. Devlin and Mann almost got through after an exciting skirmish at the City's end, but Rigby intercepted. The first corner of the match fell to Newport, and was headed clear by Popplewell, but in the next minute the crowd went wild with enthusiasm as Devlin opened Newport's score. The leather had been thumped against the bottom of the upright by Gaughan and rebounded to Savage. He was confronted by Strettle, and Dobson by Coleburne, but the leather was rolled across to Devlin, who stabbed it past Pym with a quick shot. Play had been in progress for just over twenty minutes. Straight from the restart Newport made headway again, and a corner was conceded by Strettle. Pym jumped high to Gaughan's centre and punched the ball away. Exeter made a brief attack, and Oldacre tried an oblique shot, but Cooper cleared. Cooper also disposed of the danger when Oldacre had profited from a pass by Rigby and centred the ball to his inside forwards on the edge of the penalty area. Dockray next broke through, but his centre was weak and easily cleared. Popplewell, however, delivered a hefty shot from about 30 yards, Cooper pulling the ball down from under the crossbar.

Oldacre again beat the opposing backs and transferred the ball to Makin, who, five yards out and all the goal to shoot at, put a weak shot three feet over the bar. Pym fisted away from Mann's head, and further Exeter pressure ended with Lovett firing over the bar from long range. Half-time: Newport 1 Exeter City 0.

THE SECOND HALF

Play had been very even in the opening half with the Newport forwards a shade more dangerous near goal, although the City had done more attacking. On the resumption Makin was put through by Oldacre, but shot against the side of the net. In a fast attack down the centre Savage put the ball through to Devlin, and Pym brought off a brilliant save from the Welsh centre forward. At the other end Makin won a corner, which was headed clear by one of the Newport backs, then Griffin intervened as Goodwin ran in to meet a centre from Dockray. Cooper was tempted yards from his charge by Oldac re, who slid the ball across, but in the scramble that followed none of the City forwards were able to get a shot in. With ten minutes remaining Exeter were constantly on the move, and attacking in force, but the brilliance of Cooper, and the stubborn defence of Griffin, Collins, and Edwards kept the home citadel intact.

It had been a keen, fast, and scientific game with the City playing by far the better football after the interval. They well deserved to draw, but the early goal by Devlin had made all the difference.

NOTES ON THE GAME

Newport County, at Somerton Park, upset the calculations of Exeter City as the result of the only goal, scored by Devlin in the twentieth minute after Gaughan had struck the post. There were two notable features of the game, firstly the opportunism of Devlin, and secondly the brilliance of Pym. Devlin's first goal for his new club enabled the amber and black to climb to another rung of the Cup ladder. did not carry any danger. Had all the rest of the team played as Although Exeter did perhaps the most of the attacking, they well as Pym, and to a lesser degree Goodwin and Oldacre, they may well have won. In fact, it was the fault of Makin that they did not at least draw, for with the goal at his mercy he shot over the bar. Apart from those mentioned, Exeter's best players were Coleburne, Popplewell, and Dockray. Strettle did not appear fully fit, at any rate he had not the speed to counteract Savage, or Dobson, while Rigby, Mitton, and Lovett were not up to the best of their form.

Newport's best players were Cooper, Collins, and Devlin, and they were well served also by the right wing of Savage and Dobson, and Gaughan at outside left.

CITY RESERVES v MILLBROOK RANGERS.
Plymouth and District League 

Excitement was lacking today at St James's Park, the thoughts of the majority of Exeter supporters being centred on the English Cup-tie at Somerton Park.

In the absence of the firsts a Plymouth and District League match was played against the Rangers, it being the first of such games for some time. The weather was dull but dry. The match was attended by a crowd of about two thousand.

CITY RESERVES
Loram
Lovell Medcalf
Crawshaw Thompson Chown
Connor Croft Collins Henderson Lincoln

Referee: Mr H.F. Ford.

Congdon Symons Wright Gosling Merrifield
Fowler Churchward Thomas
Moore Lugger
Elliott
MILLBROOK RANGERS


Gosling won the toss, and the Rangers formed up at the Exeter end. The game started with the ball in and out of touch several times, then Lovell checked the Rangers and Henderson transferred the play to Thompson, who fèd Connor, and the move was concluded by Lincoln, who shot wide. Elliott then saved from Henderson. Collins appeared to have scored, but the referee ordered a goal kick to be taken. Exeter got the ball into the net, but for the second time the referee disallowed the goal. Eventually Lincoln gave Exeter the lead with a sudden shot. One of the spectators, who persisted in making abusive remarks to the referee, was taken out of the ground on the instructions of Mr Pengelly, the Exeter City director. Collins scored for Exeter, but the Rangers scored three times, thus winning by three goals to two.