City v Merthyr

WIND UP OF THE SEASON

Welsh Team Easy Victims at St. James's Park

Saturday, May 1.

EXETER CITY 3 MERTHYR TOWN O.

Merthyr Town, otherwise known throughout South Wales as the "Martyrs," provided the opposition at St James's Park today in the final Southern League match of the season. The Grecians were out this afternoon to maintain their record of having conceded only one point at St James's Park since the New Year, and all the supporters were hoping that Billy Goodwin would get goal for a himself, and so keep intact his achievement of having scored in every home match in which he has participated during the same period.

The Exeter City Military Band marched to the ground from North Street, and under the conductorship of Mr George Newman, played a selection of very appropriate Welsh and English airs. The turf at St James's Park was in excellent condition, thanks to the fine weather of the last few days, but light rain showers fell whilst the crowd was assembling, and as the hour for the kick off drew near the sky became heavily overcast, and rain fell steadily. There was a big "gate" nevertheless, the club's supporters being anxious not to miss this, the concluding match. The teams came on the field early, the Merthyr party hoping to catch a return train at 5.30 p.m.

Pym was heartily cheered when, winning the toss, he chose to defend the St James's Road end goal in the first period.

The game started at 3.23 p.m. precisely. Teams :

EXETER CITY
Pym
Coleburne Strettle
Crawshaw Popplewell Mitton
Oldacre Makin Goodwin Lovett Dockray

Referee:- Mr F.Chalkley.

Shepherd Turner Nock Chivers Williams
Probert Crowe Lewis
Pedler Langford
Jones
MERTHYR TOWN

The steady rain made the ball slippery, and there was a lot of mis-kicking. After half an hour the Grecians set up a hot attack, and there was an exciting struggle in the Merthyr penalty area. Shots by Makin and Goodwin were charged down, but the Martyrs were unable to get the ball away, and eventually Makin beat Jones with a shot along the turf which the goalkeeper got to but failed to hold. Merthyr were palpably weak at this stage, and after further escapes Goodwin scored his customary goal. It was the crowning touch to a fine piece of work by Mitton, who emulated Dockray's pace for the moment and swung across a lovely centre from which Goodwin headed the ball into the net.

Eight minutes from the end of the match the City got a third goal through Oldacre, who dribbled right through the defence, and beat Jones with a hard rising shot, which entered the goal just below the crossbar.

COMMENTS

Merthyr Town's display was the weakest shown by any visiting team at Exeter this season. If the Grecians had played "all out" they might easily have registered their biggest-ever score. Up to the interval the Welshmen did not do more than five or ten minutes' attacking, all told, and their football was of the crudest description. Langford and Crowe, and Jones, the custodian, were the exceptions. Jones was overwhelmed with work, and did not always shape convincingly, but so many likely shots from the City attack passed outside the framework that he had less to do than might have been expected from the run of the play.

The Martyrs improved later, but never looked like scoring. It was a typical end-of-the-season match, and the crowd of about 7,000 people were well satisfied, for at times the Grecians got going, and delighted the spectators with some very well designed and pretty concerted moves.

Goodwin must be congratulated on getting his usual goal, and the team should be happy in their excellent home record for the second half of the season. The bulk of their supporters have not seen them defeated since they went under unluckily to the Argyle on Boxing Day.