SATURDAY 6th JANUARY 1968.

Exeter City 1-3 Walsall 

IT'S OVER BUT THANKS FOR THAT FINE FIGHT CITY.

EXETER CITY 1
Smout; Smyth, Balson; Newman, Harvey, Huxford; Blain, Banks, Curtis. Crawford, Corr,

WALSALL 3
Wesson; Gregg, Harris; Meath, Bennett, Atthey; Watson, Baker, Middleton, Simpson, Taylor,

Scorers:
Exeter:- Blain.
Walsall:- Meath, Watson, Simpson

Attendance: 10,133.

Exeter City's hopes of a New Year cup run ended in the St James' Park mud, but if there is any consolation to them, it must surely be, you put up a tremendous fight. The two sides ploughed through the cloying, gripping, mud. City played well under the conditions in the first half. They constantly pushed the Walsall side back as they ran, chased, and worked hard, Walsall did very little up front in the first half, but after 59 minutes they went ahead, and got another 20 minutes later. The first goal seemed to upset 'City a little but they still kept fighting and working. Then came the second, but it was still not over and with 8 minutes to go, Jimmy Blain pulled one back from the penalty spot sending Wesson the wrong way Everything looked set for a grandstand finish, The crowd were right behind City, but within two minutes, it was all over as Walsall scored a third goal, Exeter were beaten but they never gave up, Walsall were a strong tough and hard side as might be expected from a team at the top of the Third Division. 

Match Summary 

No City team in recent years has given a more wholehearted display than this. How disappointed they must have felt when at the end of 90 minutes of all out effort they had nothing to show for it. The City attacked almost without a break throughout the first half and missed a couple of good scoring chances, but for long spells they found it difficult to break down the resistance of a tough, unyielding Walsall rearguard so ably marshalled by centre-half Stan Bennett.
After the interval there was a surpris ing turnabout in the fortunes of the game for Walsall came out of their shell and went on to clinch victory with goals by Meath, Watson, and Simpson. Between their second and third goals City got one with a penalty by Jimmy Blain, but by then Walsall had beaten a valiant City team which never gave up trying.

TUESDAY 9th JANUARY 1968.

ROUGH PLAY COMMENT ANNOYS WALSALL.

Walsall are considering complaining to the Football Association about comments made by Exeter City manager Frank Broome after Saturday's F.A. Cup tie at St James' Park, Mr Broome was quoted as saying that Walsall were; "The roughest side we have met this season," Now the Third Division leaders who knocked out City 3-1 want a withdrawal of the statement or an apology,

SATURDAY 13th JANUARY 1968.

CITY TRIP TO PORT VALE IN VAIN.

Exeter City's fixture at Port Vale was called off this morning after a referee's inspection deemed the Vale Park ground unfit for play following an overnight snowfall, When the Exeter party left St James' Park yesterday, there was a doubt that the game would be played, They stayed overnight a few miles from Port Vale awaiting a decision, Frank Broome was telephoned at the team's hotel with the bad news, The party had breakfast and headed south stopping off at Ashton Gate to watch the Second Division match between Bristol City and Blackburn Rovers