Match 36
16th March 1968
Luton (a)

19th March 1968
Devon Professional Bowl
Torquay United (h)

SATURDAY 16th MARCH 1968.

CITY WIN POINT AND CONFIDENCE.

LUTON TOWN 0 EXETER CITY 0

Exeter Team 
Smout; Smyth, Balson; Newman, Harvey, Huxford; Fudge, Banks, Coughlin, Curtis, Blain,

Attendance: 12,409.

Exeter became only the second side to leave Luton Town this season with a point and the first team to prevent Luton from scoring, They can feel justly satisfied with their afternoon's work in getting a point at the Fourth Division leaders, City played defensively and it worked. The onus was on Luton to break City's system down but they failed, All the defence kept going and working for that point as Luton pressed more so in the second half, Rioch was the danger man but Dermot Curtis did a good job against this highly valued player, Exeter could have come away with both points. They had Luton in trouble on a couple of occasions, both Alan Banks and Cecil Smyth going close.

So City achieved their aim and what a good point it was. It should give the side more confidence, Luton were disappointing for the most part, Their approach work was devoid of constructive football, instead their main form of attack was the high ball and the defence had this covered. The result was that Luton hardly ever looked like getting a goal.

Match Summary 

This was City's best result of the season and it could so easily have pro vided an even bigger shock had a shot from Cecil Smyth gone in when Luton's keeper was well and truly beaten. Undefeated at home this season, top of-the-table Luton had only dropped one point at Kenilworth Road before City's visit, but so well did our boys defend their goal that this was the first time in 22 League and Cup games at home that Luton had failed to score. The last time was when Hartlepools won their 1-0, nearly 12 months ago.


TUESDAY 19th MARCH 1968.

DEVON PROFESSIONAL BOWL.

EXETER CITY 3
Smout; Smyth, Balson; Newman, Harvey, Huxford; Fudge, Banks, Coughlin, Curtis, Blain,

TORQUAY UNITED 0
Griifiths, Bond, James; Dunne, Brown, Benson; Clarke, Smith, Stubbs, Welsh, Barnes.

Scorers: Exeter Coughlin, Blain, Banks. Attendance: 2,932,

It all began in the 13th minute of extra time. It finished with Exeter City winning through to the final of the Devon Bowl against Plymouth Argyle, City scored three times in 17 minutes to settle the tie. Dennis Coughlin scored the first, his first goal since joining the club, In the second half of extra time. Alan Banks was brought down and Jimmy Blain scored from the penalty spotThen Banks got a third goal and a couple of minutes later it was all over. It had not been a partcularly good 90 minutes in normal time. Passes were going atsray and in the first half City seemed to be too slow at times. The high wind probably did not help at times but as the second reached it's closing stages both sides went close. Neither side managed to break the deadlock so the game went into extra time. Exeter seemed to go up a gear in extra time scoring three times and so gained handsome revenge for a Torquay win from the replay at St James' Park in the first round of the Football League Cup at the start of the season,

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