DEFENCE TAKES A POUNDING BUT STANDS FIRM.

SATURDAY DECEMBER 21ST 1963:

LINCOLN 1 EXETER CITY 1.

There was a sprinkling of snow on the bone-hard pitch at Sincil Bank, Lincoln, this afternoon, and just before the game began the groundsman came out with a wheelbarrow to spread a layer of sand in each goalmouth.

Lincoln City:- Carling; Jones and Smith; Linnecor, Heward, and Neal; Holmes, Milner, Houghton, Morton, and Campbell.

Exeter City:- Barnett; Smyth and MacDonald; Mitchell, Harvey, and Anderson; Rees, Banks, Thorne, Grace, and Phoenix.

Referee: Mr R.Harper, of Sheffield.

Attendance 3,673,

In difficult conditions the City defence was on the receiving end of a lot of pressure and yet the team crossed over leading by one goal, a header by Grace in the tenth minute, to nil. After 75 minutes the unyielding City defence finally cracked, Neal jumping up to head a cross from the left past Barnett. It was perhaps the hardest point that Exeter City have earned this season. They missed two early chances which could have put them on top but this was excusable under the conditions, though it would have had the effect of saving them from the tremendous pounding that they had to put up with as Lincoln went all out for the equaliser.

WESTERN LEAGUE
CITY RESERVES 2  SALISBURY 2

The City Reserves, beaten by Bridgwater and Weymouth in their last two games, managed to hold Salisbury to a draw today. Barry Pierce, who was on Exeter City's books last season, was the inside left in Salisbury's team, and Brian Bevan, born in Exeter, was on their left wing.

City Reserves: Parkhill; Quarrington, Patrick; Rutley, Northcott, Gough; Riding, Symington, Henderson, Edgar, and Ley.

Salisbury: Stevens; Pugsley, Collins; Prosser, Compton, Palmer; Cranmer, Ambrose, Henderson, Pierce, and Bevan.

TUESDAY 24th DECEMBER 1963.

George Northcott has returned to Southern league Cheltenham Town, the club he left for Exeter at the start of the season. Cheltenham wanted him back and Exeter decided not to stand in his way.