Exeter City's Breakthrough 

GAIN THEIR FIRST AWAY POINT AT SOUTHEND

Saturday October 18th 1969.

SOUTHEND UNITED 1 EXETER CITY 1.

Exeter City have broken through at last. This afternoon at Southend they scored their first "away" goal of the season after a total of 642 minutes of football and it earned them a point in a 1-1 draw.

Southend: Lloyd; Lindsay, Simpson; Barnett, Haydock, Kurilla; Chambers, Beesley, Clayton, Hunt, Chisnall.

Exeter City:- Shearing; Crawford, Morris; Balson, Sharples, Parker; Banks, Blain, Wingate, Mitten, Walker.

Subs: McKinven (Southend) Corr (City).

Referee:- Mr A.Bone of Sunderland.

Brian Sharples returned to the centre half position for Exeter after missing a few games due to injury, and Alan Banks also returned, to play on the right wing. Southend had a new inside-left, Peter Hunt, aged 17, taking the place of McMillan, who is injured. Southend failed to take advantage of slack defensive work by the City and when Exeter moved forward they forced a corner, which was cleared. From Mitten's centre Banks headed towards goal but it lacked power & direction. Then after twelve minutes of evenly-balanced play Exeter opened the scoring from the penalty spot. Walker was brought down as he tried to dribble through on the left, and Mr Bone immediately pointed to the white spot. Mitten made no mistake with the kick. Wingate then won a corner off Barnett which was cleared, but the danger was not over for the home side, and there was some panic in their defence when Wingate nodded the ball across, but no other forwards were in position for a shot at goal. In the 22nd minute Southend equalised. Simpson gained possession from a throw-in and took the ball to within inches of the by-line before lobbing it across to Clayton, who was unmarked, and who beat Shearing with an overhead kick that crept in just inside the post.

OFFSIDE GIVEN.

Morris after twenty-five minutes scored for Exeter, but the referee's whistle had already blown for offside. Ten minutes later Southend looked certain to score when Clayton went through on his own, but Shearing, diving across his goal, palmed the ball away for Crawford to complete a timely clearance. Shearing was injured in this incident and appeared for the second half with his right leg strapped. He was unable to take the goal kicks during the remainder of the game. But when Southend had a corner on the left the City goalkeeper jumped up to fist clear, the ball eventually coming to Hunt, who put it over the crossbar. Balson was the next City player to need treatment, but was quickly in action again. Then Wingate became a casualty from a blow in the face and played out the remainder of the match holding a sponge to his mouth. Exeter brought every player back to pack the goal in the last minute when Southend were awarded a free kick. A corner followed, the kick being punched away by Shearing, and Lindsay drove the ball high over the crossbar.