Exeter City Unlucky Corr's Winning Goal Was Offside

Saturday November 22nd 1969.

OLDHAM ATHLETIC 1
EXETER CITY 1.

A late equaliser by the Oldham centre-forward, Beardall, robbed the City of what looked like being their first "away" win of the season, at Boundary Park this afternoon. The eventual result was a draw of a goal apiece, but the City could claim bad luck eight minutes from the end when Corr beat the Oldham goalkeeper with a header only to have that goal disallowed for off side against the Exeter right winger. However, the Grecians have made a satisfactory start to their trip to the north of England, which will include a match at Chesterfield on Monday.

Oldham: Gordine; Wood, Bright; McNeill, Bowie, Whittle; Blore, Colquhoun, Beardall, Shaw, Bingham.

Exeter:- Shearing; Crawford, Blain;
Morris, Sharples, Balson; Corr, Banks, Gadston, Mitten, Pleat.

Subs: Lawson (Oldham) Walker (City).

Referee:- Mr H.Davey of Mansfield.

Exeter made one change from their successful F.A.Cup eleven, bringing in Gadston at centre-forward in place of Wingate. The "Latics" had to take the field without their skipper, Ray Wilson, the international full-back, who failed a fitness test shortly before the kick-off, on account of a septic toe. The game commenced at a brisk pace and Corr drove a low shot into the side net. Oldham transferred play to the 
other end and gained two corners, neither of which was productive. Back came Exeter, and Banks only just failed to intercept a faulty back pass from Bright. A poor kick by Shearing gave Oldham the ball, and Wood dodged round two attempted tackles, but his low centre was cut out by Blain, who had moved across to Exeter's right hand side. Shearing then had to dash out to dive and take the ball from off the feet of McNeill, but Exeter counter-attacked and won which they nearly took the lead. a corner from Corr crossed to Pleat at the near post and the winger nodded it on into the middle where Banks had a header saved at point blank range by Gordine.

SHARPLES REQUIRES TREATMENT.

A free kick by Pleat was cleared by Oldham and when the home side got their attack moving Shearing did well to take the ball out of the air from Shaw. Then Shaw found himself clear but the linesman flagged for offside. Sharples went down in a tackle and needed treatment on his leg, but he was soon back in action although limping badly. An Oldham free kick was capably dealt with by the City defence, and then McNeil dribbled well into the penalty area but lifted his shot far too high.

Banks found himself in a good position but was fractionally offside. At this stage of the game Exeter were at least holding their own. In the next minute Blain was forced to head the ball over his own bar when under pressure from Shaw and Beardall. Then a quick shot on the turn by Beardall skimmed the crossbar and Oldham were now pressing forward at every opportunity. Clever approach work by Wood and McNeill gained the Latics another corner, which was dealt with by Shearing and his co-defenders. Exeter had a scare in the 19th minute when a shot from the persistent Beardall hit an Exeter defender and rolled along the goal-line. Bingham, leg outstretched, failed to connect by inches only. When the City at last got moving they were awarded a free kick inside the Oldham half. This led eventually to Mitten placing wide when unmarked, but in any case he was adjudged to have been offside. Just on half-time Shearing came to Exeter's rescue when he dived full length to fingertip Beardall's close range shot over the top.

HALF TIME:
OLDHAM 0 EXETER CITY 0.

Immediately on resuming Shearing had to jump and pull down a long range shot from Bright on the goal-line. And he was straight-away in action again catching a shot from Beardall which had some weight behind it. Against the run of the play the City took the lead, four minutes of the second half having been played. Mitten found Pleat with a good pass out on the left. Pleat advanced a couple of yards, and showing perfect judgment sent the ball skimming into the goalmouth, hard and low. Gordine dived and touched the ball away with his fingertips but Corr was on hand to push it into the net just inside the far post. Exeter City, having spent most of the game defending, hardly deserved to have been in front. Five minutes later Oldham found a gap in the City defence. Sharples was beaten for speed by Colquhoun, who centred into the goalmouth, but Beardall's header lacked strength and Shearing was able to dive to his right and push the ball away. After Shearing had once more saved from Beardall Oldham introduced their substitute player, Lawson, who replaced Bingham with the game exactly sixty minutes old.

GADSTON FAILS TO FIND PLEAT.

Oldham continued to pile on the pressure and forced a corner. Even Banks was back in the City goalmouth to help out, and it was he who cleared the flag kick. An Exeter breakaway was now on the cards, and Gadston chased the loose ball but failed to find Pleat, who had got himself into an unmarked position on the left-hand touchline. Play now veered from one end of the field to the other, and in the Exeter goalmouth it took the combined efforts of Blain, Shearing and to keep the ball out of the net. Exeter immediately moved forward, and Corr narrowly failed to lob the ball over Gordine's head with the goalkeeper almost on the penalty spot. Oldham finally gained some reward for all their pressure, and in the 77th minute levelled the scores. Sharples mis judged the bounce of the ball, which came in high from the right, and in a trice Beardall was on hand to beat Shearing with a neat shot into the top of the net. Now Oldham were really pressing, and Shearing did well to keep out a swift rising shot from McNeill. But eight minutes from the end Exeter looked to have gone ahead again when Corr headed the ball home. After Mr Davey had consulted a line sman, however, he awarded Oldham a free kick for offside against Corr. There could not have been a lot in it.

Attendance 4,351.