Leyland DAF Trophy R1 (Group)
Shrewsbury Town 0-1 Exeter City

Miller and McDermott star in Cup win

CITY STILL ON GLORY TRAIL


EXETER CITY are just four games away from Wembley after their impressive win at Shrewsbury last night in the Leyland Daf Cup.

Brian McDermott's 63rd minute goal after a penalty save from Kevin Miller earned them a southern area quarter-final trip to Maidstone on Wednesday, February 7 (80) with a semi-final and two-legged final before Wembley in May.

A half time tongue lashing from manager Terry Cooper put City in the driving seat for a deserved win at Gay Meadow but their Third Division opponents should never have let go of this tie In dominating first half their superiority should have netted three goals

As Cooper said. "There were two different halves. We were sloppy and I gave my lads a right roasting. To be fair, they showed more of their true form afterwards, earned the goal and knew how to hold on to it." The pattern of Shrewsbury's fortune was set as early as the seventh minute when they was- ted a penalty Karl Goddard scythed down Richard Green but Willy Naughton, trying to stroke the ball wide of Miller from the spot, merely succeeded. in giving the keeper the easiest of saves. City, meanwhile, too often fell into the Shrewsbury off-side trap and when they did unlock it McDermott should have punished a Tommy Lynch slip With time to spare he de layed his shot long enough for Alan Finley to get in the way. Shrewsbury's cultured attacks in the first half were often good to watch but their usually deadly Scots striker, John McGinlay could not add to his 16-goal tally. True, he was robbed once only by a splendid split second tackle by Shaun Taylor taking the ball off his toe inches out, and when McGinlay raced through solo later, having rounded Miller, took the ball too far and could only cut in back into the keeper's hand. The most dangerous moment for Shrewsbury came in the 40th minute from their own right back Green, with McDermott boring in and facing his own goal lazily tried to tap the ball back to Steve Perks The keeper watched aghast as the ball skidded on the wrong side of the post

Shrewsbury's worst miss was in the 51st minute before Exeter got a grip on the game. Norton sent Jim Melrose clear but ta- stead of rounding Miller the striker tried to curl the ball into the empty net. It rolled inches wide. So Shrewsbury got the punishment they deserved. Scott Hiley's skidding shot severely tested Perks and in the 63rd minute the defender fashioned the chance for McDermott's shot to boom off David Moyes leg beyond the keeper's reach.

Shrewsbury Town
Perks, Green, Lynch, Kelly, Finlay, Moyes, Brown, Gorman, Melrose, McGinlay, Norton (Naughton)

Subs not used Worsley, Hartford

Exeter City: Miller, Hiley, Benjamin, McNichol, Taylor, Whitehead, Rowbotham, Bailey, McDermott, Neville, Goddard. 

Subs not used: Rogers, Eshelby 

Attendance 1,462.

• Brian McDermott earned fourth division promotion-chasers Exeter a Leyland Daf Cup second round trip to Maidstone when his 63rd minute drive took a deflection off Shrewsbury captain David Moyes on its way into the net to clinch a 1-0 win.
• Exeter City, whom Torquay United are accusing of breaking League rules over team selection in the Leyland Daf Cup, last night reached the last 16 with a 1-0 win away to Third Division Shrewsbury.
•  In The League has still not finally ruled on United's pro- test over the weakened side that City took to Bristol Rovers in their final group game last week.