Exeter draw eight-goal thriller

Bristol Rovers 4 
(Randall 2, Holloway, Viney o.g.)

Exeter City 4
(P. Rogers 2, Delve, McEwan)


Attendance 8,160

Exeter City gave another very fine Exeter manager Brian Godfrey warmly praised the character of his players after they had checked Bristol Rovers' promotion drive in an eight goal thriller at Eastville. "I told them at the start of the week we would get nothing from our games with Argyle and Rovers unless they showed 100 per cent commitment,” said the former Rovers skipper. "I got the response I wanted in both matches. The lads showed great spirit in coming back from 4-2 down away from home to draw level. And we were the team fighting the harder for the winner come the end."

The see-sawing goal spree provided marvellous holiday entertainment for the bumper crowd of 8,160. Exeter were ahead after only four minutes. An angled drive from Dave Pullar on the keft was pushed over the bar by keeper Phil Kite. As Pullar took the resulting corner, the ball was knocked down in the goalmouth and stabbed home from close range by Peter Rogers. Rovers were level within three minutes but Paul Randall appeared well offside when he ran onto a David Williams through-ball to beat Len Bond.

Bristol-born Peter Rogers quickly restored Exeter's lead with a running header from a left wing centre by the impressive Steve Neville and it needed a plucky save at his feet by Kite to prevent Rogers completing a quick-fire hat-trick. But late in the half came a shattering five minute spell for Exeter. Two Mike Barratt corners from the left brought headed goals for Randall and teenager Ian Holloway.

Two minutes from the break, Bond could only push out a Barrett blockbuster. The ball hit the luckless Keith Viney and rebounded off him over the line. But Exeter's hopes were revived six minutes into the second half when skipper John Delve spotted Kite off his line and chipped a shot over him from the edge of the penalty area. Then, 20 minutes from the end, the scores were levelled when Stan McEwan lashed home a spectacular 25 yard volley as a free kick by Martyn Rogers was only partially cleared by Rovers' defence.