Signing needed now to bolster crumbling defence-

DEFENDER PLEA BY CITY BOSS

Exeter 0
Cardiff City 2
(Hemmerman, Hatton)

Matcb Report by Trina Lake 

EXETER CITY manager Brian Godfrey asked the club's directors today for more money to bring a defender in on loan before Saturday's home game against Bournemouth. The City boss had no idea what the reaction would be with the club already in financial trouble but if anything could sway the board Saturday's performance by the makeshift side defeated at home by Cardiff City should have. Exeter were down to just 12 viable choices to face Cardiff when Stan McEwan failed a fitness test on his injured groin before the kick off and as many as five of them would not normally have played if things had been brighter on the injury front. But it will not be how Exeter struggled or Cardiff didn't that this game will be remembered. Sadly the fans will best recall a vio- lent 17th minute clash that led to two players being sent off. After an aimless start the game erupted into ugly scenes that led to Exeter's Welsh striker Ray Pratt and Cardiff defender Gary Bennett earning their marching orders. Keith Viney was being booked for a foul on Dave Bennett when his brother Gary Bennett and Pratt began swapping punches and after brief consultation with his linesman. Portsmouth referee Alan Robinson had no hesitation in ordering both players off. After hearing his player's side of the story, Godfrey did not exactly exonerate Pratt but sympathised wholeheartedly with him. "It's impossible not to retaliate when somebody punches you in the face. Ray was innocent to start with he stuck up for himself," said Godfrey. With both sides reduced to 10 men the game con- tinued scrappily but Cardiff, already forced to reshuffle their defence when full back Linden Jones failed a fitness test on a hamstring injury, adapted better to the loss of yet another defender. But they didn't look anything like the sort of side that has forced themselves so convincingly to challenge for leadership of the Third Division.

Although their defence coped fairly comfortably with City's limited strike threat they looked pretty disjointed going forward and leading scorer Jeff Hemmerman might have. done better with three. chances. He put one straight at goalkeeper Len Bond, fired another shot wide, and the other over the bar into a large and noisy band of Cardiff fans. Exeter, with skipper John Delve battling hard to win some much needed possession in midfield, carved out a couple of good chances of their own. Nick Marker came bursting out of defence and fed Aidan Gibson on the left wing. His cross was met on the full by the unmarked Peter Rogers, pushed further forward with Pratt off, but he blasted his shot well wide with time to spare. Gibson, who had a lively game on the left, was guilty of squandering another chance close to half time. He was perhaps a little fortunate to get on the end of a penetrating City move that almost broke down on the edge of Cardiff's penalty area but he shot wide when he should have done better and at least go into their box. Exeter almost caught their visitors cold at the start of the second half when Marker came up for a corner and volleyed the ball just past the angle of post and crossbar with defenders slow to close in. A few minutes later the tireless Steve Neville looked to be clean through when Cardiff defender Jimmy Mullen caught his heels and sent him crashing down. Mullen protested his innocence and Neville was quick to jump to his defence but the Cardiff defender must have held his breath when Mr Robinson reached for this book, fearing he might be the third man sent for an early bath. The foul earned him only a booking however. Cardiff began to string together some more probing moves to test City and were rewarded with the opening goal in the 52nd minute. Hemmerman, passed fit on the morning of the game after groin injury, a headed his 20th goal of the season, a simple chance from Phil Dwyer's flick header on from Dave Tong's corner. Cardiff made sure of a repeat scoreline from the first fixture between the two clubs earlier this season and secured those three valuable Third Division points 10 minutes later. The much travelled Bob Hatton, reputed to have had more clubs than Tony Jacklin, scored a bizarre looking goal to seal Exe- ter's fate and inflict their third successive home defeat. Hemmerman crossed from the right and as he fell backwards Hatton somehow managed to flick the ball up in the air and looping over the diving Bond, who managed to get a hand to it but could only help it into the net. Graeme Kirkup, who managed only two days training this week after a bout of flu and did'nt have the happiest return to the first team, claims he was fouled by Hatton as they went for the cross. He sensibly controlled his emotions however. The last thing City need right now is another player. cautioned and adding to their disciplinary black book. Pratt became the fourth Exeter player to be dismis- sed this season and will be banned from 14 days after his sending off. And Martyn Rogers, booked for a foul on Tong in the second half, is also in line for suspension for topping the 21 disciplinary points mark. He can never be faulted for effort however and that is something that one or two City players would do well to learn from as the club struggles against the overwhelming tide of injuries and financial troubles. They need 100 per cent commitment from all 11 men to see them through this difficult period and without that Godfrey hardly has the credibility to ask for more money from his directors. But ask he must as the injury problems continue to plague the club. Nick Marker was forced to come off on Saturday but it was not the knee that has forced him to miss regular training for more than a fortnight. He took a whack on the ankle to add to his problems and forced Godfrey to use substitute Dave Harle, carrying an ankle injury that needs rest, against his better judgment. A loan defender could go a long way to easing some of City's worries. "We've got to get somebody it's crucial," said Godfrey.

Exeter: Bond, Kirkup, Marker, M. Rogers, Viney, Delve, Pullar, P. Rogers, Gibson, Neville, Pratt.
Sub: Harle (on for Marker).

Cardiff: Dibble, Bodin, Mullen, Tong, G. Bennett, Dwyer, D. Bennett, Gibbins, Hatton, Hemmerman, Lewis.
Sub: Maddy.

Attendance: 4,019.