BARCLAYS LEAGUE DIVISION 3

22nd December 1990

EXETER CITY 2 ROTHERHAM UNITED 0

Bottom club Rotherham, with only ten points from their first eighteen games of the season, enjoyed no luck at St. James Park, when after a determined first half performance they went behind and lost their goalkeeper in one cruel blow early in the second period. In the end it was an easy win for City. our fourth home victory of 90/91, all of them coming by the same 2-0 scoreline.

Before the kick-off there had been a warm and touching welcome for City chairman hvor Doble from the 3,752 pre-Christmas crowd. Mr. Doble came out of the tunnel with Terry Cooper shortly before the kick-off, and he received an ovation from the St. James Park crowd who seemed to be strongly backing the present City board after the results of the F.A. inquiry had been made public a couple of days earlier.

On the pitch, the better chances of a quiet opening period fell to City, with Richard Dryden getting in a header from a corner and shots from Trevor Morgan and Paul Eshelby both being deflected wide by the visitors' defence.

However, it was Rotherham who began to take control as time went on, with City seemingly struggling for ideas. Stewart Evans set up Clive Mendoncs for a first time shot which went just wide, and Shaun Goodwin came even nearer to a breakthrough with a close range valley which Kevin Miller somehow managed to get a hand to at full stretch

There was relief for City upon hearing the half-time whistle with both sides goalless, and delight when the deadlock was finally broken in the first ninety seconds of the second half. Tom Kelly floated in a testing cross from the left, which Rotherham keeper Billy Mercer could not hold and Mark Cooper banged home the loose ball. In trying to make amends for his error, Mercer had twisted awkwardly Injuring his back, and after receiving treatment he was stretchered off the pitch.

Andy Barnsley took over in the Millers' goal, and shortly before the hour mark he was beaten, Richard Dryden went down the left, and centred the ball to present Trevor Morgan with the easiest of op portunities from sen yards out

The game faded a little in the last half hour, with City understandably grateful for the three points and the visitors doubtless ruing the bad luck which had condemned the to yet another sway defeat.