Brave Bond makes Bowker's two worthwhile

Shrewsbury Town 2 
(O'Loughlin, Bates)
Exeter City 2 
(Bowker 2) 

Attendance 3097

21st December 1974 

EXETER twice came from behind to extend their unbeaten League run to seven games with a thoroughly polished performance. But they owe a lot to goalkeeper Len Bond, on loan from Bristol City, for keeping goal-hungry Shrewsbury at bay at the height of the town's pressure spell.

Bond alone defied Shrewsbury as the Fourth Division pace-makers turned on two devastating periods of attack-one in each half.

But City rode the storm and lifted their own game to expose deficiencies in the Shrewsbury defence with Lammie and Robertson and Keith Bowker the power men behind the Exeter performance. Exeter were a goal down inside ten minutes when Shrewsbury youngster Nigel O'Loughlin scored his first goal for the club. He moved on to a cross from Alan Tarbuck and blasted the ball clear of the helpless Bond. That goal sparked Shrewsbury to even greater efforts and Bond showed his worth with top bracket saves to thwart Haywood and Durban, but he knew nothing about a fierce 20-yarder from Durban, which cannoned against the upright with such force that it cleared itself without defensive assistance. City equalised in the 53rd minute, just after Shrewsbury had been forced into a defensive reshuffle following an injury to four strongman, Turner, who was hurt in a collision with fellow defender Roberts. Robertson, unlucky not to score when a long drive rebounded off Kearney, had the satisfaction of paving the way for Bowker. He rounded Kearney to lay a perfect ball in Bowker's path and the City striker made ground before steering a perfect goal past Mulhearn. After this Exeter went on the defensive, inviting Shrewsbury to come at them. Not surprisingly Shrewsbury obliged with an all-out assault on the City defensive wall. Exeter held out until the 70th minute when Shrewsbury took the lead again with the best goal of the match. Irvine and Durban, deep in defence, played them- selves out of trouble with a great one-two, Durban finally sending Bates clear with a perfectly flighted pass. The Shrewsbury striker rode two challenges, and with Giles breathing down his neck cut across the penalty area to give himself space before unleashing a tremendous left foot drive well clear of the advancing Bond. Bond was in action again to grab a speculative ball from King before Exeter, forced to move forward again, split the Shrewsbury defence to allow the lively Bowker to score an 80th minute equaliser with a shot which was deflected past Mulhearn. Bowker might have had a hat-trick a bit later when he swept through three players to finally force a point-blank save from Mulhearn. At the other end Shrewsbury threw, everything into a last desperate attack, and Bond did a similar rescue act to frustrate Bates. It was a well balanced performance by Exeter, who on this showing look set for a further climb up the league table.

Penzance 3-2 Exeter City Reserves 
South Western League Cup R1

NOT SO SMOOTH FOR PENZANCE

THIS first round Penzance win under flood- lights in the South Western League Cup was not as slender as the final score suggests.

Penzance, unbeaten in South Western League and League Cup this season, led by two clear goals for most of the game. Exeter, who never gave up trying, had their last goal with the last kick of the match. The Cornishmen had plenty of first-half style and a 2-0 interval lead. It was from a cross by Malcolm Lock that Geoff Lee put in a diving header for the opening goal, and Lock had a corner deflected into goal by a defender for the next. After a quarter of an hour of the second half Peter King slipped in a goal for Exeter and this was the cue for some steady Exeter pressure. With Tony Kellow running strongly for Penzance another goal seemed certain and it came when Lock curled in a superb shot. Willie Thomas and Terry Williams were only inches wide with other Penzance attempts in the last 10 minutes. After King had almost scored with a lob he had Exeter's second in the final second.