The City slickers

By ROY MORGAN

Shrewsbury 0 Exeter 2

EXETER, smooth running and confident, put the skids under struggling Shrewsbury in a one-way first half, then sat back to defend the points. The man who did the damage, striker Alan Beer, played only 43 minutes. Beer, who had the Shrewsbury back four chasing shadows, was involved in both goals before limping off with suspected ligament trouble a big blow to this slick-look- ing City outfit, now unbeaten since last Easter. Beer's absence clearly upset Exeter's rhythm after half-time but by then the damage had been done. The busy Beer was twice close to scoring in the opening 10 minutes and he flashed another shot into the side nettting. Then, sent clear by Saxton, he burst clear of the Shrewsbury defence yet again. His shot rebounded off Mulhearn and Atkins put the ball into his own net. Soon afterwards Beer hammered a drive against the angle of bar and post and Kellow sidefooted the ball past Mulhearn. Town brought on striker Loughnane in place of Hornsby but still Exeter held them. They had just a few anxious moments. Hore hammered a shot from Bates off the line and Hatch did a similar rescue act from a goal-bound header.

Exeter went close to a third goal when substitute Holman forced Mulhearn to a brilliant save.

SHREWSBURY:
Mulhearn 7- Leonard 7, Griffin 6, Atkins 6. Roberts 6, TURNER 8. Hornsby (w'dn) 6, Irvine 6 Nixon 6. Bates 6, Maguire 5. Sub, Laughnane G.

EXETER:
Baugh 7-Temple- man 7, Saxton 7. Hatch 7. Hore 6-Hodge 7. Robertson 7. Bowker 7-Kellow 7, BEER (inj) 8. Jennings 7. Sub.: Holman 7.

Referre  N. Glover (Chorley) 8