Outstanding Performance By Colchester Winger

Brings About the City's Downfall

Friday December 9th 1977.

Layer Road, Colchester.

Colchester United 3 Exeter City 1.

An outstanding performance by Allinson, the Colchester left winger, was mainly responsible for Exeter's defeat on Friday evening.

Colchester were slow to settle, and in the opening half hour the City appeared quite capable of snatching a draw, or even a surprise win. But once Allinson had got into his stride there was never much doubt as to the final result of the match, which was played at a furious pace with both sides pursuing an all-out attacking policy.

At half-time the home side were leading 1-0 and Exeter had lost the services of Peter Hatch, who was carried off on a stretcher with his ankle and shin-bone badly bruised.

Jennings came on as the "sub" after the interval, and it was from that player's pass that Holman slammed home the City's equalising goal.

Allinson, who gave Templeman a night he will want to forget, then came into his own, time and again sweeping past Exeter's defenders at will, and providing the passes from which Gough and Garwood obtained their team's second and third goals

Colchester:- Walker; Cook and Wignall; Dowman, Williams, and Leslie; Packer, Garwood, Gough, Froggatt, and Allinson.

Exeter City:- Key; Templeman and Hore; Bowker, Roberts, and Hatch; Weeks, Kellow, Randell, Heale, and Holman.