Two Early Goals - Gillingham Player Ordered Off

Saturday April 8th 1978.

St James's Park, attendance 4,000.

EXETER CITY 2 GILLINGHAM 1.

In this afternoon's Third Division game at St James's Park Exeter City gained two badly needed points, and a crowd of just below 4,000 saw a first half packed with incidents. Both sides scored in the opening minutes, but in less than half an hour the Gillingham side was reduced to ten men when Young was sent off the field by Mr Salman for a bad foul on Holman. There was a sensational start, Gillingham taking the lead with the game less than a minute old. Key fisted out a shot from Price but was left standing as Nicholl slammed the ball straight into the net from the rebound. It was the worst possible start for Exeter, but two minutes later they hit back. Giles headed Templeman's centre on to Bowker, who slipped the ball neatly into the net with a low shot from twelve yards. Templeman was also concerned in the second goal, scored by Kellow in the 30th minute with a superbly taken header.

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

Gillingham:- Hillyard; Knight and Buttress;
Overton, Young, and Crabbe;
Nicholl, Weatherly, Price, Westwood, and Hughes.

Referee: - Mr K.G.Salman.


Dick Forbes, the Friernhay midfield player, who has been assisting the City Reserves this season, has signed on for Exeter as a professional.