Shakes ended by Beer

Exeter City 1, Darlington 0

ALAN BEER'S 16th goal of the season saved Exeter City's Fourth Division embarrassment - but he left it mighty late.

There was only three minutes left when Wellington-born Nicky Jennings swung over a corner and Beer made a good run to score from a fine header.

It kept Exeter City high in the promotion stakes, but they certainly had the jitters and were somewhat fortunate to come out with both points. Exeter did not play well in the first half when they failed to put their game together, and it was not until the last 15 minutes they really got into a more fluent rhythm.

Before that Peter Hatch twice cleared off the line to save Exeter and if Darlington had been sharper in front of goal, they might well have caused a real upset.

2nd Report 

EXETER continued their push for promotion from the Fourth Division with a 1-0 win over Darlington. Alan Beer snatched the vital goal four minutes from time. Now they face tough away games at Barnsley tomorrow and Doncaster on Saturday and will spend the week at a leisure complex in the Derbyshire dales.

"The lads have got enough pressure on them without travelling up and down between here and Yorkshire twice in a few days," says player-manager Bobby Saxton, Saxton admits Exeter are not playing well now. But it's vital they keep on grinding out results - for SWANSEA are breathing down their necks.

The free scoring Swans kept their own hopes alive and brought their season's tally of League goals to 85 with a 3-1 win at Workington