BLUE SQUARE PREMIER:
Exeter City 4 Torquay United 3

United are their own worst enemies


By DAVID THOMAS at St James' Park

WAY, WAY below their best, just when Gulls fans desperately wanted them to be on top of their game, Torquay United pressed the self-destruct button in a Devon derby thriller against ten-man Exeter City at St. James' Park yesterday. Given the haphazard defending on show, on both sides, it was a miracle that the goal-aggregate didn't hit double-figures.

For even though they trailed 2-0 at half-time and then 4-1 with less than 20 minutes to go, United still had enough chances to earn at least a point. They scored through former City players Chris Todd and Lee Phillips and Kevin Nicholson, and the Grecians spent the closing stages hanging on for dear life. But too much damage had already been done for United to save themselves. Exeter also played the last half-hour with ten men after defender Danny Seaborne was dismissed for an off-the-ball set-to with United striker Tim Sills. Even at 3-1 down, Torquay were visibly still in it, but a moment of costly indecision by United's former Exeter goalkeeper Martin Rice only four minutes later handed Jamie Mackie's second goal to the Grecians' in-form striker on a plate. Mackie, who has now scored ten goals in his last ten games, gave United problems all afternoon. From the first whistle United, who went for Chris Robertson over Tony Bedeau at right-back and Ishmael Welsh for Danny Stevens on the wing, did not play at their usual aggressive tempo. A couple of rattling early tackles by former Gulls right-back Steve Tully hinted that we might be in for some real fireworks. Welsh's first cross never made it, and City left-back Rob Edwards' first challenge on Chris Zebroski left United's winger needing treatment for a shoulder knock. It was not a good start, yet United should still have taken the lead in the 14th minute. Phillips brushed Tully aside, on a through-ball by Chris Hargreaves, went round goalie Paul Jones and was thwarted by Seaborne's last-ditch block in front of the open goal. Most of the first quarter was fairly cagey stuff, but in the 23rd minute United were badly caught out by a simple City attack. Steve Basham came short and volleyed the ball over the Gullsdefence, and Mackie was away between Steve Woods and Nicholson. Mackie's first touch wasn't the best, but he was still allowed to get the ball under good enough control to smash it past Rice with an angled right-foot shot from ten yards.1-0. Eleven minutes later, following a good Woods tackle on Mackie, City took a corner from their left. Defender Matt Taylor nodded down Matt Gillsflag-kick at the far-post, one shot was blocked, but the ball fell kindly for Dean Moxey to roof it with his left foot from eight yards..2-0. Realising that United's bark was proving worse than their bite and growing in confidence with every minute, City put together their best spell of the match. Crucially, they supported their strikers better than United did. And the Gulls seldom turned the City defence, giving Phillips the sort of stuff he loves to chase. Rice held long-range efforts from Carlisle and Basham, and it was almost the interval before United created only their second good chance of the half. Robertson crossed deep from the right and Hargreaves popped up unmarked at the far post and headed narrowly wide. "Buckle, Buckle what's the score?" chanted City fans at their old player-coach as the stony-faced Torquay boss followed his players down the tunnel. United had to hit back early in the second half. And they did. Lee Mansell's touched free-kick from outside the area Nicholson for a rasping sew drive, and the ball came low back off Jones, hit Seaborne and bounced over for a corner. Mansell took it from the left, City only half-cleared, Hargreaves nodded the ball back into the goalmouth and Todd eventually looped a ten-yard header over Jones...2-1. It was Todd's seventh goal of the season. Buckle sent on right winger Stevens for Welsh, shifted Phillips to the left at first and Zebroski up front. Sills had a goalbound snapshot blocked. But in the 56th minute, with game still very much on, United were badly caught out by a City counter-attack. Carlisle ran with the ball out of defence, put Mackie away down the right, he cut back inside Nicholson and then crossed with the outside of his right foot. Carlisle had kept running into the box, Mackie's ball could hardly have been better timed and it flew in off Carlisle's head at the near-post with Rice still coming off his line for a catch...3-1. Two minutes later Sills and Seaborne had a disagreement off the ball. Sills appeared to kick out at the young City defender, who reacted by shoving his face into Sills'. Sills went down - Grecians fans howled that he'd gone to ground too easily, but he did leave the ground with a plaster over a wound to his upper lip. Referee Phil Gibbs andjust as important, his linesman had all the evidence they needed and Seaborne was shown the red card. He'll now miss the return derby at Plainmoor on New Year's Day. Two goals behind with half-an-hour to go against ten men was still eminently do-able for United. Yet only four minutes later they gave Exeter another Christmas present. Tully's overhit through-ball must have been 60-40 in Rice's favour. But he started, stopped, tried to get back, ended up in no man's land and Mackie, who was ready to give up the cause a second or two earlier, could hardly believe his luck...4-1. In the space of 12 minutes, we'd had three goals and a sending-offAnd United were further away from a result than ever. Buckle switched Phillips to the right wing and Stevens to the left, with Bedeau for Robertson at right-back. It was all or nothing now, with Stevens's fresh legs the big hope. Basham cleared off the City line from Stevens. In the 71st minute Stevens crossed from the left and Phillips powered a free far-post header past Jones...4-2 It was Phillips eleventh goal of the season. Seven minutes later Edwards, under pressure from Phillips, passed back. If Jones had been in any doubt, he should have kicked it, but he picked it up. With City stretched out along their own goalline, Mansell touched the free-kick to Nicholson, who belted it home from just off the penalty spot...4-3. For the last 12 minutes, plus three of stoppage time, United poured it on. Most of the telling passes came from Nicholson one to Stevens, who cut in and had a shot deflected agonisingly wide, another up for Zebroski to nod down and Sills to fire off-target From a Nicholson long throw, Hargreaves header was cleared off the line by Andy Taylor Todd joined the attack. Stevens' shot was blocked by Edwards and, in the very last minute, Stevens beat Tully on the left and, with teammates howling for the ball to be pulled back, tried to beat Jones at his near post. Jones just about scrambled the ball away United had finished strongly as they always do, but that old 'Destruct' button had already been pressed too often.

DERBY MATCH FACTS

EXETER CITY (4-4-2):
Jones; Tully, M. Taylor, Seaborne, Edwards; Carlisle, A. Taylor, Gill, Moxey; Mackie, Basham (Stansfield 74mins); subs not used- Marriott (gk), Elam, Richardson, Logan.

TORQUAY UNITED (4-4-2):
Rice; Robertson (Bedeau 67mins), Todd, Woods, Nicholson; Zebroski, Mansell, Hargreaves, Welsh (Stevens 54mins); Sills, Phillips; subs not used-Rayner (gk), Benyon, Hockley.

REFEREE: Mr. P. Gibbs (West Midlands).

Sending-Off: City - Seaborne (violent conduct 58mins).
Bookings: City - Carlisle (foul 27mins), Edwards (foul 31mins); United - Woods (foul 87mins).

ATTENDANCE: 7,839.

STATISTICS:
Fouls- City 15, United 12;
Offsides City 3, United 5;
Corners - City 6, United 9;
Shots/Headers On Target - City 6, United 7; Off Target City 2, United 8;
Hit Woodwork - none.

GOALS:
Mackie (City) 23mins (1-0),
Moxey (City) 34mins) (2-0),
Todd (United) 50mins (2-1),
Carlisle (City) 56mins (3-1),
Mackie (City) 62mins (4-1),
Phillips (United) 71mins (4-2),
Nicholson (United) 78mins (4-3).