SUNDAY, 5th OCTOBER, 1986 Sunday Independent

ACROBATIC SHAW SAVES THE DAY

Exeter City used up a whole season's worth of luck to keep their unbeaten record intact at Rochdale, and as the players trooped off the field you could see the visitors breathing a huge sigh of relief. Both Taylor and Wakenshaw should have got their names on the scoresheet in the first half but for bad shooting and good goalkeeping from City's John Shaw.

Although City battled to stay in the game during the first half, they hardly appeared in it during the second 45 minutes. Rochdale took control and piled on the pressure but they couldn't get the ball in the net, even when they were awarded a penalty, when Shaw pulled off a remarkable save. Colin Appleton must have been dying a thousand deaths in the dug out as he saw Rochdale sweep forward and repeatedly creating chance after chance. Only twice did Exeter manage to break away. Steve Harrower in the dying minutes blasted another long range shot which brought a superb save from Redfern.