Match 48
1st April 1986
Torquay United (away)
TORQUAY UNITED 1 EXETER CITY 2 Fourth Division, 1 April 1986
(Attendance 2,555)
United (4-4-2): Dave Fry; Derek Fowler, Paul Compton, Steve Wright, Steve Pugh; Dave West, Steve Pyle, Derek Dawkins, Mark Loram; Steve Phillips, Mario Walsh; Manager: Stuart Morgan.
City (4-3-3): John Shaw; Jim McNichol, Aiden McCaffrey, Nicky Marker, Keith Viney; Martin Ling, Danny Keough, Gary Jackson; Tony Kellow, Warren Ward. Steve Harrower; Manager: Colin Appleton.
Before this derby, Torquay had lost only three of their last 13 League games, but still remained adrift at the foot of the table in the face of similar revivals by their fellow strugglers. It seemed that nothing short of a miracle of Biblical proportions could save them from finishing bottom of the table for the second successive season. The Gulls had brought home a point from St James Park four days earlier, after fighting back from being two goals down in the first four minutes, and a win in the return could push Exeter City dangerously close to the re-election zone. The Plainmoor crowd was the lowest ever for a League derby between the sides, yet it was United's highest gate of the season.
The Grecians were by far the brighter side and should have been two or three goals up by half-time. Goalkeeper Dave Fry had to deal with shots from Warren Ward and Gary Jackson, and raced off his line to save from Ward and Tony Kellow. City's best effort came in the fifteenth minute, when Jim McNichol headed a Gary Jackson corner against the near post. Veteran striker Tony Kellow fired wide in the thirty-fourth minute, and Martin Ling and Jim McNichol both had shots blocked before Steve Phillip ended a frustrating half for the visitors with a snap-shot on the turn which flew wide. These misses appeared costly when United were awarded a penalty five minutes after the break. Mark Loram beat Jim McNichol on the left and hoisted a high cross to the far post, where Mario Walsh was pushed by defender Nicky Marker. Steve Phillips hammered the spot-kick past John Shaw to give the Gulls an unconvincing lead.
City stormed back to level within five minutes when Fry stopped, but failed to hold, Jim McNichol's header from a Martin Ling corner. Opportunist Tony Kellow was first to react and toe-poked the ball home from close range. Both sides seemed to have settled for a point until City were presented with all three of them after seventy-seven minutes. Martin Ling cut in from the right wing and hit a weak left-foot shot from 20 yards, which bobbled over the outstretched hand of a mortified Dave Fry.
Exeter's derby victory condemned their neighbours to seek re-election and the Gulls remained rooted to the bottom of the table, winning only one of their remaining nine games. The Grecians seemed to have pulled away from the danger zone, but a string of poor results sucked them back to fourth from bottom.
(Attendance 2,555)
United (4-4-2): Dave Fry; Derek Fowler, Paul Compton, Steve Wright, Steve Pugh; Dave West, Steve Pyle, Derek Dawkins, Mark Loram; Steve Phillips, Mario Walsh; Manager: Stuart Morgan.
City (4-3-3): John Shaw; Jim McNichol, Aiden McCaffrey, Nicky Marker, Keith Viney; Martin Ling, Danny Keough, Gary Jackson; Tony Kellow, Warren Ward. Steve Harrower; Manager: Colin Appleton.
Before this derby, Torquay had lost only three of their last 13 League games, but still remained adrift at the foot of the table in the face of similar revivals by their fellow strugglers. It seemed that nothing short of a miracle of Biblical proportions could save them from finishing bottom of the table for the second successive season. The Gulls had brought home a point from St James Park four days earlier, after fighting back from being two goals down in the first four minutes, and a win in the return could push Exeter City dangerously close to the re-election zone. The Plainmoor crowd was the lowest ever for a League derby between the sides, yet it was United's highest gate of the season.
The Grecians were by far the brighter side and should have been two or three goals up by half-time. Goalkeeper Dave Fry had to deal with shots from Warren Ward and Gary Jackson, and raced off his line to save from Ward and Tony Kellow. City's best effort came in the fifteenth minute, when Jim McNichol headed a Gary Jackson corner against the near post. Veteran striker Tony Kellow fired wide in the thirty-fourth minute, and Martin Ling and Jim McNichol both had shots blocked before Steve Phillip ended a frustrating half for the visitors with a snap-shot on the turn which flew wide. These misses appeared costly when United were awarded a penalty five minutes after the break. Mark Loram beat Jim McNichol on the left and hoisted a high cross to the far post, where Mario Walsh was pushed by defender Nicky Marker. Steve Phillips hammered the spot-kick past John Shaw to give the Gulls an unconvincing lead.
City stormed back to level within five minutes when Fry stopped, but failed to hold, Jim McNichol's header from a Martin Ling corner. Opportunist Tony Kellow was first to react and toe-poked the ball home from close range. Both sides seemed to have settled for a point until City were presented with all three of them after seventy-seven minutes. Martin Ling cut in from the right wing and hit a weak left-foot shot from 20 yards, which bobbled over the outstretched hand of a mortified Dave Fry.
Exeter's derby victory condemned their neighbours to seek re-election and the Gulls remained rooted to the bottom of the table, winning only one of their remaining nine games. The Grecians seemed to have pulled away from the danger zone, but a string of poor results sucked them back to fourth from bottom.
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