Pre-Season Friendlies

22nd July 1994
Exeter 1-5 Middlesbrough 

Wilkinson carves up City
By Peter Slater 
A simple hat trick from striker Paul Wilkinson eased Middlesbrough towards a comfortable win in their first ever meeting with Exeter City. 

Exeter led through Stuart Storer's 26th-minute goal until first-half stoppage time but, with Boro boss Bryan Robson sitting in the grandstand. In stoppage time, Wilkinson escaped the close attention of new Exeter skipper the uncompromising Mark Came, to head the equaliser. City were ran ragged by the Division One outfit in the second half Wilkinson, who had headed the leveller, sparked a match-clinching spree of three goals in six minutes with a 60th-minute tap-in. He then completed his hatrick with a penalty before an easy header from Craig Hignett ended the scoring. Earlier, teenager Martin Phillips, gliding over the sorry clover patch which is masquerading as the Park, surface, provided most of the early fun for a 2,134 crowd.

As Phillips dazzled, it was Storer who produced the vital cutting edge, cruising free to put City ahead. In stoppage time, Wilkinson escaped the close attention of new Exeter skipper the uncompromising Mark Came, to head the equalise