THE MOXEY REPORT

Saturday 8th September 2007

Blue Square Premier League

Exeter City 1 Cambridge United 1

Ο n a stiflingly hot afternoon two of the division's heavyweights serve up a real slobberknocker with honours ending even at 1-1 in front of an eager and well voiced 3, 197 at the Park.

The first thing to notice was not only the change in personnel, but for the first time this season a change in formation with manager Tisdale opting for a more conventional 4-3-3 with Tully dropping back to orthodox full back as opposed to wing back. An injured Bertie Cozic made way for Frankie Artus, and up front after his majestic double strike at Oxford, Richard Logan was preferred to Steve Basham.

As it was all of this seemed immaterial as Cambridge came storming out of the blocks forcing a series of corners and enjoying a lot of possession in and around the City box. It has to be said little came of it and Marriott was largely untroubled by it all, but soon enough City had weathered the storm and began to create a few chances themselves.

In the fifth minute Deano launched a throw into the box from the left that found Mackie central in the box. He bought the ball back towards Deano but just couldn't get around the ball properly and his hook to goal lacked any real direction or strength and was an easy claim for the keeper.

Two minutes later Mackie was in again when a long hoick downfield saw him and a defender chasing. As the defender slipped Mackie saw his opportunity, but before he had chance to capitalise the defender recovered sufficiently to put Mackie off his shot which he dragged wastefully wide.

In the tenth minute City took a deserved lead. A superb Tully cross field ball to Mackie was then slightly overhit towards the far post. The chance looked gone but City persisted and the ball was laid off to Logan on the edge of the box. Desperate defending blocked two efforts, but only succeeded in supplying Mackie two yards to Logan's left. Mackie guided a powerful daisycutter into the far corner through a crowd of player to register his first goal of the season and put City 1-0 up and cue a bizarre robot dance like celebration in front of the home dug out!

Three minutes later one almost became two when Stansfield beat the offside trap chasing a long punt downfield. As he and the keeper converged, Stansfield tried a cheeky chip over the keeper but he was just too close and the keeper got fingertips to the attempted lob.

For the next twenty five minutes or so the goal action dried up completely as the two midfields cancelled each other out completely, but in the 40th minute City had a glorious chance to double their lead. Stansfield was invited to scamper down the right and faced a lumbering defender. As he slipped, in Stansfield nipped to deliver the most delicious low driven cross across the face of the goal. Fancying a bit of that, Logan bust a gut to get to the far post, but a deflection off a Cambridge defender meant he missed it by millimetres and it was away for a corner. Remember Gazza against Germany in Euro 96 at Wembley in that famous semi final? Well, that was Logan then The first real action came in the fifth minute with City attacking the Bank. Matt Gill had a free kick some 25 yards out to the left of goal, and while the big lads piled in, instead of banging the ball in there, Gill cleverly slid it down the edge of the box for Deano to run round onto. His sumptuous ball across the box evaded onrushing City attackers, and disappointingly also narrowly evaded the far post too.

As the first goal of the game was scored in the tenth minute of the first half, so the second goal of the game was scored in the tenth minute of the second half. Unfortunately though, it wasn't the one to put us 2-0 up, it was one for Cambridge to make it 1- 1. After a bit of sustained pressure Cambridge earned a corner on the right. It was whipped in superbly towards the near post where Scott Rendell rose highest to glance home in text book fashion from a mere two yards out.

A couple of quick fire substitutions followed with first Logan and then Artus making way for Basham and Elam respectively, and almost immediately City were on the attack again. A ferociously driven Gill corner was met fully by Taylor fifteen yards out but he couldn't guide his header sufficiently and it drifted narrowly wide.

More midfield thrust and counter thrust followed from both sides before City's next chance came with ten minutes remaining. As Elam burst into the box, the ball was pinging about all over the place. Eventually a defender slashed a clearance but straight at Elam where it ricocheted back into the arms of a grateful keeper stood at the near post.

Five minutes later it was Rico's turn to get on the action sending a superb looping header toward goal from another driven Gill corner, but with the keeper beaten a defender rose superbly to head the ball away from under the crossbar, then a second defender headed away again to make sure the bustling Taylor didn't get any afters at the far post.

In the 41st minute Elam set off on a mazy run form the left cutting in to the corner of the box before firing a 20 yard rocket narrowly wide of the angle of post and bar, but in a frantic last five minutes (plus four minutes stoppage time), it wasn't all City's way.

First a sweeping Cambridge move saw the ball pumped in from the right where a superbly guided header from the edge of the box was spectacularly tipped over by Marriott, then a Deano free kick at the other end released Elam down the left to crash a low exocet inches past the far post as the defence tried to organise itself. Other chances petered out to nothing as both sides went for the win, but in the end the ref saw enough and called time on proceedings at about five to five.

So two points dropped or one gained? According to manager Tisdale on the radio afterwards it was very much two points dropped. To a fashion I agree with him, but sometimes you just have to acknowledge the opposition's ability to prevent you playing your normal game. Not that Cambridge came content to play spoiling tactics, the had no little desire to win the game themselves, and they have some awfully big and bustling players in their line up.

Match Details 

Exeter: Marriott, Richardson, Edwards, Matt Taylor, Tully, Gill, Artus (Elam 65), Moxey, Stansfield, Logan (Basham 59), Mackie.
Subs Not Used: Jones, Friend, Sercombe.

Goals: Mackie 11.

Cambridge Utd: Potter, Albrighton, Morrison, Hoyte (Peters 71), Gleeson, Wolleaston, Quinton (Convery 60), Reed (Stephen Smith 69), Pitt, Fortune-West, Rendell.
Subs Not Used: Hyem, Willmott.

Booked: Fortune-West, Reed, Stephen Smith.

Goals: Rendell 55.

Att: 3,197

Ref: D Sheldrake (Midlands).