SATURDAY 5th FEBRUARY 1977

CITY GAIN POINT AT THE LEADERS 

Cambridge United 1 Exeter City 1

Cambridge United team: Webster, Batson, Howard, Stringer, Fallon, Seddon, Watson, Spriggs, Hall, Finney, Billey.

Exeter City team: Key, Templeman, Hore, Weeks, Saxton, Hatch, Hodge, Kellow, Robertson, Beer, Jennings

Scorers: Cambridge United: Hall. Exeter City: Beer. Attendance: 4,428.

It was cheers all round for Exeter City away at top of the table Cambridge United, as they maintained their push for promotion. It also ended Alan Beer's goalless run as the striker snatched City's equaliser 10 minutes after half-time in a red-blooded Fourth Division promotion battle.

Exeter, a goal down after 15 minutes, hit back strongly with the wind at their backs in the second half, and Beer's goal was superbly taken. He swivelled on a low Bobby Hodge cross 10-yards out and side footed a precise first time shot inches inside the near post for his first goal in seven matches.

Exeter started as if they had walked all the way from Devon. For the first 20 minutes they were all at sea and it was no surprise when Cambridge centre-forward Jim Hall pounced on an Alan Billey header to shoot the home side ahead.

Bobby Saxton was a key figure as Exeter tackled and hustled fiercely in efforts to get into the game. Lammie Robertson ran the midfield for City as they came on strongly towards the end of the first half and took up the cudgels in a fluctuating second period.