MONDAY 22nd NOVEMBER 1976

HEARTBREAK FOR CITY IN THE CUP

F.A. CUP FIRST ROUND REPLAY

Southend United 2 Exeter City 1 (after extra-time)

Southend United team: Freeman, Banks, Ford, Laverick, Moody, Young, Pountney, Goodwin, Parker, Hadley, Little.

Exeter City team: Key, Hore, Hooker, Morrin, Saxton, Hatch, Weeks, Kellow, Robertson, Holman (Hodge), Jennings.

Southend scorers: Parker, Hadley. Exeter scorer: Kellow.

Attendance: 6,604

Exeter City have a dismal record in the FA Cup if recent seasons are taken into account. For this defeat at Southend now means they have gone five successive seasons without reaching round two. However, almost all the spectators inside Roots Hall, would probably agree that on this occasion the Grecians did not deserve to lose and another draw would have been a fairer result.

The Grecians fought and worked so hard throughout the game, and were holding out for a second replay when Southend snatched the winner five minutes from the end of extra-time through Hadley. Exeter had settled quickly and gave as good as they took. There was no let up in the game, and by half time it was still goalless. City worked and battled hard against a Southend side defending an unbeaten home record this season.

Their reward came in the 63rd minute when Harry Holman's 25-yard drive was only partially saved and Tony Kellow followed up to take an easy chance. Southend struck back almost immediately, equalising six minutes later. It was a disputed goal which was awarded by the linesman. Lammie Robertson claimed he had cleared Parker's header off the City goal line, but the linesman disagreed.

The game went into a period of extra-time, and in the 98th minute Hadley seemed to have put Southend ahead with a superb cross shot, but to City's relief the ball rebounded off the crossbar. However, Hadley then broke City's hearts when he netted the decisive and winning goal in the 115th minute of the tie.