7th November 2009

Nuneaton 0-4 Exeter City 

F.A. Cup First Round


Attendance: 2452 (and about 200 police officers)

Match Day by Kirstie Bowden 

We took a trip down memory lane (and very nearly the North Devon link road thanks to our navigationally challenged driver) on route to Nuneaton. Stuck in traffic on the M5 the Doncaster Rovers team bus, containing none other than James Coppinger, drove past on route to Plymouth. Then at Michaelwood services we bumped into Truro City who were on route to Leamington Spa. With the likes of Andy Taylor, Santos Gaia, Marcus Martin, Les Afful, Martin Rice, Barry McConnell and Graeme Power in the squad and Sean McCarthy their manager, they might as well be renamed Former Grecians United.

Throughout the journey I announced that I was worried on a regular basis, scarred by Curzon Ashton, with Angie telling me to stop worrying and to engage with some "positive thinking". By the time we got there she had almost worked her magic. However, getting up to get off she dramatically announced "I'm worried!" "Positive thinking Angie, positive thinking" was my response. Programme sellers flanked the road that led to the ground and my Dad headed over to buy one. To his surprise the seller responded "You do realise this is for the rugby match don't you?", pointing to the rugby match that was taking place across the field. There, much to everyone's amusement a lorry had been converted into a stand and was parked next to the touch-line!

Inside the ground we were pleased to find that all Grecians had been provided with a free drum (of sorts) with the stand making a noise when you stamped your feet on it. As the ground filled the tannoy announced that "there is an extra refreshment hut on the main stand under the gazebo". Now, the tannoy. I like many others have moaned over the years about the quality of the SJP tannoy. Compared to Nuneatons, ours is nothing short of magnificent! It kept cutting out, leaving us all in great suspense when the teams were being announced. We heard "Number 1, Andy Marriott" but little else before it cut back in with "Oscar Jenson Jansson". Thinking we were now at the subs we were shocked to hear the announcement of the subs, including "Troy Archibald-Hen", follow his name. We were to be starting with 2 goalkeepers! The tannoy man spent the next 10 minutes repeatedly trying to announce the teams to no avail. The steward next to us provided an explanation for their problems - the microphone was borrowed from Morrisons.

Me, my Mum and Marge were stood to the far left of the goal, in the less populated area (I'm still trying to avoid head injuries) and as kick-off grew nearer a cavalcade of police congregated around us. They were a very friendly bunch, chatting away with us. One announced that he hoped that we were going to win as he had a bet on us doing so, whilst another after being told that I was taking notes for a programme article commented that I could probably take a better statement than he could. When Marge asked why there were so many police around (police dogs were even patrolling outside!) the same policeman joked that they'd received intelligence that we had a "lairy female programme writer" attending. For this comment Marge threatened to punch him. How she escaped arrest I'll never know!

As the teams lined up on the pitch (with City fielding just the one tannoy man tried one last time to list the teams in full. He failed. The first half saw City go 4-0 up much to the delight (and relief) of all Grecians present (including none other than Dean Moxey). At half-time a steward asked who we would like in the second round. He became somewhat hysterical at my response - "we're 4-0 up but I'm not totally convinced we'll end up winning". There's something inherently dodgy about the first round of the F.A. Cup and I was all too wary of us being the 'shock' result of the tie and ending up losing 5-4. It wasn't until the last minute of injury time that I turned to my Mum and said "blimey, I think we've made it!" The journey home had us dreaming of a good second round draw. Dreaming was to be the operative word there.

I'd like to dedicate this article to Colin 'Kingdom', the supporters' bus driver who died on the 8th November 2008, the day we played Curzon Ashton. Away games aren't the same without him.


Tuesday 10th November

Totesport Combination 

Exeter City Res. 1-1 Salisbury City 

James Norwood opened his Exeter Reserves account with an 84th minute equaliser to earn a below-bar City a point against Salisbury writes Pete Evans.

Bradley Gray gave the away side the lead on 82 minutes when his wonder strike from 30 yards flew in off Oscar Jansson's crossbar.

But City kept their unbeaten record intact when Norwood finished from close range after his initial shot had hit the post.

City's strong line-up had their first real chance after ten minutes when Richard Logan, playing in the hole behind the strikers, lifted in an accurate cross but Adam Stansfield's front post header hit the bar.

Stansfield then showed his trademark determination to win back the ball and weaved through defenders but his shot was right at Josh Barnett.

His strike partner Ben Watson had an enviable goalscoring record in reserve football this season and he had two chances before the break. Former City youngster Ben Osman started on the left wing for the away side and he had the ball in the net after a slick passing move but the linesman flagged for offside.

Watson had the first chance of the second half at the end of one of City's best passing moves. Logan began the move and Richard Duffy slid a ball across the box and Watson's shot had to be tipped over.

The 271 fans present thought Watson had made the breakthrough when he nipped in front of Barnett but his goalbound effort was hooked off the line. Norwood has impressed recently on his cameo appearances for the Reserves, most notably at Plymouth recently, and he came on for Watson with twenty minutes left and was soon involved, heading Neil Saunders' long ball over the bar.

Trialist centre-back Ben Adelsbury also came on but the former Swansea youngster was rarely tested.

City had been pushing hard for a late goal, but it was Salisbury striker Gray who scored arguably the best goal seen at St James Park this

season on 82 minutes. His 30-yard thunderbolt flew in off the despairing Jansson's crossbar and it seemed like City's unbeaten run in the totesport.com combination league would come to an end. Just two minutes later the Grecians were level. Saunders swung a ball in from the left wing and Norwood's effort hit the post but the lightening-quick youngster reacted quickest to fire home from close range.

Norwood had previously found that first goal elusive but he showed real striking instinct to open his City account and there were smiles all around from the fans that put their faith in the youngster through their 19/31 fund.

Exeter lined up:
Jansson, Shephard, Duffy, Saunders, Bennett, Furzer, (Adelsbury 69) Burnell, Sercombe, Stansfield, (McAllister 57) Logan, Watson. (Norwood 69).