Exeter City 3 Aldershot Town 2.

Saturday 14 February 2009.

The Moxey Report

Exeter City 3 Aldershot Town 2

On a fresh and dry winter's afternoon perfect for football, City and Aldershot served up a real slobber knocker with City ending up 3-2 winners in front of an appreciative 4,840 supporters. For the most part both sides struggled to gain the upper hand and by and large cancelled each other out all over the Park, especially in midfield. Indeed, such was the lack of action at either end, that the game soon degenerated into a bit of a yawn fest with nothing much happening anywhere. Sure the teams passed, tackled and tried their hardest, but for the first 30 minutes it has to be said it was as dull as ditch water as a spectacle. However, as we began to dazeMarcus Stewart stirred us from our slumbers toe poking past the keeper's outstretched hand and just inside his left hand post after good work from Richard Logan holding the ball up and laying it off expertly despite falling to the ground in the process to make it 1-0 to City.

The only other action to report on in an instantly forgettable half was a Matt Gill free kick touched sideways to Logan whose smash from just outside the box was easily collected by the keeper after a deflection took all the sting out of the ball. Thankfully the second half got underway in a much more positive fashion, and as early as the first minute a Dean Moxey inswinging corner from the left was met full on by a charging Danny Seaborne who glanced his header millimetres past the angle of post and bar with the defence static

A couple of minutes later Adam Stansfield had an opportunity to repeat his goal from the previous Tuesday when he nipped in to get on the end of Neil Saunders' low driven cross but unfortunately steered the ball fractionally the wrong side of the post. A minute later Saunders sent Logan scampering through the middle with a wonderful 50-yard through ball, but the keeper was alert to the danger and raced out to close down Logan and block his terrific close range effort. But as is always the case the sucker punch wasn't far away. After ten minutes of complete City domination Aldershot produced a move worthy of a far higher division as they carved City's defence apart with a wonderful run of short first time passes culminating in Brighton loanee Jake Robinson smashing the ball past Jones for a delightful, if slightly undeserved, Shots equaliser. Five minutes later a stunned crowd fell silent as Aldershot took the lead completely out of the blue. There looked to be nothing on when Scott Donnelly collected the ball a long way out towards the right of midfield. However he had other ideas and after looking up let fly with an ugly looking bobbling daisy cutter that beat Jones all ends up flying into the bottom comer of the net to make it 2-1 to the Shots. Stansfield then made way for Craig McAllister, then ten minutes later Stewart and Logan were replaced by Fred Murray and Steve Basham, as City looked to shake things up in search of an equaliser. Within seconds of coming on, Basham nearly found it. but unfortunately could only direct his diving header from Saunderswhipped in cross straight at the keeper. But with less then 15 minutes remaining the game was turned on its head. After winning the ball and driving forward, Gill won a throw which he took himself deep in the Aldershot half. Whilst the Shots management went mental over an apparent foul throw from Gill, the crowd went mental over defender Anthony Charles under severe pressure from Matt Taylor looping a header over his keeper's hands and just under the bar to make it 2-2 and game on. Ten seconds later the excitement mounted as City won a free kick 25-yards out to the left of the goal. Up stepped Saunders to smash an unstoppable swerving dipping howitzer into the far top corner as three sides of the ground erupted for another one to add to Neil Saunders' own personal goal of the season collection. City tails were well and truly up, and with five minutes remaining had a glorious chance for a fourth when Basham stooped to head Murray's good looking cross from a bursting run down the left, but he only managed in directing the ball high onto the Big Bank behind.

City weren't having all their own way though, as right on full time there was a minor panic when a bobbler from distance found its way through a crowd of players in the City box. Jones had to be at his very best to get down sharply to his left to turn the ball round the post after seeing it very late. But there was still time for one more chance in a pulsating end to the game when Seaborne rose highest to butt a comer high over the bar deep into stoppage time. Phew! What a finish, and what a way to come back when it looked dead and buried at 2-1 to Aldershot with just 12 minutes to go. It does show City's resilience though, and their determination to stick to playing football and keep on going until the final whistle.

BBC match summary and information 

Neil Saunders' late free-kick sealed victory for Exeter at St James' Park. Marcus Stewart fired the Grecians into a half-time lead from Adam Stansfield's lay-off, but on-loan Jake Robinson levelled on his debut with a low shot. Ben Harding smashed in from 20 yards to put Shots ahead but City were gifted an equaliser when Anthony Charles headed over his stranded keeper. Saunders then curled in from 18 yards and keeper Paul Jones saved Harding's deflected shot to secure the win.

Exeter: Jones, Tully, Taylor, Seaborne, Saunders, Moxey, Gill, Panther, Stansfield (McAllister 61), Stewart (Murray 72), Logan (Basham 72). 

Subs Not Used: Marriott, Harley.

Booked: Gill
Goals: Stewart 30, Harding 78 og, Saunders 80.

Aldershot: McCarthy, Lindegaard, Charles, Winfield, Straker (Hudson 58), Soares, Harding, Davies, Sandell, Morgan, Robinson.
Subs Not Used: Day, Grant, Hylton, Newman.

Booked: Davies, Harding.
Goals: Robinson 55, Harding 60.

Attendance 4840 with 332 away fans.

Ref: Kevin Friend (Leicestershire).

Wednesday 18th February 2009

Cheltenham Town 0
Exeter City Reserves 2

E xeter City trialist David Hutton did his hopes of earning a loan move to St JamesPark the world of good by netting both of the Grecians' goals in a 2- O reserve team win at Cheltenham Town. He took just 14 minutes to register at Whaddon Road. The goal owed much to the work of captain Liam Sercombe, playing in the right wing-back role. His cross found Hutton unmarked at the back post and he was left with the simple task of nodding into an empty net. Hutton's second goal arrived on 31 minutes when the impressive Craig McAllister was put through on goalHis shot was saved by Cheltenham goalkeeper Will Puddy, but Hutton was well placed to pick up the loose ball and turn it into an empty net. Cheltenham's best chance in the first half came when experienced striker Paul Connor cut inside two defenders. but his shot was saved by the legs of goalkeeper Andy Marriott. The one downside for the Grecians was injuries suffered by McAllisterwho limped off after 39 minutes and was replaced by youngster Craig Veal, and strike partner Ben Watson, who failed to emerge for the second half and was replaced by Chris Shepherd. City's attacking threat waned after their two strikers went off, although Shepherd came close to adding a third when he broke free of the defence, but Puddy saved well when the pint-sized winger was one-on-one.

City team: Marriott Sercombe, Obersteller Murray Archibald-Henville, Bennett, Harley, Cozic, Hutton, McAllister Watson Subs: Osman B, Frear, Tasker, Shephard, Veal