Exeter City 1 Port Vale 0.

Tuesday 31 March 2009.

Referee Simon Hooper

Attendance 4235 with 94 away fans

City started well with debutant Stuart Fleetwood partnering Adam Stansfield up front but after a solid opening 20 minutes Dan Seaborne had a rush of blood to the head, Already on a booking for a rash lunge earlier, he smashed the ball high into the Flybe stand clearly a couple of seconds after the ref had blown the whistle for an infringement. The ref had little option but to issue a second yellow to Seaborne.

And his team-mates almost took the lead two minutes later when Stansfield sent Fleetwood darting into the box where his low drive was gathered by the keeper at the second attempt. But then with the half hour approaching City's forceful approach to the game paid off when they took the lead, albeit in slightly unexpected circumstances.

The ball was played to Stansfield down the left and he drilled a superb cross along the six yard line to the rushing Fleetwood. Unable to convert, the ball sped through to the unfortunate Luke Prosser at the far post who could only succeed in guiding the ball past his own keeper to make it 1-0 to City.

City kept up the pressure though during the rest of the first, and were keen for a second with Fleetwood having a shot smothered and Stansfield's drive being palmed behind.

And the home side came storming out, carrying on where they left off at the start of the second half with Marcus Stewart's driving run and fierce shot being deflected wide.

However, despite City's near total dominance the lead was still only one goal, and keen to make amends for his own goal, Prosser showed just how fragile that lead could be when midway through the half he let fly with a ferocious drive that clipped the outside of the post.

City were also given a real let off with the half hour approaching. Danny Glover burst through from the half way line with Troy hot on his heels. As Glover lined one up, Troy stretched out a leg - it was either going to be the save of the century or a penalty and a second red card - and guided the ball back to Jones.

In the dying seconds Stansfield almost sealed it with an outrageous dipping 35 yard drive that a furiously backtracking keeper did well to tip over the bar.

City lined up: (3-5-2) Jones; Edwards, Seaborne, Archibald-Henville, Moxey, Gill, Stewart, Cozic, Sercombe; Stansfield, Fleetwood.

BBC match report