Exeter City 4 Halifax Town 2.

Saturday 8 October 2005

BBC match report- 

Exeter twice came from behind to keep their promotion charge on track with a home win over Halifax. Halifax went ahead after one minute when Wayne Jacobs' short corner found John Grant, who rifled the ball home. Exeter equalised through a Billy Jones penalty, then Halifax regained the lead through Lewis Killeen, before Steve Flack headed in to make it 2-2. Goals from Les Afful and Craig Farrell gave Exeter the win, after they took advantage of Denny Ingram's dismissal.

Exeter: Paul Jones, Hiley (Afful 57), Todd, Gaia, Billy Jones, Challinor (Sawyer 85), Cronin, Taylor, Scully, Farrell, Flack (Phillips 62).

Subs Not Used: Rice, Edwards.

Booked: Challinor, Todd.

Goals: Billy Jones 11 pen, Flack 45, Afful 74, Farrell 75.

Halifax: Dunbavin, Haslam, Quinn, Ingram, Wright, Forrest (Senior 83), Jacobs (Leister 78), Thompson, Doughty, Killeen (Young 45), Grant.
Subs Not Used: Midgley, Bowler.

Sent Off: Ingram (45).

Booked: Jacobs, Wright.

Goals: Grant 2, Killeen 27.

Attendance 3,154

Referee  D Phillips (West Midlands).


Barry McConnell Testimonial

Tuesday 11th October 2005:

Exeter City X1 1-4 Charlton Athletic

Jay Bothroyd hit a hat-trick as Addicks saw off Exeter City 4-1 in Barry McConnell's testimonial on Tuesday. The striker struck twice in six minutes in the first half and completed his first Charlton treble with a scorching drive a minute from time.

Bryan Hughes was also on target for the Addicks during a good work-out in Devon while McConnell even got in the act, dispatching a late penalty to cap a late cameo.

But Lloyd Sam, after rich praise from Exeter director of football and Tottenham legend Steve Perryman, spurned a last-gasp chance to impress him further when he had a penalty saved.

All in all, however, the trip to St James Park proved to be a useful exercise for the men from SE7 with many of the club's fringe squad members given the chance to impress Alan Curbishley. Charlton had emphasised their role as a people's club by taking up the invitation to contest the match, a testimonial for long-serving Grecians utility man McConnell. The 28-year-old has hardly been blessed with good fortune during an injury-plagued career and the Premiership high-flyers were happy to oblige when they got the call. More importantly it was a chance for those Addicks not away on international duty to stretch their legs in a competitive fixture and it was a game not without a hint of nostalgia.

Indeed Exeter were Charlton's first ever opponents in the football league back in August 1921 with the Addicks coming out 1-0 thanks to Tommy Dowling's goal in front of a Valley audience of 13,000. Things have changed a fair bit since then and no fewer than 93 teams between the two sides in the football spectrum at the start of play. Charlton fielded a strong starting XI with Dean Kiely continuing his recuperation from his pre-season finger injury by taking his place between the posts. The Irish stopper was one of three internationals on show from the start at a rainy St James' Park. Chris Powell and Danny Murphy were the others while two more, Hermann Hreidarsson and Sorondo, were named on the bench. Across the midfield reserve team skipper Barry Fuller joined Murphy and Hughes with Sam and fit-again Ambrose expected to supply the width. Up front was Bothroyd, another to shake off a niggle in the last week while Chris Perry partnered Jonathan Fortune in central defence with Powell and French starlet Kelly Youga at full-back.

Hughes offered the first effort on goal in the fourth minute after early enterprise from Murphy but his effort, under pressure from Chris Vinnicombe posed little problem. As the rain lashed down speedy left-winger Les Afful cut inside Youga and sent a low skidding shot straight at Kiely and the keeper also comfortably dealt with a low drive from former Grecian and guest for the night Gary Alexander. In between times Hughes saw an effort kicked round the post by much-travelled keeper Kevin Miller. And it was Addicks who capped an entertaining opening in 13th minute, shifting inside effortlessly before arrowing a low left-foot-shot into the bottom corner. James Coppinger sent a curling free-kick high over the bar after Afful had outwitted Youga again and a slip from the French youngster let in the winger again but he hooked over from the edge of the box. Despite Perryman's vocal encouragement from the stands it was 2-0 to the visitors in the 19th minute with Bothroyd again on target. Ambrose was the architect with a delightful pass down the left channel and Bothroyd moved clear and nipped away from the advancing Miller before rolling a shot into the empty net. A snap shot from Justin Walker flew just wide for the hosts with Kiely scrambling across but Addicks were well in charge and Bothroyd was only denied a 12-minute hat-trick when Miller tipped his close-range effort over the bar.

Defensive dallying from Youga, and then Perry gave James Watkins a glimmer of goal but Kiely was quickly off his line to block while Ambrose's curler at the other end was far too high. The dangerous Afful was causing plenty of problems on the left, and his positive burst inside ended with him air-born thanks to a lunging challenge from Perry - which would've warranted a certain booking in a competitive fixture. But the defender was on hand to produce a vital block from Danny Clay after the subsequent free-kick hit the wall and squirmed across the box. Perry, Powell and Fortune were all replaced at the interval with Hreidarsson, Sorondo and Mark Ricketts entering the fray and the second half took a while to warm- up with the muted Sam seeing a 54th minute effort deflected over. Moments later Sorondo pulled up on the left hand side and the Uruguayan, in clear discomfort, was taken off with Danny Phillips coming on. And, after a rather flat opening to the second period, the Addicks struck for a third time in the 65th minute. Vinnicombe was the culprit for the home side, only managing to slice an attempted clearance from Murphy's pass across his own box and a gleeful Hughes seized possession and confidently shot past sub keeper Martin Rice. McConnell then entered the fray to rich applause for his first outing since breaking his leg almost a year ago. Industrious work from Phillips set up a chance for Bothroyd but Rice saved routinely but the keeper got nowhere near a curling cross from Fuller that was looped over the bar by Hughes. Sam showed some neat juggling at the edge of the box but his volley lacked the velocity to beat Rice. But the evening ended on a sweet note for testimonial man McConnell when the Grecians were awarded a penalty five minutes from time. A burst from sub Danny Brook was halted by Youga, possibly outside the box, but referee Lee Probert had little hesitation pointing to the spot. McConnell the club's regular spot-kick taker when available, stepped up and it came as little surprise when he beat Kiely from the spot. It paved the way for a late goal glut with Bothroyd completing his treble in emphatic fashion in the 89th minute. The striker collected a high goal-kick from Kiely and spun away from sub Steve Flack before unleashing a spectacular volley that gave Rice absolutely no chance. It might have been five at the death as the busy Probert awarded a second penalty in injury time when Phillips was tripped by recently-arrived substitute Neil Martin. Lloyd Sam took on the responsibilities but Rice guessed right - literally to turn the ball to safety in what proved to be the last action of the match.

Charlton: Kiely, Youga, Powell (Hreidarsson 46), Perry (Sorondo 46), (Phillips 56), Fortune (Ricketts 46), Fuller, Murphy, Hughes, Sam, Ambrose, Bothroyd.

Sub (not used): Elliot

Goals: Bothroyd 13, 19, 89, Hughes 65

Exeter: Miller (Rice 46), Hiley (McConnell 69), Vinnicombe (Martin 8), Richardson (Sawyer 27) (Inglethorpe 85), Seaborne, Coppinger (Leluiga 46), Walker (Brook 60), Clay (Flack 84), Afful (Sercombe 85), Alexander (Mackie 27), Watkins:

Goal: McConnell pen 85

Referee: L Probert; Attendance: 2,107

(Match report courtesy of Charlton Athletic official web site)