TIGERS KEEP UP PROMOTION BID

HULL CITY 1, EXETER CITY O

Report by by SIMON REDFERN

ALAN TAYLOR kept Hull City's promotion hopes on the boil with a fine second-half goal against bottom-of-the-table Exeter City, at Boothferry Park, this afternoon.

The former West Ham striker pounced after 63min with his second goal in consecutive games to earn City three valuable points and their fourth League win in a row and their seventh on the trot at home. Brian Marwood, City's top scorer, was ruled out for the second consecutive game with a hamstring injury, so manager Colin Appleton named an unchanged side which included former ter centre back Stan McEwan

Appleton elected not to start the game with fit again forward Billy Whitehurst, naming him as substitute instead. Exeter received a pre-match boost when player-manager Gerry Francis decided that his injured foot had recovered sufficiently for him to play. His team therefore showed only one change to the one that drew at home with Scunthorpe United on Wednesday. Nick Marker replacing suspended centre-back Simon Webster.

The Tigers soon penned Exeter back, Bond brought into action from an Askew corner, which he took well under pres sure from Flounders. City built up a fine move involving McClaren, Askew, Hollifield, Roberts, Flounders and McNeil, whose 20yd. shot was handled on the edge of the area. Askew's free kick rebounded off the wall to the right-back, who drove over from the edge of the area. After Bond had climbed above Flounders to gather an excellent cross by Taylor to the right, Exeter mounted their first attack of note, which ended with Neville shooting tamely wide from eight yards. But City were well on top, and soon afterwards, Bond had to punch a ball clear in a goal- mouth meleee, which followed another pinpoint Taylor centre.

The Tigers had their most threatening moment in the 12th minute when a McClaren centre from the left had Bond in all sorts of trouble, which Marker and Francis combined to clear. City vere unlucky not to break the deadlock a miniute later, when an Askew centre was cleared to McClaren whose 20yd. piledriver bounced back off Bond's left hand post and to safety.

Exeter counter-attacked immediately and had an excellent chance themselves, McDonough's flick from an O'Connor centre floating to the unmarked Harrower whose point-blank header was clutched on the line by Norman. And Norman had to be alert minutes later, pulling down McDonough's shot on the turn from a Viney centre. But, the Tigers ought to have taken the lead after 18min. when Taylor's measured cross from the left was blasted over by Flounder. And they were unfortunate not to score when Swann's glancing header from Askew's corner was pushed on to the bar by Bond, and Flounders shot over a crowd of players. After Roberts had put a diving header from a Hollifield centre wide, there was another extra- ordinary miss from City. Roberts had a point blank shot from a Taylor pass cleared off the line by Marker in the 23rd minute. Following this burst of City chances, the opportunities dried up temporarily, as Exeter began to have more of the game and Sims shot wide from 20 yards. City hit back, but Askew shot weakly past the post. A minute from the interval Bond was booked for time wasting

H.T.: Hull City 0, Exeter City 0

The Tigers were soon on the attack and McNeil should have left a Flounders cross to Taylor as he was better positioned for a header. Roberts was unfortunate net to break the deadlock in the 50th minute, having a close range vol- ley deflected over for a corner. McEwan's volley from a clear- ance of Askew's corner flew well past the post. After McNeil had been booked for a 57th minute foul on Neville, Askew went close with a let foot drive from 20yd. Following a further period of scrappy play, the Tigers took a deserved lead when Taylor flicked home Roberts' right- wing cross for his second goal in successive games. The Tigers had a narrow escape, when Norman punched a Marker cross to Neville, who shot over the bar from eight yards. Then Francis was just off target with a shot on the tum from a Kirkup free kick before Taylor was substituted by Whi tehurst in the 72nd minu which was booed by the crowd. Two minutes later. McDonough became the second ted player to cautioned for dissent. The Tigers then started to pressure again and Kirkup nodded away Whitehurst's header from an Askew corner from virtually on the line, before Atkinson cleared a Whitehurst header out of Bond's hands.

Whitehurst created an opening for Askew, who was denied a goal by a superb tackle from Marker. Four minutes from time the Tigers were very lucky not to concede an equaliser when Francis curled a shot from the left side of the area against the bar.