WEDNESDAY 21st OCTOBER 1970.

BANKS INJECTS CITY WITH HAT TRICK TONIC.

EXETER CITY 4,
Wilson; Crawford, Blain; Parker, (Wingate); Newman, Balson; Rowan, Banks, Binney, Giles, Mitten,

GRIMSBY TOWN 0.
Wainman; Worthington, Ross; Gray, Rathbone, Kennedy; Woodward, Brace, Hickman, Boylen, Dates,

Scorers Exeter Banks 3, Binney

Attendance 4,087.

Little Alan Banks, Exeter City's stocky striker, sank Grimsby with a storming hattrick, and in doing so put the brakes on Exeter's recent slide in their Fourth Division form. Banks, with his loping, one shoulder down run, his ability to steer a course around a defender when looking as if he has lost the chance, revelled in a game in which Exeter produced some of their best soccer of the season.

It was the first half that really settled the affair. Exeter hit Grimsby with two goals in 18 minutes and spent virtually the whole of the first period opening up Grimsby's defence. Exeter's football in this half was fluent stuff, a performance of strength built on a foundation of accurate passing and intelligent. running. If Exeter had taken all the chances they had created they could have built up an impregnable lead by half-time. Instead, they only got two goals although Barry Rowan must have been astonished when his cracking drive went into the net, but the goal" was disallowed. But things changed in the second half. Exeter lost their sparkle. Grimsby, two goals down, came at Exeter, but even So their approach work was still not good enough to cause real trouble. Exeter went through the by now traditional spell when their confidence evaporated. Towards the end fortunes changed again. Banks revalued Exeter's form by getting his hat- trick, and once again Grimsby found themselves on the receiving end. In the dying minutes Exeter got a fourth. The action started for Exeter in the third minute. Rowan put across a perfect cross and up went Banks to head in a text-book goal The goal acted like a pep pill on Exeter. A tremendous shot by John Mitten hit the goalkeeper and a long shot from Graham Parker was only just wide. As he action flared like a bonfire round the Grimsby goal, John Giles drove a rocket-like shot just wide. In the 18th minute Mike Balson forced Grimsby's defence into a real muddle, and Banks was away on his own and calmly drew the goalkeeper and placed his! shot into the net. In the second half the early chances went to Grimsby. Taun- ton-born Stuart Brace might have got one, but his on-the-run shot went straight at goalkeeper Bob Wilson. Centre-rorward Alan Hickman had an open goal when he only had Wilson to beat, but ballooned the ball over the bar. In the 81st minute a Rowan cross led to Banks getting his third goal, and in injury time after Mitten had a header hit the cross-bar Fred Binney headed in the fourth and made sure.