Prize tally eludes Kellow

Report By DEREK LEAN

EXETER CITY 5, LEATHERHEAD 0.

TONY KELLOW, the man who is a glutton for work and has such an insatiable appetite for scoring, should have become the first Football League striker to notch 20 goals this season in this match. Only an offside decision in the dying minutes robbed him of that tally and his second hat-trick of the season. Kellow felt as did a lot of others that the decision was harsh and that the prize should have been his." Even so, with 19 to his credit he is currently the league's leading scorer and those two goals certainly paid a major part in ending Leatherhead's dreams of Cup glory. Exeter showed an over-anxiety in the opening minutes to get an early goal and shake. Leatherhead's confidence, So exposing themselves to a quick retaliatory raid on the break. But once Kellow found the net, virtually on the half hour, the writing was well and truly on the wall. Seven minutes later it was a cruel piece of irony that Leatherhead's player-manager Martin Hinshelwood put the ball into his own net to make his sides task even more than an impossible dream. Watching Kellow taking more time than usual to tee up his shot Hinshelwood came storming in to make a desperate attempt to clear but instead found the corner of his own net "I just ran in to try and push the hall past the far post. I tried to get back there a bit too quickly for my own good," said a rueful Hinshelwood afterwards. The hopes of any supreme Leatherhead optimists that the two goal deficit could still be pulled back in the second half were well and truly shattered as Exeter struck again with the second period just two minutes old. There was a spell towards the end of the game when, coasting along four goals in the lead, Exeter took their foot off the accelerator. And that almost cost them their clean sheet. Leatherhead's famous Chris Kelly nearly got one in an untidy goalmouth scramble and Len Bond had to make a splendid save to a shot from substitute Terry Page.

Leatherhead's best first half efforts were confined to a couple of tricky crosses and a blistering shot from Hinshelwood that hit the crossbar. But City were doing all the real attacking and in the 2h minute skipper John Delve set up a goal with Peter Rogers making the telling final pass to Kellow, who tacked the ball home. Then came that Hinshelwood own goal and in the 47th minute, Delve floated in a crow from the right which was flicked on by Dave Pullar and lan Pearson was able simply to head in. The fourth came in the 54th minute as Leatherhead 'keeper Peter Caswell-who produced a courageous and skillful performance- unfortunately mishandled a Dave Pullar corner. The ball ran loose and Kellow pounced for his second. Eight minutes from the end a long throw from Peter Hatch caused all sorts of problems and as the ball went loose defender Lee Roberts was there to lash in Exeter's fifth.

PF