Football League Cup 1st Rnd 2nd Leg

Exeter City 3-1 Cardiff City (AET) 

Exeter win 4-3 on aggregate 

Attendance 4449.

Report by Martyn Dean.

THE "FISH" who somehow managed to slip through Cardiff City's scouting net, resurfaced at St. James's Park last night to remind his fellow countrymen of the catch they had missed. For it was Phil Fisher, known predictably as "Fish" to his team-mates, who did more than anyone to ensure that Exeter City went into today's draw for the second round of the League Cup at the expense of the Second Division side.

The Welsh winger banged in his first goal since joining City from Bridgend last March to send a nerve tingling tie into extra time and then laid on the winner for Joe Cooke to give City a 3-1 victory on the night and put them through 4-3 on aggregate. However, had Cardiff been just a little more alive to the talent on their own doorstep, Fisher might never have joined Exeter. They took a long hard look at him during his non-League days, but were too slow to offer him a contract, and Fisher was determined to make them suffer for their hesitancy last night.  "Cardiff were supposed to be very interested in me at one stage, but nothing came of it," he said as he celebrated City's first giant-killing act of the new season. "I was disappointed to miss out on the first leg at Cardiff, but I was really geed up for last night's game and determined to show them what they had missed. "It was tremendous to get my first goal for the club, especially against Cardiff. "Tony Kellow and I were both challenging for the same ball, but it came to me first and I managed to stick it away. "I am just hoping we can draw another Welsh club in the next round."

The decision to give Fisher his chance was a calculated gamble by Brian Godfrey, and the City manager was delighted with the results on what proved to be another marvellous night of Cup football at St. James's Park. "Phil did well for us," said Godfrey. "He gave us a bit of extra width. "We knew that Cardiff tended to play with a sweeper in away games and Phil was able to take him out of the game by getting in behind the defence. "I thought it was a great game to watch. We had a good crowd here and they really helped to lift the team." However, Godfrey rather understated the case when he suggested that the match had been a "bit of a nail- biter." If City were going to serve up that sort of entertain- ment every week, they might be required to post a Gov- ernment health warning outside for all those with a nervous disposition. From the moment that Peter Hatch crashed a shot against the Cardiff crossbar in the fifth minute, it was obvious that there was no place for the faint-hearted among the crowd of 4,449. It took only another seven minutes for Paul Sugrue to mark his debut for Cardiff with a goal after a bad defensive lapse by City. Sugrue was allowed an unchallenged header from John Lewis's left-wing cross and he made no mistake. Fortunately City were able to wipe out that advantage almost immediately when Cardiff defender Linden Jones needlessly handled the ball to give them a penalty. Tony Kellow stepped up to lash the kick into the corner in typical style for his second goal of the season.  Both sides managed to create and miss plenty -of chances after that with City particularly lucky to see a shot from Gary Stevens cannon off the crossbar after some tremendous work by the dangerous Surgue had set up the chance. But the crowd had to wait until the 59th minute for another goal. Hatch took a long throw on the left, Kellow flicked the ball on and as he and- Fisher challenged for it, the Welshman managed to smash it through a crowd of players into the corner.

Extra time

The goal levelled the scores on aggregate and was enough to push the match into a heart-stopping period of extra time. As the fatigue started to take over, City managed to snatch the lead for the first time in the two-leg tie. City's corners had been causing Cardiff problems all night and from another typical mix-up in the Welsh defence, the ball eventually found its way out to Fisher. He chipped it back in and Joe Cooke managed to get his head to it to power the ball home off the post. The excitement was still not over, however, and Cardiff might easily easily have snatched victory on the away goals rule, but for an incredible miss in the last seconds of the game. Ian Main could only parry shot from substitute a Wayne Hughes into the path of Sugrue, but with the goal at his mercy the Cardiff striker somehow managed to put his shot wide. Referee John Martin man- aged to put enough names in his notebook to start a peti- tion without ever taking firm control. He booked five players Cooke and Mike Lester from City, and Cardiff's Steve Grapes, Lewis, and Phil Dwyer as well as Exeter's coach Malcolm Musgrove for some remarks he made during the interval. But even Mr. Martin's antics could not spoil a great all-round team performance by City. They showed a marked improvement in midfield with Hatch, Lester and Steve Davey all having their best games of the season. They again looked fairly solid at the back with Lee Roberts in outstanding form and they scored three goals.