Match 31
6th February 1985
Football League (Freight Rover) Trophy
Newport County (h)
FREIGHT ROVER TROPHY
First Round, 2nd Leg
Task proves too tough for City
EXETER CITY 1, NEWPORT COUNTY 1 (Newport win 4-1 on aggregate)
By DEREK LEAN
THE mountain of Newport's 3-0 first- leg lead proved too tough for Exeter City to climb last night and as expected they bowed out of the Freight Rover Trophy.
On the night they held the Third Division side to a draw but they could not find the form to produce the goal glut that was needed to give them the chance of a surprise victory. Exeter could not be faulted again for energy and the dogged way they stuck to the task but in a generally drab game that matched the murky night, they did not show the soccer to produce concrete openings. Exeter certainly had their fair share of the run of play but they still could not prise open Newport's defence often enough to cash in on the territorial advantage when they had it. In fact, City had to fight back from the added disadvantage first-leg lead as if the was not enough of finding themselves a goal down after only nine minutes. Having got back on terms on the night, City could not raise their game sufficiently in the second half to fan the flames of any real hope. A Keith Viney break on the left set up a chance for Trevor Morgan but the striker's shot was straight at 'keeper Mark Kendall, And Exeter's Kevin Smith actually got the ball into the net in the 62nd minute following one of the few attacks of real flair and bite but he was ruled offside. It was certainly not a case, though of one-way traffic so far as Exeter were concerned in the second period. Newport, growing in confidence at the prospect of their overall victory as time ticked away, came forward to put Exeter under pres- sure with a series of tricky crosses. In a couple of dangerous moves, Newport's Tony Pullis stabbed a shot over the bar and Neville Chamberlain hit the crossbar. Generally, though, it was a game which neither side looked sharp in front of goal and there were long spells when the match was just a spoiling affair. Newport got the start they wanted 86 they grabbed the lead in the ninth minute. Chamberlain put in a deep cross from the right and John Lewis got up above the defence to head in with a delicate flick. Exeter, facing a huge task now of having to overhaul a 4-0 lead on aggregate, tried desperately hard. They certainly took the game to Newport in the first half, but they were not creating much in the way of positive chances. But in fact, the first shot they got in on target brought a goal. It came in the 20th minute when Keith Viney took a short corner. Martin Ling thumped over the cross and young Nicky Marker who had gone up from his central defender position for the corner, hooked a shot high into a roof of the net. A minute before the interval another cross from Chamberlain caused trouble. Tony Reid's header looked a winner but Martin Ling blocked it in the nick of time.
Star players
EXETER: Trevor Morgan.
NEWPORT: Terry Boyle.
Exeter (1) 1 Marker
Newport (1) 1 Lewis
Attendance 1,272.
First Round, 2nd Leg
Task proves too tough for City
EXETER CITY 1, NEWPORT COUNTY 1 (Newport win 4-1 on aggregate)
By DEREK LEAN
THE mountain of Newport's 3-0 first- leg lead proved too tough for Exeter City to climb last night and as expected they bowed out of the Freight Rover Trophy.
On the night they held the Third Division side to a draw but they could not find the form to produce the goal glut that was needed to give them the chance of a surprise victory. Exeter could not be faulted again for energy and the dogged way they stuck to the task but in a generally drab game that matched the murky night, they did not show the soccer to produce concrete openings. Exeter certainly had their fair share of the run of play but they still could not prise open Newport's defence often enough to cash in on the territorial advantage when they had it. In fact, City had to fight back from the added disadvantage first-leg lead as if the was not enough of finding themselves a goal down after only nine minutes. Having got back on terms on the night, City could not raise their game sufficiently in the second half to fan the flames of any real hope. A Keith Viney break on the left set up a chance for Trevor Morgan but the striker's shot was straight at 'keeper Mark Kendall, And Exeter's Kevin Smith actually got the ball into the net in the 62nd minute following one of the few attacks of real flair and bite but he was ruled offside. It was certainly not a case, though of one-way traffic so far as Exeter were concerned in the second period. Newport, growing in confidence at the prospect of their overall victory as time ticked away, came forward to put Exeter under pres- sure with a series of tricky crosses. In a couple of dangerous moves, Newport's Tony Pullis stabbed a shot over the bar and Neville Chamberlain hit the crossbar. Generally, though, it was a game which neither side looked sharp in front of goal and there were long spells when the match was just a spoiling affair. Newport got the start they wanted 86 they grabbed the lead in the ninth minute. Chamberlain put in a deep cross from the right and John Lewis got up above the defence to head in with a delicate flick. Exeter, facing a huge task now of having to overhaul a 4-0 lead on aggregate, tried desperately hard. They certainly took the game to Newport in the first half, but they were not creating much in the way of positive chances. But in fact, the first shot they got in on target brought a goal. It came in the 20th minute when Keith Viney took a short corner. Martin Ling thumped over the cross and young Nicky Marker who had gone up from his central defender position for the corner, hooked a shot high into a roof of the net. A minute before the interval another cross from Chamberlain caused trouble. Tony Reid's header looked a winner but Martin Ling blocked it in the nick of time.
Star players
EXETER: Trevor Morgan.
NEWPORT: Terry Boyle.
Exeter (1) 1 Marker
Newport (1) 1 Lewis
Attendance 1,272.
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