Exeter City 1-2 Northampton 

THE BANK Holiday weekend produced for Exeter City the sort of deep depression to be found on this summer's weather map. After the 4-0 drubbing at the hands of Aldershot on Saturday, came this home defeat by Northampton who cheerfully picked up their first points of the season. Northampton did not grab victory until nine minutes from time, but it was only justice when Ian Benjamin rifled home the winner. They had had by far the lion's share of the play territorially and only their half hearted finishing meant that Exeter, until the 66th in with a minute, were in chance of hanging on to the half-time lead given to them by Tony Kellow. Exeter rarely looked a dangerous combination. There were the odd raids when they threatened, but overall theirs was a performance lacking power and passion. Never did they stamp any real authority on the match, and there was a general lack of fluency or inventiveness to their play. After Kellow had given them the lead against the run of play they might have been expected to cash in on that advantage, but they failed to do so, and instead had their work cut out trying to contain Northampton. Even so they could have well gone a goal up straight from the kick-off. Exeter tried the ploy of spreading the ball wide to Trevor Morgan out on the wing, and it very nearly paid off. His sweeping cross back into the middle rebounded off Kellow and into the path of Ray Pratt who was away on his own. But although he only had the 'keeper to beat, he shot wide. It was to be something of a deceptive opening because after that the game quickly deteriorated into a scrappy affair lacking in both purpose and pattern. North- ampton looked the stronger outfit coming forward but for all that did not do a great deal in the first half when it came to the vital business of finishing. Adrian Mann tried a long shot which John Shaw collected quite easily, and midfield man Richard Hill followed his example with another long range effort that equally gave Shaw no trouble. At the other end Exeter staged few raids of any real menace, although there was a moment when Morgan got in a telling cross from the left and Martin Ling tried a lunging stabbing shot from close range, but it was wide. In the 30th minute Exeter did go ahead. Keith Viney played a long ball out of defence which found Kellow completely unmarked. He surged forward on his own and Gleasure came out smartly to narrow the angle. But Kellow showed all his old skills as he carefully timed a chip over Gleasure's head and into the net. With such a slender lead and Northampton always showing the willingness to attack, the game was always in the balance. Ray Pratt had a shot blocked and Kellow lashed on over the bar, but in the main it was Northampton who looked more likely to pose the problems. In the 66th-minute they got back on terms. Aiden McCaffery went to head clear a cross from Phil Chard, but the ball went to Trevor Morley who made no mistake as he rifled it into the corner of the net. In the 81st minute Northampton got the break- through. A Graham Reed corner was flicked on by Richard Hill and there was Ian Benjamin to volley the ball past Shaw for the winner. 

Attendance: 2,392.

Star players:
(Exeter) Kellow;
(Northampton) Brian Mondee.

• Meanwhile Exeter's latest loan signings -identical twins 19 years old Alan and Garry Kimble from Charl-ton watched the game from the grandstand. They were signed on a month loan by City's general manager Dennis Allen who saw them in action for Charlton last season. Between them and they can play either in the mid-field or up front the Kimble twins had about 15 league games for Charlton.