SPEAKMAN TAMES TERRIFYING TIGERS 

Teenage striker seals opening day win and City count cost of Hull's brutal tactics.

Match Report by Ed Hogg

TEEN striker Robert Speakman eclipsed the established stars as Exeter City made a flying start to the Division 3 campaign. The 18-year-old clambered off the substitutes' bench to poach the late goal that secured a 1-0 victory over Hull City. Speakman's dramatic contribution finally halted the Grecians' 10-year wait for an opening-day triumph on familiar turf. Not since Doncaster were also despatched 1-0 on August 19, 1989 have Exeter kicked-off with a home win. Patient Grecians fans, recalling the Fourth Division championship charge that Steve Neville's winner ignited a decade ago, will hope the parallels don't end there. Speakman basked in the glory after pouncing on the rebound when Chris Holloway's 84th minute drive rattled the visitors' crossbar. St James's Park insiders have raved about the Welsh discovery's finishing prowess since his capture as an associate schoolboy. And his arrival on the Nationwide League stage follows Speakman's prolific exploits for City's youth and reserve teams. His maiden senior goal was simplicity itself - nodding into an empty net from barely six vards yards. But the emergence of another potential major find was overshadowed by the City casualties of an X-rated contest. Exeter boss Peter Fox is contemplating the long-term loss of two more senior players after Darran Rowbotham and Paul Buckle were the chief victims of the Tigers' terror tactics. Rowbotham and Buckle limped off in the opening period following ghastly lunges by Jason Harris and Jason Perry. "I'm bitterly disappointed by the injuries we've sustained," admitted Fox. "We're already without (goalkeeper) Danny Potter and (defender) Chris Curran with bad knocks. I just hope it isn't going to be one of those seasons.

Hull fought their way out of relegation trouble following the appointment of player- manager Warren Joyce last November. And Joyce has clearly demanded the same full-blooded commitment from the Tigers for the 1999/2000 campaign. Referee Trevor Parkes allowed Harris to escape unpunished for clattering into Buckle in the early stages. But the Birmingham firefighter promptly cautioned Perry, David D'Auria and Mark Greaves in the space of 11 gruesome minutes. Livewire Exeter debutant Kofi Nyamah was then yellow carded for seeking revenge against Steve Swales. It was no surprise when Greaves was dismissed three minutes before the interval Parkes left with no alternative after the Hull defender had brutally scythed down Nyamah for a second time. The rookie official blotted his otherwise immaculate league debut by missing Joyce's cowardly second-half assault on Holloway, an off- the-ball elbow thrust viciously into the teenager's face. By then, Holloway and midfield colleagues Jason Rees, Nyamah and substitute Geoff Breslan had established a fierce grip that ultimately secured three precious points. Steve Flack, embroiled in a running skirmish with Hull defender Jason Whittle throughout, had nodded wide from Buckle's seventh minute cross. But, despite forcing nine first-half corners, the hosts were rarely able to seriously test Tigers goalkeeper Lee Bracey. Debutant City glovesman Stuart Naylor palmed a 29th minute Harris drive to safety from an isolated breakaway. The 36-year-old -tempted back into professional soccer when Potter was injured in pre-season action also blocked smartly from Colin Alcide midway through the second period and saw Swales' looping effort cannon harmlessly off the top of his crossbar. Jon Gittens' brilliant tackle immediately prevented Alcide bursting onto D'Auria's precise pass. And Exeter's territorial domination and numerical superiority eventually paid dividends as the peerless Holloway rampaged into the Hull penalty area and let fly from 15 yards. Bracey clawed the Wales Under-21 international's effort against the woodwork but Speakman reacted quickest. Breslan then smashed a 20- yarder fractionally the wrong side of Bracey's right-hand post, Nyamah skipped past two challenges before screwing his shot wide and Speakman squandered a marvellous chance to grab his second. Released by Holloway's defence-splitting pass, the former trainee side-stepped the outrushing Bracey before lifting his shot agonisingly too high.

HOW THE GRECIANS EARNED FIRST VICTORY

50 secs... Exeter goalkeeper Stuart Naylor gathers comfortably when Jason Perry finds space to meet War- ren Joyce's free-kick.

4 mins... Hull striker Jason Harris escapes unpunished for clumsy foul on Paul Buckle.

6 mins... Tigers 'keeper Lee Bracey blocks bravely from Steve Flack after slick work by Chris Holloway, Kofi Nyamah and Graeme Power.

7 mins... Flack nods over the bar from Buckle's teasing corner.

15 mins... Jason Perry yellow-carded for horrific two-footed lunge at Darran Rowbotham.

23 mins... David D'Auria cautioned after the Hull skipper's late challenge on Jason Rees.

26 mins... Mark Greaves clatters into Nyamah and becomes the third vis- iting player booked.

28 mins... Former Hull defender Rob Dewhurst just fails to turn home a Rees free-kick.

29 mins... Warren Joyce pass springs Exeter offside trap but Naylor saves smartly from Harris.

36 mins... Nyamah is booked after tangling with Steve Swales.

38 mins... Naylor deals comfortably with Gary Brabin's angled effort.

42 mins... Greaves is sent off after another X-rated lunge at the effer- vescent Nyamah.

43 mins... Bracey blocks a close- range Jon Gittens effort from Rees' free-kick.

45 mins... Geoff Breslan's free-kick deflects off Brabin's head onto the visitors' crossbar.

45 mins... Superb run from Nyamah ends in low cross that beats Bracey but Breslan just fails to convert at the far post.

50 mins... Rees free-kick evades Flack and Robert Speakman but Bracey grasps at the base of his left- hand post.

56 mins... Referee Trevor Parkes fails to spot Joyce elbow on Holloway.

57 mins... Bracey superbly smothers Jon Richardson's teasing cross.

65 mins... Naylor saves well from Alcide after unselfish work from Har- ris.

67 mins... Swales shot loops harmlessly onto Naylor's crossbar.

68 mins... Richardson almost cap- italises when Bracey fumbles a Breslan cross.

70 mins... Gittens' immaculately- timed tackle robs Alcide as the Hull striker prepares to shoot.

74 mins... Speakman's header fails to trouble Bracey.

84 mins... 1-0. Holloway lets fly from 15 yards, Bracey palms the ball onto his crossbar and Speakman seizes upon the rebound.

85 mins... Breslan slams 20-yarder across the face of the Hull goal. 87 mins... Nyamah's jinking run ends with shot wide from 18 yards.

89 mins... Holloway pass sends Speakman racing clear but the sub- stitute fires over empty net after skip- ping past Bracey.

A fans view-From We'll score again! #27.

City make the perfect start to the season, picking up all three points after beating Hull 1-0 at the Park. The visitors started well but soon faded as City dominated possesion. Hulls physical approach led to a series of bookings and injuries to Buckle and Rowbotham who were both substitutedKofi Nyamah came in for particular attention and it was no surprise when Greaves got his marching orders for a second yellow card following a late challenge on the winger. City came close to opening the scoring late in the first half when Geoff Breslans free kick was headed against the post by a Hull defender. City started the second half in second gear, and the ten men gradually forced several chances. Stuart Naylor made several fine stops and Jon Gittens made a desperate last ditch tackle after the defense was caught square playing offside. Things changed after the ineffective Steve Flack was replaced by Barry McConnell. The extra pace and movement created space, allowing the midfield to press forward. With five minutes remaining, Chris Holloways shot was parried onto the bar, rebounding for Robert Speakman to score with a diving header. Speakman could, and should have added a second when sent clear, but fired into the empty terraing on the Big Bank after rounding the keeper. Geoff Breslan went close with a volley from the edge of the box and the defence gave us one or two scares with some late offside ploys. All in all a good result against one of the fancied teamsalthough the two injuries will be a major worry. Questions have to be asked about the performance after the break, playing ten men we didn't trouble their keeper for forty minutes and our keeper was voted man of the match. All the new boys played well and Speakman showed a true scorers instinct