Worthington cup

REPORT BY ED HOGG

WHEN the current decade began there was barely a cigarette paper between the Grecians and Birmingham City. At the end of the 1990/91 campaign, just eight points and Leyton Orient, Stoke and Reading separated the two clubs in the old Third Division table. Eight years on and the contrast between the Nationwide League's princes and paupers couldn't be more marked. Blues have provided manager Trevor Francis with a fortune-more than £12 million at the last count, in pursuit of their Premiership obsession. Exeter's ambitions apparently extend little further than avoiding an annual scramble for Division 3 survival. If St James's Park boss Peter Fox is to achieve tangible success he'll have to do it the hard way. Fox has been able to spent just £40,000 on transfer fees in more than four years in the job. Faced with a crippling injury list, City's shoestring squad has never looked more fragile. Fox was without NINE of his 24-man squad when the Worthington Cup first round clash with Birmingham resumed last night. He could name just four substitutes. Francis opted to field virtually an identical team to the one which beat Manchester City Reserves 3-0 in Pontins League action last Wednesday. Goalkeeper Kevin Poole was the sole survivor from the weekend's 4-2 victory over Port Vale that cemented Birmingham's place among the Division 1 pacesetters. Yet Francis' squad still cost a staggering £7.5 million. And Jon Richardson's own goal and a superb 50th minute strike from rival skipper Martin O'Connor duly enabled the illustrious visitors to rack up a 5-0 aggregate advantage. But, particularly in the closing stages, there was enough gritty evidence to suggest City can maintain their excellent start to the Division 3 campaign. Fox was already without long-term absentees Danny Potter, Paul Buckle, Darran Rowbotham, Chris Curran and John Wilkinson. Key defender Jon Gittens had still not recovered from the rib injury that forced him to miss last weekend's 3- 1 win over Rotherham. Left back Graeme Power (back) and midfielder Kofi Nyamah (hamstring) were the latest casualties. And an ankle ligament problem forced centre back Rob Dewhurst to hobble off soon after the break. But Exeter rallied courageously and reduced the arrears through Barry. McConnell's penalty. "They played with bags of commitment, never stopped working and got the goal they deserved," praised Francis. City's hopes of a fairytale fightback were wrecked midway through the opening period when Howard Forinton's wayward drive ricocheted off Richardson's shins to leave goalkeeper Stuart Naylor wrong footed.
It was a cruel twist. Richardson a double - marksman at the right end against Ipswich at the corresponding stage last term also netted an own goal in Exeter's 3-0 first leg defeat at St Andrews a fortnight ago. Dele Adebola and Forinton squandered chances to increase the deficit before the break. But O'Connor capitalised on the industry of Adebola and Peter Ndlovu to smash Blues further ahead soon after the restart. The hosts didn't buckle. Substitute Robert Speakman almost punished Poole's blunder and then forced the goalkeeper into a smart 68th minute stop before Naylor saved acrobatically from Adebola.
Fox took the opportunity to give untried goalkeeper Jason Matthews his debut. And immediately City were rewarded. The again- impressive Chris Holloway jinked into Birmingham penalty area and fed McConnell, who was promptly scythed down by James Dyson. McConnell operating in an unfamiliar right back role as Fox attempted to plug the gaps created by his lengthy sicklist-picked himself up to beat substitute 'keeper Richard Knight with aplomb. Steve Flack then saw his vicious free-kick deflected fractionally over by the lunging Darren Purse, Richardson couldn't direct a header from a Geoff Breslan corner and Speakman again went close. It was a ferocious late assault, matched only by the two lunging tackles that cost teenage substitute Pete Smith a red card on only his second senior appearance. Smith had been cautioned for clattering into Eddie Newton soon after his 74th minute introduction. And the 18-year-old midfielder was dismissed following his reckless stoppage-time challenge on Jon Bass.