Exeter City 2 York City 1


By Ted Davenport 

PETER Fox's loan stars kept Exeter's table-topping challenge on course with two goals from imported starlet Gary Alexander. The 22-year-old West Ham prospect scored in each half but had fellow loanee Shayne Bradley to thank for the 70th minute winner which finally ended York's muscular challenge. Eighteen-year-old Southampton star Bradley lashed in a first-time left foot shot which York keeper Bobby Mimms could only parry and Alexander was left with a simple side-foot home. The visitors ended the game with just 10 men after midfielder Barry Conlon picked up his second yellow card in the 90th minute, but team-mate Kevin Hulme was also lucky to stay on after a series of crunching tackles. The game was tough but did not justify the four yellow cards the referee handed out to each side, even before the sending off. Exeter extended their winning streak at St James' Park to seven league games as they overcame a York side who have not won in nine outings. The game was played in appalling conditions with thunder and lightning crashing around the ground. It was so dark that the floodlights were switched on after just two minutes and the ball often held up on the wet surface. The rain was so heavy that the few Exeter fans standing on the open terrace were stewarded into the shelter of the Cowshed. Exeter made an early breakthrough but could not capitalise on it and York were able to level the game in the first half. The high winds and increasingly waterlogged pitch wrecked Exeter's attempts to play a passing game and they allowed York back into the game with a dreadful mixup. Robert Speakman replaced Barry McConnell in the starting line-up with new signing Bradley on the bench in place of injured Steve Flack. Exeter keeper Stuart Naylor had an early touch from a mis-hit shot from York debutant James Turley and it was not until the eighth minute that the home side mounted their first attack with Kofi Nyamah's cross drawing a solid headed clearance from Mark Sertori. York midfielder Hulme went into the book mo- ments later for a cynical tackle from behind which felled Rob Dewhurst and the foul sparked a chain of events which led to Exeter taking the lead. Graeme Power's free kick was flicked on to Geoff Breslan who controlled it on the right-hand edge of the penalty area but looked as if he was running away from goal when he was brought down by a very late diving challenge from York's Wayne Hall. St Helens-based referee Chris Foy pointed straight to the spot and Alexander opted to take the kick with regular penalty takers Darran Rowbotham and McConnell both absent. Alexander struck his shot just inside keeper Mimms' left-hand post and although he got close to it he could not keep it out. Exeter nearly doubled their lead four minutes later when Nyamah's cross was headed down but Speakman's point blank side-foot flew over. The 18-year-old shot wide on 16 minutes when he mishit a drive from Dewhurst's knock down. York had showed signs of recovery even before they levelled. Hulme headed just over and Naylor needed two attempts to grab a Mark Atkins free kick. The 25th minute equaliser came when John Gittens and Dewhurst allowed Hulme to run between them and he was put clear by Atkins' superb pass before hammering his shot past Naylor. Gittens nearly atoned for the mistake on 34 minutes but his header was saved off the line and Nyamah and Jon Richardson hit efforts well wide. Hulme could well have been sent off for a shocking tackle on Rees in first-half injury time but looked much less of a threat after the re-start. Speakman carved out a good chance three minutes into the second half but planted his header straight at the keeper and was taken off in the 53th minute as Bradley made his Exeter debut. He showed his class on 64 minutes when he pulled away from his marker and fired in a shot across goal which skimmed past the far post.