EXETER 0-1 SOUTHEND 

Report by Ross Reid 

EXETER City made a spirited late fightback but were undone by Simon Coleman's 44th minute strike at St James' Park yesterday. The Shrimpers won a corner out on the right playing to- wards the Big Bank. Gordon Connelly's flag kick was flicked on by Mark Tinkler and the ball eventually found its way to Coleman on the left hand side of the box. He let fly with a left foot drive into the opposite top corner for his fourth goal of the season. Visiting keeper Mel Capelton had a busier late afternoon than City guardian Stuart Naylor but there was to be no repeat of last Novem- ber's comeback when City won 2-1 thanks to Steve Flack's injury time winner. Leo Roget was recalled into the Southend defence at the expense of David Morley and he enjoyed a consuming tussle with Flack, who Southend had already identified as City's dangerman. Targetman Flack headed just wide from Jon Richardson's cross early on, just after Paul Buckle's shot was blocked by visiting defender Martyn Booty. Buckle was making his first home start since the opening day win over Hull while Grecians boss Peter Fox, as expected, also re-introduced fit-again left back Graeme Power. Southend countered immediately through Martin Carruthers their recent £50,000 ac- quisition from Darlington - and he clipped the bar with an audacious chip-cum-cross from the left. In the 10th minute Carruthers headed just wide and then Neil Tol- son spooned a shot wide and then twice mist- imed his efforts as the ball weas delivered back in. Richardson skimmed a long-range drive just wide before Chris Curran and Naylor denied Carruthers in quick succession. Naylor dived low to deflect Scott Houghton's 35th minute shot and although Carruthers hit the post he was adjudged offside. With half time approaching, Shaun Gale flashed a low cross across the face of the Southend goal. Capelton missed the ball but so did everybody else. Kofi Nyamah did well to beat Roget down the right flank at the start of the second half but Robert Speakman's first time effort was off target. His next shot, from close range four minutes into the second spell, was on target after Jon Gittens flicked on Gale's corner but Capelton saved the ball on the goal-line. Power then crossed from the left to Flack, whose header went wide, and Tolson drove wide at the other end. Roget then headed over from a corner but he was kept busier at the other end by Flack, who nearly turned provider when recalled dynamo Jason Rees flashed a header just wide after initially being involved in setting up the move after a nifty one-two with sub- stitute Warren Waugh. Capelton was again called into action to save from Geoff Breslan twice in a minute as Southend scrambled to clear their lines, then Flack teed up Rees who forced a diving stop from Southend's keeper in the 72nd minute. Tolson's cross whizzed across the face of goal, but nobody connected in the 79th minute. Three minutes later Richardson's cross from the right eluded Nyamah at the far post. Power picked up the loose ball, lobbed it back in and Gittens' header was held by Capelton again. Southend fans in the stand thought Carruthers had scored at the other end when his 89th minute shot flew just wide and into the side netting after Tolson's flick-on.

Exeter City 
Naylor. Richardson. Gittens. Curran Power. Gale. Rees. Buckle. Nyamah. Speakman. Flack. Substitutes: Waugh (for Speakman 57), Smith (for Buckle, 57),  Breslan (for Gale 62) Not used: Robinson, Matthews

Southend:
Capelton, Booty, Roget, Beard, Coleman, Jones, Connelly, Tinkler, Houghton, Tolson, Carruthers. Subs (not used): Campbell, Morley, Johnson, Kerrigan, Gooding

Scorers:
Southend - Coleman 44

Bookings: None

Referee: T. Heilbron (Newton Aycliffe)

Attendance: 2,353

Star Man: Jason Rees Never stopped running

• Exeter's youngsters went down 3-0 to Swindon yesterday.