Heroic keepers thwart Toffees

Exeter City 0 Everton 0 

BY ROSS REID AT ST JAMES' PARK

IT was a tale of two keepers at St James' Park yesterday as City's Stuart Naylor and half- time replacement Jason Matthews recorded clean sheets to keep Everton's array of Pre- miership stars at bay in a memorable FA Cup third round tie. Naylor's bravery in stopping Kevin Campbell from scoring just before half-time meant he had to sit out the second half. But his understudy, 24-year-old Matthews, did not let his training partner or team down and deservedly earned the man of the match accolade as the Grecians' unlikely cup hero. He made two vital saves from Kevin Campbell that will live long in the memory of anyone at the tie, as well as two fine one-on-one stops to keep his former Tot- tenham hero Nick Barmby out. His two out of the top drawer came in the 56th minute - when he made bril- liant one-handed save to deny Campbell as the Everton's eight-goal top scorer looked to have scored with a header from Francis Jeffers' cross - and then just after the hour. After dashing out to clear the immediate danger from Barmby, Matthews was on the floor when Jeffers' header was blocked and followed up by Campbell, who looked certain to open his account. Somehow Matthews blocked the shot and turned it onto the post and away. It summed up the tremendous fighting spirit of the City side, who grew in confi- dence as the tie progressed, aided by the injection of target-man Steve Flack on the hour. Everton welcomed back skipper Don Hutchison from suspension and paid the Devon club the respect of fielding their strongest available side - Richard Gough was ruled out by injury. Within the opening eight minutes, the Blues had two efforts ruled out for offside and there were no complaints. - But it was the only time 37-year-old Naylor would be beaten in a superb first-half display. At the other end Exeter's best early opportunity fell to midfielder Paul Buckle, whose first-time effort from just outside the box flew over Paul Gerrard's bar and into the empty Big Bank stand. Buckle then got a foot in to deny Mark Pembridge a shot on goal and in the 15th minute Naylor was quick off his line to beat predatory Blues striker Jeffers to a through ball. City top scorer Gary Alexander tested Gerrard from the edge of the box with a shot on the turn in the 18th minute but it was Naylor in action next. Hutchison played a superb ball over the top of City's back line and Campbell - who looked offside - raced on but was denied by the 6ft 4ins build of Naylor, who charged off his line to save with his feet. City's Chris Curran, playing in the centre of midfield in a 4-4-2 formation, forced a save from Gerrard from close range as he broke into the box to head Jason Rees' lofted cross. Rob Dewhurst, recalled to the back four, fired a free kick over from 25 yards out on the half-hour. Then two minutes later Naylor saved easily from Jeffers. Everton sensed half-time was approaching and John Collins, who had been switched into the middle of midfield, with Pembridge pushed out wide, then had a first-timer well stopped by the big City keeper. A goalmouth scramble followed Curran's long throw-in and then Richard Dunne and Geoff Breslan tangled in the area with City fans appealing for a penalty. Naylor saved with his feet from Jeffers, then clawed away a Pembridge cross un- der pressure and then in the 42nd minute made his best stop to deny Campbell as he raced on to yet another through ball. It was then Naylor was hurt but he was still able to make a spectacular diving save to deny Jeffers in first-half injury time.

EXETER
Naylor- Richardson Power Buckle. Curran Gittens Rees Breslan Boylan Dewhurst Alexander Substitutes: Matthews (for Naylor, 46 minutes), Flack (for Breslan, 59 mins), Mc- Connell (for Boylan, 70 mins). Not used: Holloway, Speakman.

EVERTON 
Gerrard, Unsworth, Collins, Barmby (Ball 86), Campbell, Hutchison, Pembridge (Max- Moore 76), Weir, Dunne, Jeffers, Xavier. Not used: Cleland, Grant, Simonsen.

Bookings:
Exeter - Rees 66, Flack 72, Power 73; Everton - Xavier 21.

Referee: Steve Bennett (Orpington)

Attendance: 6,045.

*Star Man:
Jason Matthews - outstanding against Premiership strikers