Exeter City 1 Hartlepool 2

BY ROSS REID

HARTLEPOOL striker Gary Jones notched a 78th minute winner to save keeper Martin Hollund's blushes at rain drenched St James' Park. Jones looked offside as he latched on to a through ball but the linesman kept his flag down and the Pool forward slotted away his second goal of the game. The visitors were reduced to 10 men on the hour when Andy McAvoy was sent off for retaliation. McAvoy tangled with City left back Graeme Power on the halfway line right in front of referee Phil Richards, of Preston, with Pool already 1-0 up thanks to Jones' 31st minute opener, and Mr Richards had no hesitation in dismissing him. City made their one man advantage tell within 14 minutes. Unmarked Chris Curran, playing in the middle of midfield in a 4-4-2 formation, found himself free 25 yards out and let fly with a low drive which zipped off the slippery surface, under the body of Hollund and into the net. Even after Jones restored Hartlepool's lead; City who gave a League debut to Finnish import Jukka Vanninen late on continued to press forward and Gary Alexander forced Hollund to tip over just before Power drilled another effort just over. Grecians' gaffer Peter Fox made just one change from the side that started against Everton, re-introducing targetman Steve Flack to the attack, which meant a bench start for Lee Boylan. Geoff Breslan and Jason Rees both started in lively fashion. In the sixth minute Flack went close with a diving header after a good curling cross in by Rees, but a visiting defender put the ball out for a corner. Breslan's cross-cum-shot from wide out on the left nearly crept in the top corner at the far post in the 12th minute, just after much coveted Tommy Miller got in the visitors' first goal bound effort. City looked to be gaining the ascendancy when Rees flashed a shot just over after he got on the end of a Breslan cross-field ball just inside the penalty area in the 24th minute. Two minutes later Breslan came closest to breaking the deadlock with a scorching 25- yard drive that beat Hollund at his right hand post but then came back off the upright. Curran then tried his luck from the same range, which stirred Hartlepool to counter. McAvoy, who joined United from Blackburn Rovers last month, had his shot deflected wide on the half hour and a minute later he crossed from the left for Jones to head home his fourth goal of the season. City charged back down the park and Kevin Henderson was forced to scramble the ball away as Flack threatened. The big City striker then tried getting around another Rees cross but headed wide before a swift move involving Jon Richardson, Rees and Power saw the latter stab a shot on the run just wide. Richardson blocked a shot by Henderson and then Power made a great saving tackle to deny Jones as he homed in on Naylor's goal at the Big Bank end. Another Breslan shot, spilled by Hollund, sparked an injury-time goalmouth scramble that ended with Power having his shot cleared off the line by a defender, with City players appealing for a goal, after pinging back and forwards across the six yard box.

Exeter City
Naylor. Richardson Dewhurst.Gittens Power. Breslan. Buckle Curran Rees. Flack. Alexander. Substitutes: Boylan (for Buckle, 59), Vanninen (for Dewhurst, 74), Mc-Connell (for Breslan 85) Not used: Speakman, Matthews.

Hartlepool:
Hollund, Knowles, Lee, Barron, Westwood, Clark, Stephenson, McAvoy, Miller, Jones (Freestone 90), Henderson (Strodder 71). Subs not used: Dibble, Mason, Shilton

Scorers:
Exeter - Curran, 74; Hartlepool - Jones 31, 78.

Bookings:
Exeter - Richardson 45, Power 54; Hartlepool - Miller 85.

Sent Off: McAvoy 60

Referee: Phil Richards (Preston)

Attendance: 2,261.

*Star Man:
Chris Curran -goal capped workman- like display