BOLTON WANDERERS 1 (Came)

EXETER CITY 0

Half-time 0-0

Played at Burnden Park, Bolton.

Tuesday October 20th 1987.

Attendance 4,165.

Bolton Wanderers:- Felgate; Scott, Crombie; Savage, Came, Sutton; Brookman, Thompson, Thomas, Elliott, Darby.

Exeter City:- Gwinnett; Cooper, Viney; Carter, Taylor, Massey; Batty, Edwards, Kellow, Hiley, Harrower.

CITY FALL TO LUCKY STRIKE

Exeter manager Colin Appleton is not surprised that his young, injury-hit squad is dropping down the Fourth Division table. City crashed to their fifth defeat in a row, 1-0 at Bolton last night, but Appleton was more disappointed with the result rather than upset by his team's performance. A sound defensive display, built on a steady foundation of Roy Carter, Shaun Taylor and Richard Massey, had Exeter well on course for their first league point since the win at Colchester on September 25 until Bolton's centre-half Mark Came Exeter born - snatched the winner five minutes from time. "I feel sorry for the players because they have come away with nothing after all the hard work," Appleton said before leaving Burnden Park. "We were looking comfort- able but the pressure told and if the luck went anybody's way it went Bolton's." The good fortune for Wanderers came in the 85th minute after Mel Gwinnett pulled off one of two late saves to concede a corner. Bolton's Dave Sutton was first to connect with Nick Brookman's cross and Came managed to turn the ball over the line from close range. By then Bolton were getting desperate. Three days earlier they had romped to a 5-0 victory over Carlisle but manager Phil Neal warned his players that Exeter would be a much tougher proposition. The Exeter defence deserved a point for their efforts. They restricted Bolton to just one early scoring chance and a couple of long-range shooting efforts in the first half, responding with Dean Edwards testing Bolton 'keeper Dave Felgate. Edwards was the main second-half danger to Bolton, but it was Exeter who had to soak up most of the pressure. Carter and Steve Harrower were forced to make important clearances before Gwin- nett came to the rescue with a smart save from Bolton top scorer John Thomas. When the 'keeper preferred to the more experienced John Shaw made an acrobatic stop from Brooks, the danger seemed to have passed, but the resulting corner produced the decider. Despite the expectations the fans who saw their team shoot to the top of the division earlier in the season.

He said: "We've got o blems but we've jus battle. People have expectations when they see you at the top of the table but the reality is different. "We needed a win but maybe to have played as we did and got a point at Bolton would have started everyone believing in us again."

Bolton: Felgate, Scott, Crombie, Savage, Came, Sutton, Brookman, Thompson, Thomas, Elliott, Darby. Subs: Steven (for Crombie 72min), Winstanley.

Exeter City: Gwinnett, Cooper, Viney, Carter, Taylor, Massey, Batty, Edwards, Kellow, Hiley, Harrower. Subs: Phillips, Olsson.

Attendance: 4,165.