Angry fans protest after City's defeat

RESIGN CALL TO APPLETON EXETER CITY

EXETER CITY 0
NEWPORT COUNTY 1
Thackeray.

Half-time 0-0

Played at St James's Park, Exeter.

Tuesday November 24th 1987. Attendance 1,000.

Exeter City:- Shaw; Cooper, Viney; Carter, Massey, Collins; Batty, Edwards, O'Connell, Milton, Harrower.

Newport County:- Dillon; Williams, Hodson; Sherlock, Gibbins, Giles; Thackeray, Jones, Tupling, Thompson, Mann

Match Report by Trina Lake

EXETER CITY were dumped out of the Freight Rover Trophy last night by a keener and more positive Newport County side and the result provoked an angry reaction around St James's Park afterwards. A group of around 50 City supporters left the ground chanting for manager Colin Appleton's resignation. They made their way around from the cowshed to the back of the grandstand and shouted protests up at the boardroom before dispersing frustrated into the cold night.

Appleton was unaware of the fans calling for his head. While the protestors were shouting for a change of manager and thrusting promotions chief Tony Kellow's name to the fore, he was roasting the players for another flat and lifeless performance.

"We've been caught by discipline and organisation again. Newport were more direct and played to their strengths but our players have to assume more responsibility and stop feeling sorry for themselves," he said.

The side showed two changes from the one that beat Stockport on Saturday. Ri- chard Massey played at centre back in place of Shaun Taylor, criticised by the manager for getting pulled out of position too often, and Darren Rowbotham, struggling along with Eamonn Collins to adjust to the pattern of Fourth Division football, made way for Paul Batty. Massey's committed display he had a sound game in the air and on the ground was one of the few crumbs of comfort Appleton took from a disappointing night.

He and the crowd of 1,006-City's lowest of the season had the right to expect better against a side struggling at the very bottom of the Football League.  Whether the competition has any real relevance at this stage of the season is im- material. Professional and personal pride should at least have shone through a little more noticeably. Instead City allowed themselves to be stifled by Newport's offside trap and couldn't come up with the ingenuity to break out of the stranglehold. Play was so often condensed in a packed midfield that skill was never allowed to prosper. Newport, decimated by injuries but eager and busy, dealt far more effectively with pressure than City and the quality of their attacks was generally better. Richard Thompson, the big striker who had a brief and unsuccessful trial with City last week, wasted two good chances in a scrappy opening. Simon Milton's glorious piece of skill and vision - a rare and almost unique treat set up City's first, and pos- sibly most dangerous, chance in the 24th minute. He then had a useful snap shot saved well by Andy Dillon who also denied Keith Viney and Steve Harrower. Paul Giles came closest to a first half goal for Newport at the end of a tremendous 30th minute run and after the break Andy Thackeray and the live- wire Adrian Mann had given City a scare before the deadlock was broken. Newport's goal came when City failed to clear their lines under pressure and when the ball dropped to Thackeray he thumped it into the back of the net from 15 yards. Edwards just failed to connect with a Brendon O'Connell pass in front of goal, O'Connell had a header cleared off the line, Edwards fired wide with only the 'keeper to beat when Harrower put him through, and Milton couldn't cash in on a mistake by Dillon as City tried unsuccessfully for a face-saving equaliser. O'Connell, who had been operating for most of the game on the left of midfield with Harrower pushed forward, was replaced by Scott Hiley in the 68th minute and Andrew Watson came on for Edwards allowing Carter to play up front in a last throw of the dice by Appleton. But it was Newport who looked most likely to score again and John Shaw had to make an excellent save at the feet of Mann. Newport's win guarantees them a home tie in the last 32 of this competition for Third and Fourth Division clubs. Port Vale's 2-0 win over City last month takes them through too.