DELVE PUSHES EXETER ON WIN TRAIL AGAIN

EXETER CITY 3 
Olsson, O'Connell, Edwards.
SWANSEA CITY 1
Allon.

Half-time 1-0

Played at St James's Park, Exeter.

Saturday January 9th 1988.

CARETAKER player-manager John Delve will have had mixed feelings after this, the first victory in seven games since he was put in temporary command. For Delve took a nasty knock on the jaw midway through the first half at slushy St James' Park. Then, with the second half barely 10 minutes old, the ex-Argyle man took himself off in preference to the much clearer head of substitute Richard Massey. It was a wise decision. Delve not only looked slightly concussed after his head-on clash with winger Alan Davies but, at 34 and a little rounder in the tummy than in his halycon days, the chirpy Londonder was clearly feeling the pace. However, Exeter's recent string of disappointing results suggested they need his injection of more experience to put a halt to their slide down the Table.

Delve's influence rubbed off on the younger players around him and City really didn't look back after midfielder Paul Olson's sixth minute opener. The goal followed a neat built-up along the right and epitomised everything that Exeter did over the course of the 90 minutes. They had Swansea at sixes and sevens with neat, simple approach work.

The first goal came when skipper Keith Viney played in from the right to Dean Edwards the striker and laid it in Olson's path and he hit the target with a sweet 25 yarder. Exeter called most of the shots for the rest of the first half, with Steve Harrower prominent at right back and the two front-runners Edwards and Brendan O'Connell working tremendously hard. For all that, it was not until the last five minutes that Exeter sealed victory with two goals in 90 lethal seconds. O'Connell struck with a diving 85th minute header after Edwards had drifted wide and despatched a searching cross into the six yard box. Then the impressive Edwards cashed in on a long clearance by keeper Mel Gwinnett. He raced on and drove a firm shot beyond keeper Mike Hughes. Exeter paid the penalty for dropping their guard a minute from time when centre forward Joe Allen beat Gwinnett from about 12 yards. It was a shame that Gwinnett was beaten. He played with supreme confidence throughout after being brought in for the out-of- favour John Shaw.

Exeter introduced substitute Tony Kellow for Eamonn Collins during the last frenzied few minutes. But the veteran Cornishman didn't have to perform his customary rescue act. The points were already won.


Attendance 2,225.

Exeter City:- Gwinnett; Harrower, Viney; Carter, Taylor, Olsson; Batty, Delve, Edwards, O'Connell, Collins (Kellow) 

Swansea City:- Hughes; Harrison, Coleman; Melville, Knill, Emmanuel; Davies, Raynor, Allon, Pascoe, Andrews.


Match Report 2
Having played their last 7 games without winning one Exeter returned to their best form against Swansea at St James's Park, and after Olsson had got the opening goal in the sxith minute the Grecians never looked back.

John Delve, who was appointed player-manager following the resignation of Colin Appleton, was concussed in a head-on collision with Davies early in the second half, and was replaced by Massey.

Exeter worked hard in an effort to increase their lead, but Swansea held out until the closing five minutes when O'Connell and Edwards scored with 90 seconds of each other. Allon reduced the visitors' deficit with the last kick of the match.