Delve's men in shot-shy mood

CARLISLE UNITED 0 EXETER CITY 0.

Played at Brunton Park, Carlisle.

Saturday January 23rd 1988.

EXITER should have claimed all three points, but they lacked any real bite up front against fellow strugglers Carlisle.

The pitch, which often resembled a swamp, contributed to a disappointing match as for the second week running Exeter had to settle for a 0-0 draw in a game they should have won.

There are difficult days ahead for manager John Delve, who must be looking for more positive results on the pitch if he wants to stay in charge. His contribution on the field as a player was also below par & after 68 minutes he came off to be replaced by Richard Massey.

The first half was short on incidents. After 10 minutes though Exeter had a goal disallowed. Darran Rowbotham got on the end of a Paul Batty cross and bundled the ball past Carlisle keeper Mark Prudhoe and forced it in off defender Paul Gorman, but the referee judged that he handled the ball during the scramble.

His decision to let the game go ahead at all was a little more questionable. Carlisle's lowest crowd of the season would have been better off if they had stayed at home. Carlisle's first effort on goal came after 41 minutes when Peter Hampton's fierce shot cannoned off Steve Harrower with Mel Gwinnett a hapless spectator.

Exeter took control in the second half, but could find little inspiration against Carlisle's five man defence, which has been strengthened recently after conceding more goals than any other Fourth Division side. Batty got round the back of the defence after 49 minutes to pull a useful cross back for Dean Edwards, but his header flew just wide of the upright. Exeter looked unhappy not to have a penalty in the 54th minute when Wes Saunders appeared to bring Batty down, but the referee waved play on. Brendon O'Connell displayed some good skills as he cut inside a defender and smashed a left-foot shot just wide. Exeter's busiest player was Paul Olsson, who tried to direct the game from midfield, but often found himself defeated by the heavy pitch. He came closest to earning Exeter victory with two superb efforts from outside the area.

Attendance 1,700. 

Carlisle United:- Prudhoe; Gorman, Hampton; Robinson, Wright, Saunders; McCaffery, Cooke, Clark, Halpin, Hutchinson.

Exeter City:- Gwinnett; Harrower, Viney; Carter, Taylor, Olsson; Batty, Delve, Edwards, O'Connell, Rowbotham.

Match Report 2 
Unlucky Exeter City played out a drawn game on the waterlogged Carlisle pitch and with three quarters of the play and nearly all the possession they should have won easily. They dominated the game for more than eighty minutes and Olsson in particular could have earned his side maximum points with several chances which fell to him, all of which were missed.

The ground resembled a swamp following yesterday's thaw and the referee, Mr T.Simpson, decided the game should go ahead, but the lowest crowd of the season cast doubts on the wisdom of that decision.

The City's player manager, John Delve, included himself in the side, but suffered a knee injury after only eight minutes and limped off, to be replaced by Massey.

Carlisle were outplayed from the start and it took them more than forty minutes to muster their first shot of the game. Then Hampton blasted the ball goalwards from the 18 yards line but his shot struck Harrower on the chest and was kicked clear by Taylor. Exeter's best chance of the match fell inevitably to the unfortunate Olsson, whose shot from 15 yards forced Prudhoe to pull off a spectacular save, diving across his goal to turn the ball round the post for a corner, which proved of no avail to the City. Twelve minutes later Prudhoe again saved in brilliant style from Olsson.

Rowbotham scored for Exeter in the first half, but the goal was disallowed for a foul on the goalkeeper, who was pushed into the net with the ball by the ex-Argyle man.