EXETER CITY 2
O'Connell 2.

WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS 4
Bull 3, Purdie.

Half-time 0-2

Played at St James's Park, Exeter.

Saturday February 13th 1988.

Attendance 3,483.

Exeter City:- Gwinnett; Harrower, Viney; Carter, Taylor, Olsson; Batty, Delve, Edwards, 08Connell, Rowbotham.

Wolves:- Kendall; Bellamy, Thompson; Streete, Robertson, Robinson; Dennison, Vaughan, Bull, Mutch, Downing.

Steve Bull, the country's leading goalscorer, shattered Exeter City with a hat-trick for the Wolves to bring his season's goal haul to 21 in the League and 35 in all matches. It was Bull's third treble of the campaign, and all of his goals on the St James's Park mudbath were provided by his front partner Andy Mutch. Bull's first goal after seven minutes was a downwards header into the corner of the net after the speedy Wolves forwards had sliced holes in a hesitant Exeter defence. His second, in the 25th minute, was a powerful low drive from less than ten yards after Mutch had cut back his centre across the penalty area.

And it was the hot-shot Bull again who put the issue beyond doubt in the 62nd minute, running in to hook the ball into an empty net from almost underneath the crossbar as a high lobbed centre from Mutch sailed over Gwinnett's head. Buk The Wolves' kama champion marksman, having collected his hat-trick, was substituted in the 72nd minute, and his replacement John Purdie, got the fourth goal. There was not much that could be said for a poor Exeter team, who battled and chased in vain.

But in the last three minutes, when it was all too late, they staged an amazing rally with O'Connell getting goals in the 87th and 89th minute. 

Mutch scored another goal for the famous Midlands team but was ruled offside. The Wolves now head the League with 57 points, an advantage of 3 from Cardiff City and 5 from Bolton Wanderers.