IT'S A MASSACRE!

Blues army roll Exeter's troops away

Report By COLIN TATTUM

Even fed up Exeter fans joined in with the jubilant Blues faithful in singing the praises of their former boss. "Terry Cooper's blue and white army," they chanted at one point as tank-like Blues rolled their side over as if they weren't there. Indeed, it was as if the white flag had been holsted and the Grecians gone home once Cooper's new troops had won the first few skirmishes. If the Exeter fans were rueing the absence of Cooper, the Kop were reveling in their new commander-in-chief. Blues used the flanks to cut open the Exeter sweeper system, with lan Rodgerson again out- standing The axis he formed down the right with Ian Clarkson, Dean Peer and Simon Sturridge, was irresistible in the first half. It ultimately paved the way for the goal glut, and once Exeter went behind their discipline wilted. They ended up looking like a ragged bunch of routed foot soldiers. The only time they came close to scoring was when Mark Cooper-Terry's son, hit the post from a free-kick on 71 minutes. Martin Hicks slid in to score the first off his shin following Rodgerson's direct run into the box after 10 minutes. Then Rodgerson crossed for Mark Yates to ghost in Peters-like to head in number two from around the edge of the area. There was no let up in the second half. Peer found room at the back post to plant John Frain's cross beyond Kevin Miller. Nigel Gleghorn finished things off when he rounded Scott Daniels to angle a low shot across Miller with a quarter of the game left. It could have been more as Trevor Aylott glanced a header wide from inside the six yard box.

Exeter boss Alan Ball declined to attend the after match press conference with the message: "There's not much You can say about that is there?"

BLUES (4-4-2):
Thomas, Clarkson, Frain, Yates, Hicks, Mardon, Rodgerson, Dolan (Aylott 50). Peer, Sturridge Gleghorn, (Okenla 73).

EXETER (5-3-2):
Miller, Hiley, Brown, Williams, Cole, Daniels, Rowbotham, O'Shaugnessy (Marshall 54), Moran, Cooper, Kelly.
Sub not used: O'Donnell.

Goals:
Hicks 10 slid into ruck of players to deflect Rodgerson's parried shot in: Yates 31 towering header that fooled Miller;
Peer 52 -rushed in to direct deep cross into corner;
Gleghorn 67-low left footer across keeper-Blues.

Bookings: None.
Attendance: 6,177.

Referee: P Danson (Blaby).

Argus man of the match:
Ian Rodgerson (8).