Feast after Famine 
Opinion by IAN BEDFORD

CHESTER CITY 5
EXETER CITY 2

CHESTER City presented their long-suffering fans with a goal feast to end a three-month Third Division famine at Moss Rose on Tuesday. But it needed a psychological master-stroke by manager Harry McNally to fire up a City side which had not tasted success in 13 League games. McNally admitted: 'I had to give the players a roasting before the game. I detected some compla- cency in training following the performance at Bolton, so I had to make sure they were really wound up for this one." 

The approach paid off and also sparked the return to scoring form of record signing Stuart Rimmer, whose goal was his first for 14 games. 'It was a relief to score at last. I should have had a second goal but I tried to make certain. I suppose it was a lack of confidence,' said the 11-goal striker who had swapped his number nine shirt with Barry Butler in a desperate bid to end his bad form. The switch also worked for two-goal Butler, who was always a handful for the Exeter defence and was suitably rewarded for his uncomplaining atti- tude to an unfamiliar role. But even the players' relief could not have matched that of McNally, who added: 'It was a long time coming, so we will enjoy it all the more, 'It was a pity we didn't put away two or three other chances but all in all it has given us a crumb of comfort.'

Chester City stunned Exeter with three goals in seven minutes in a devastating early spell. Butler converted a cross from Graham Barrow and the Rimmer volleyed home Graham Abel's heade The second Butler goal was a header fro Rimmer's cross and inside 20 minutes the Grecia were in ruins. Although the visitors hit back twice before the end they were never less than two goals in arrear They had a right to complain about the second-half penalty, converted by Abel after Paul Comstive had been harshly judged to have been fouled Andy Cook, but they survived a blatant push Gary Bennett not long after. Comstive went clear of a stretched Exeter defence to put the issue beyond doubt in the second of nine minutes of time inexplicably added on by Oldham referee Paul Harrison to put the seal to his first League success in a Chester shirt.

Exeter's goals came on the stroke of half-time b Steve Moran and six minutes from time by Paul Wimbleton - a beauty from 20 yards in between Exeter goalkeeper Kevin Miller made a stunning save to keep out Bennett's classic header.

The attendance of 871 was Chester's lowers gate in the Third Division at Moss Rose.

CHESTER
Stewart, Preece, Albiston, Comstive, Abel, Lightfoot, Bennett, Barrow, Butler, Rimmer, Pugh.
Subs: Morton and Croft (not used).

EXETER
Miller, Wimbleton, Cook, Williams, Daniels, Cooper, Hilaire (Marshall), Harris (Tonge) Moran, Thompstone, Robson.