WHISTON HEADS HISTORIC WINNER

Match Report by Simon Mills

EXETER CITY 1, LEYTON ORIENT 0

FOR an hour it was Exeter's least convincing performance of the sea- son, but the fans and Alan Ball went home happy. A tenacious fightback at St James' was capped by Peter Whiston's 85th minute goal as Exeter grabbed their first win this term. Linking with Tom Kelly and John Hodge, Hiley tore through the Orient midfield as his side rediscovered their self-belief. After outstanding keeper Chris Turner had beaten away Kelly's eight-yard shot in the 85th minute Exeter finally got their reward. Andy Harris swung the resultant corner to the far post, and Whiston slipped away from his marker to head firmly into the empty net. Whiston will never score a more valuable goal - his effort was Exeter's 4,000th in league history.  Leyton Orient's Simon Livett and Vaughan Ryan won all the midfield challenges, hustling Kelly and Harris off the ball. As early as the fifth minute Kevin Miller had to get down quickly when Jones sent a low shot to his right. Andy Cook proved to be City's next saviour as Orient threatened from the set pieces. Livett was the provider once more as Orient turned the screws before half-time. His 30-yard run from deep drew the defenders towards him. He released Jones, but the Orient striker was closed down so quickly by Hiley that his snap shot was skewered high and wide past the right hand post. After twenty minutes Jepson nodded on a Williams cross and Loram's pass across goal was netted by John Hodge only to be ruled out for an ear- lier offside. Whatever Alan Ball said to his players at half-time must have fired them up. They came out full of purpose. After closing the left hand side of their defence, where Achampong and Kevin Hales had over-run Hiley and Brown, Exeter established their fluid passing style and reaped the rewards. Hiley's efforts immediately turned the tide as he drew an outstanding save from Turner with a thumping right foot drive in the 62nd minute. Then the six-figure rated full-back provided two telling but unproductive crosses. The pressure had to tell and when Whiston's header won the game in the dying minutes Exeter had their reward.

Exeter City 
Miller. Hiley. Cook. Williams. Brown. Whiston. Kelly.Harris. Jepson. Loram Hodge. Subs: Cooper (for Jepson, 65 mins).

Leyton Orient:
Turner, Bellamy, Howard, Hales, Kitchen, Whitbread, Achampong, Livett, Jones, Taylor, Ryan. Subs: Cooper (for Jones, 71 mins), Tomlinson (for Livett, 80 mins).

Referee: Rod Hamer (Bristol)

Attendance: 2,766

Bookings: Ryan (Leyton Orient) foul 38mins.




And a Brief Report in later Match Day programme. 

Peter Whiston was City's hero as they battled their way to their first League victory of the sea- son over high-flying Leyton Orient.

With just five minutes left on the clock Scott Hiley took advantage of good play by Tom Kelly and John Hodge to race through the Orient defence only to see Chris Turner somehow turn his shot around the post for a corner.

Andy Harris swung the corner over to the far post where Whiston had lost his marker and he head- ed the ball firmly into the back of the net for City's 4,000th League goal and more importantly their first three-point haul in eight starts this season.