AUTOGLASS TROPHY REPORT

By Ed Hogg

Exeter City 2 Reading 2.

Tuesday 9 February 1993

Referee: Paul Vanes (Portsmouth)
Linesman: G Beale
Linesman: K. Tilley

Attendance: 1677

Autoglass Trophy second round.

Exeter win 4-2 on penalties.

Had Scott Daniels not executed a superb last- ditch tackle on Jimmy Quinn 17 minutes into extra-time of last night's Autoglass Trophy win over Reading, it's likely that Exeter City would now be able to direct their efforts solely to safeguarding their Division 2 future. In football parlance, concentrating on the league looked like City's only option when Quinn shaped to shoot for his hat-trick. The veteran striker, just recalled to the Northern Ireland squad, has been the bane of Alan Ball's life since the City boss assumed the St James's Park hotseat 18 months ago. He whacked three past Kevin Miller in two games for Bournemouth last season and grabbed another in City's 3-2 win at Elm Park in November before his 25th minute dismissal. Quinn's double last night not only took him to six in just three-and-a-half hours of action against Ball's Exeter but it appeared that City would again be denied their first home win since Plymouth Argyle were despatched 2-0 on Boxing Day. Even more so when he burst through with only Miller to beat. But Daniels' excellent recovery snuffed out the chance and City were set to break their 1993 Park duck in a nerve-jangling penalty shoot-out. Royals midfielders Phil Parkison and Mick Gooding were matched spot-kick for spot-kick by Ronnie Jepson and Daniels. But Oxford loanee defender Darren Jackson did little to ingratiate himself with Reading's travelling fans when he blazed well over. Craig Taylor - City Reserves' regular penalty-taker and hence a tactical late substitute - tucked his away to put Exeter 3-2 up. Kevin Dillon then deepened Reading's problems when his penalty hit a post and stayed out, despite rebounding against prostrate 'keeper Miller. And Andy Harris ensured that the shoot-out was as brief as possible by slotting a pinpoint effort beyond Steve Francis. The four penalties took City's total of on-target efforts at Francis' goal to just six in the 120 minutes. He failed to stop any of them. It wasn't until 20 seconds into the second half that Exeter created real danger. Harris robbed Reading right back Mark Holzman and whipped in a tremen- dous cross that John Hodge swept in at the far post to move to eight goals for the season - having been on seven since November 21- and bag another golf club from his sponsor. Before that City's only threat had been a Hodge corner that unmarked stand-in skipper Jon Brown appeared to lose in mid- flight and a fierce Jepson drive fractionally past Francis' left-hand upright. Reading's firepower hadn't been any more impressive. Centre back Adrian Williams' early header was much easier than it should have been for Miller and Quinn's 43rd minute cross-shot was made to look more comfortable than it was.
Ten minutes after Hodge had broken the deadlock Danny Bailey flashed a vicious 25-yarder just wide and then Hodge couldn't keep his shot down sufficiently after a great run past Jackson. Hiley's timely tackle denied Quinn a half-chance on 67 min- utes as the Royals stepped up the pressure and then Williams grazed the crossbar with a header from Dillon's free-kick. But the visitors were back on terms with 10 minutes remain- ing when Quinn arrived at the far post to direct a Gooding cross past Miller and the City goalkeeper then did brilliantly to deny Quinn and James Lam- bert inside 60 seconds. Hiley almost prevented the additional half hour with a superb effort in stoppage time and was again involved when Alan Tonge's graft was reward- ed with the 95th minute strike that restored Exeter's lead. Jepson nodded Hiley's cross back across goal and Tonge neatly tucked home from 10 yards via a post. The celebrations were short-lived, Quinn looping a header inside the far post from Dillon's free-kick six minutes later. Williams perhaps didn't relish the prospect of penalties, earning himself a 116th minute red card for elbowing City striker Eamonn Dolan in the face.

Exeter City 
1 Kevin Miller
2 Scott Hiley
3 David Cooper
4 Danny Bailey
5 Scott Daniels
6 Jon Brown
7 Andy Harris
8 Alan Tonge
9 Ronnie Jepson
10 Eamonn Dolan
11 John Hodge
Subs:
Craig Taylor (Tonge 118) Toby Redwood

Reading 
1 Steve Francis
2 Mark Holzman
3 Jeff Hopkins
4 Darren Jackson
5 Adrian Williams
6 Phil Parkinson
7 Mick Gooding
8 Kevin Dillon
9 Jimmy Quinn
10 Andy Gray
11 Scott Taylor
Subs:
David Bass
James Lambert (Holzman 54)