Exeter City 0 Swansea City 2.

Saturday 27 February 1993.

Exeter City 0
Swansea City 2
Lyttle, West 

Match Report by David Hutchings

SWANSEA took a swift revenge for their mid-week Autoglass Trophy exit and heightened Exeter's relegation worries. The Swans always looked the more likely to score, but they left it late - with goals 16 minutes and three minutes from time. Exeter 'keeper Kevin Miller had been the hero of the game until then, pulling off a string of fine saves from a dangerous looking Swansea attack. Ironically it was a Miller mistake which allowed the Swans to break the deadlock. Andy Cook put him under pressure with a back pass, Miller sliced it, and three Swansea players all went rushing for the ball. Des Lyttle came out with it, and, with Miller caught off his line, played a lovely lob into the goal. The second was even more simple. Substitute Andy McFarlane crossed from the right. Andy Legg dummied the low ball superbly and Colin West tucked it home from close range. Exeter sparked into life only fleatingly, with Scott Hi- ley and Danny Bailey sharing the honours for most effective player. Up front, almost all City's few chances came through big Ronnie Jepson. In the 62nd minute he headed on for Eamonn Dolan whose cultured lob was desperately turned away one-handed by keeper Roger Freestone. A minute later he put through a perfect pass to John Hodge who - under a heavy challenge - put his shot just wide of the post. Jepson's best individual effort came in the 83rd minute, when his bicycle kick was taken well by Freestone from close range. But Swansea dominated most of the game. They won four corners in the first 10 minutes, but Miller was always equal to any task they could set him. After 21 minutes he pulled off a great save from Jason Bowen, who had been released into the box by Swansea's influential skipper John Cornforth. Four minutes later he got down well to hold Legg's
low drive. And just ten minutes from the interval he was off his line to dive at Cornfoth's feet, as he broke, unmarked, into the box. Just 60 seconds later Miller got a lucky touch as a Legg shot bounced off his knee. But he saved his most spectacular effort until six minutes from half time when he had to dive full length to hold John Ford's vicious 30- yarder. Meanwhile, Exeter created few chances of their own in the first half. After 26 minutes Freestone plucked a cross off Jim McIntyre's foot, after a flowing attacking move started by Miller and also involving Dolan. Cook tried a hopeful 25- yard shot that went over the bar after he spotted Freestone off his line. And after 38 minutes McIntyre was too slow to react as Jepson mishit a Hiley cross and the ball ran loose just feet from the goal.

Exeter City 
Miller. Hiley. Cook. Bailey. Daniels. Brown
Tonge. McIntyre. Jepson. Dolan. Hodge
Subs: Taylor ✶✶ (for Mclntyre, 46 mins), Cooper (for Tonge, 76).

Swansea:
Freestone; Lyttle, Jenkins, Walker, Harris, Ford, Bowen (McFarlane, 65 mins), Coughlin, West, Cornforth, Legg; sub., Wimbleton.

Referee: Paul Durkin (Portland)

Attendance: 3,146.

Bookings: Harris (Swansea).