Exeter City 2 Cardiff City 2.

Tuesday 31 August 1993.

Referee:

Att: 3049

In a highly entertaining game Exeter City earned their first Endsleigh League Second Division point of the season at St James Park against visiting Cardiff City. The attendance of 3,049 was slightly lower than expected but the pre- match publicity with reference to a minority number of visiting fans who had caused trouble at previous matches, kept a few of the Grecians regulars away. In the event, there were not problems, and that was due to the way that the local Police coped with the situation.

As usual the City conceded an early goal when Cohen Griffith netted after just two minutes to put Cardiff in front. It was all Exeter however, particularly in the second half, and they deservedly equalised through Ronnie Jepson in the 57th minute, a spectacular first time shot from Stuart Storer's cross. Cardiff went back in front 20 minutes later when John Cornwell pushed the ball home from close range. Exeter were not to be denied however, and Storer's grey- hound speed led him to netting the equaliser after beating a defender and the goalkeeper in a race for the ball. It would have been a complete injustice had Exeter been beaten.

17 year old trainee Anthony Thirlby became the latest player to come off the youth conveyor belt as he made his Football League debut as a second half substitute. The Express and Echo quite rightly pointed out that the City had bridged the generation gap, for young Thirlby was born three years after Grecians goal-keeper Peter fox had made his league debut in 1973! We bet that made 'Foxy' feel really old!!!!

Exeter City: Peter Fox, Chris White, Ronnie Robinson, Danny Bailey, Scott Daniels, Peter Whiston, Stuart Storer,
Russell Coughlin, Ronnie Jepson, Gary Worthington, Steve Wigley (Anthony Thirlby).

Cardiff City: Kite, James, Searle, Brazil, Perry, Millar, Cornwell, Richardson, Thompson, Blake, Griffith.