Exeter City 0 Scunthorpe 4.

Saturday 25 August 2001.

NOEL Blake delivered a scathing assessment of his Exeter players following a performance which he described as 'a joke'.

The Grecians' manager watched incredulously as his side capitulated to a Scunthorpe team which had lost its opening three games of the season.

It was Exeter's third successive home loss this season, but it was the manner of the defeat, following encouraging displays against Halifax and Walsall, which shocked Blake.

"We were a joke," admitted Blake, who threatened to make sweeping changes for today's match at third-placed Rochdale.

"That's the worst performance I've seen in my time here as manager.

"I can't stand players who show a lack of commitment to a football shirt, whether it's my team or a team I'm watching on television.

"I saw that today from my team and it really cuts me up.

"You can play well and get beat, you can play bad and get beat, but no commitment and no passion, that really hurts me.

"To be honest with you, I'm lost for words because I can't believe what I've just seen.

"We lost the game down the spine of the team. The centre halves didn't head the ball, the striker didn't head the ball up front, and pace killed us."

Blake nodded in agreement at the chorus of boos as he trudged off the pitch at the final whistle, but said the players must take the blame for City's biggest home defeat since losing 5-2 to Notts County three-and-a-half years ago.

"Some of the supporters have had a dig at me today and rightly so, because that's my team out there. I can assure them that as long as I'm here they won't see that again," added Blake, who has called-up trainee defender Marcus Gross for today's game.

"But it was the same players who played against Walsall and Halifax. I've done nothing different, all I've done is try to enhance them.

"I carried the can for them last year but I won't do it again. I'm not going to look at myself, they've got to look at themselves.

"I've maybe stayed loyal to one or two players for too long. Today they went and kicked me where the sun don't shine."

Exeter's torment began when lively forward Martin Carruthers dispatched Peter Beagrie's cross beyond goalkeeper Arjan van Heusden.

Kim Grant missed gilt-edged chances either side of the opening goal, while winger Beagrie terrorised Neil Whitworth to such effect that the makeshift wing-back was substituted after 33 minutes.

Exeter briefly threatened, with Steve Flack somehow failing to divert a Kwame Ampadu header inside the post, and Christian Roberts striking the upright before seeing his 25-yard effort tipped over.

Grant doubled the lead in first-half stoppage time after racing onto Carruthers' flick-on, and Blake responded by sending on strikers Gary Birch and 17-year-old Reinier Moor for his debut as Exeter reverted to a 3-3-4 formation.

Scunthorpe revelled in the extra space, adding a third goal through Carl Bradshaw's free-kick after van Heusden was penalised for handling the ball outside his area.

Carruthers compounded Exeter's humiliation with a dinked finish over van Heusden from Wayne Graves' pass.

Exeter City 0
Scunthorpe United 4
Carruthers 13, 67, Grant 45, Bradshaw 60

Exeter City (5-3-2):
A van Heusden; N Whitworth (G Power 33), A Watson, J Campbell (R Moor half time), C Curran, D Kerr; P Buckle (G Birch half time), M Barlow, K Ampadu; C Roberts, S Flack.
Substitutes (not used): A Walker (gk), A Roscoe.

Booking: Roberts 69

Scunthorpe United (4-4-2): 
S Croudson; N Stanton, S Thom, M Jackson, A Dawson (R Wilcox 90); W Graves, C Bradshaw, T Barwick, P Beagrie (G Sheldon 78); M Carruthers, K Grant (S Ridley 86).
Substitutes (not used): R Siddall, J Cotterill.

Referee Phil Prosser

Attendance 2798 with 178 away fans.