Exeter City 3 Cambridge City 0.

Saturday 17 November 2001.

FA Cup 1st round.

By Nick Beer 

THERE was one particular buzzword flying around St James's Park following Exeter City's careful dissection of non-league FA Cup opposition.

"We did a professional job," said Grecians boss John Cornforth after watching his side sail serenely into the second round of the planet's favourite domestic knockout competition.

For Cambridge City manager Chris Tovey, there was a mixture of pride in his own players and resigned admiration for the winners.

"Exeter City are a good side and did a very professional job," he observed.

Even Grecians winger Andy Roscoe - who made two goals before netting for the first time in over a year - got in on the act.

"We did it in a professional manner and put in a half-decent performance," reflected the Liverpudlian.

For a team of part-timers currently rooting around in the nether regions of the Dr Marten's League Premier Division, Cambridge City weren't at all bad.

They passed it around neatly enough, came to kick the ball rather than the opposition, looked reasonably lively down the flanks, possessed a bit of pace and experience up front and were fairly solid at the back.

But against a fast-improving Exeter City side who were seeking their fourth straight home victory, not bad was never going to be good enough.

Only for a split-second did there seem any remote prospect of an upset when Matt Hann failed to connect with an inviting chance midway through the first half, City skipper Chris Curran cranking open the floodgates 10 minutes later from a well-worked corner.

Graeme Tomlinson's precise finish and Roscoe's second goal for the club sealed a victory that will only live long in the memories of the 150-or-so Lilywhites fans who ventured down the M5.

The romance of the cup was in such short supply that even Grecians targetman Steve Flack squandered a golden opportunity to net against his old club on his return from injury.

It was, as they all said, a thoroughly professional job. As a sporting spectacle, though, it was rather like watching a second-rate movie thriller: the ending was obvious from the first few minutes.

More intriguing than the action on the pitch were the rumours fuelled by the absence of Welsh whizzkid Christian Roberts.

City's leading marksman is stalling on a new contract, wants to try his luck at a bigger club, would have been cup-tied by appearing against Cambridge City, was fit to play at Hartlepool last weekend and is apparently ready to return at Torquay tomorrow night.

Cornforth - whose honesty in public has been a feature of his short managerial reign - was eager to set the record straight.

"Christian's groin went a little bit stiff and it wasn't worth the risk with an important game coming up on Tuesday," he explained.

Roberts was watching uncomfortably from the stands as Tomlinson staked a substantial claim for his place with a vibrant display capped by his second goal in as many starts this season.

"It's about time he made the shirt his own," added Cornforth. "He could be keeping Christian Roberts out of the side every week."

The Welshman's non-appearance also had a knock-on effect in midfield with youngster Glenn Cronin sacrificed in favour of the more polished Kwame Ampadu.

Despite joking before the game that he would resort to a 6-4-0 formation, Tovey bravely deployed two frontmen and a pair of genuine wingers for the club's first competitive tussle with league opposition in two years.

And although Exeter held the upper hand right from the first whistle, Cambridge were determined not to fulfil their billing as Dr Martens doormats.

It took the Grecians 16 minutes to register their first shot on target - a raking Martin Barlow volley from the edge of the area - and another six to earn their first corner.

The Lilywhites survived a couple of nervous moments midway through the first half, Matt Nurse scrambling away Paul Buckle's effort before nearly turning Roscoe's cross into his own net.

And the plucky non-leaguers came closest to scoring seven minutes before the break when the slippery Rob Nightingale tricked his way past Graeme Power near the right corner flag.

Had pocket-sized frontman Hann managed to make any contact with the cross, then the afternoon might have headed off in a different direction.

But Nurse was immediately forced to come rushing off his line to deflect Tomlinson's toe-poke around the post following a delicious ball from Barry McConnell.

And it was from the resulting Roscoe corner that City put the semi-professionals in their place.

An expert delivery, a great gallop into the box from Curran and the Grecians had suddenly planted one foot firmly in the next round.

With their limbs growing more weary by the minute and their lack of a cutting edge becoming ever more apparent, Cambridge never looked like making much of a game of it after the break.

Tomlinson - his quick feet and clever movement a constant threat - saw an effort deflected a yard over the bar following more good work from Roscoe.

And the same pair combined on the hour mark to put the result beyond all remaining doubt.

Cambridge only partially cleared Roscoe's corner and, when the ball boomeranged back to him, the Scouser supplied the perfect centre for the unmarked Tomlinson to glance a precise header inside the far upright.

Cambridge City old boy Steve Flack should have added another, but somehow managed to direct his header straight into the arms of Nurse from inside the six-yard box.

The Lilywhites' last throw of the dice came in the dying seconds of normal time when Kevin Wilkin butted goalwards twice in a minute.

The first effort was tipped over brilliantly by Arjan Van Heusden and the second bulged the net only for the referee to signal a push in the area.

And there was still time for Roscoe to cap a fine display with his first senior goal in 15 months.

Alex Watson's flighted free kick was flicked on by Flack, Nurse was caught chasing his own tail and Roscoe calmly slipped the ball into a gaping net from eight yards out.

"I think he had the worst game I've ever seen from him at Hartlepool last week," added Cornforth. "But he scored one and made two today and that shows his true character."

Exeter : A Van Heusden, B McConnell, A Watson, C Curran, G Power, P Buckle, M Barlow, K Ampadu, A Roscoe, S McCarthy, G Tomlinson.

Substitutes: S Fraser, J Campbell, L Afful (for Tomlinson, 84 mins), G Cronin (Ampadu, 81), S Flack (McCarthy, 68).

CAMBRIDGE CITY: M Nurse, F Nacca, S Holden, J Wignall, M Fox, J Challinor, S Wenlock, R Nightingale, A Wilde, K Wilkin, M Hann.

Substitutes: N Rust, N Pope (Challinor, 70), A Taylor (Nacca, 83), A Kirkup, C Tovey.

goals: Chris Curran 43 (1-0), Graeme Tomlinson 62 (2-0), Andy Roscoe 90 (3-0)

Booked: Curran, Watson, Barlow (Exeter), Wilde, Wenlock, Hann, Pope (Cambridge)

Shots on target: Exeter 7, Cambridge 2

Corners: Exeter 8, Cambridge 2

Offsides: Exeter 1, Cambridge 6

Fouls: Exeter 24, Cambridge 12

Attendance: 2,849. Referee: Lee Cable (Woking)

Att: 2849 with 174 away fans.

Substitutes
A Benstead, N Pope, A Salmons, R Flitton, A Taylor, S Willis, A Kirkup, T Wooding, J Girling, N Rust, C Tovey