Exeter C 0 Shrewsbury T 1.

BY ROSS REID

Saturday 21 November 1998.

Referee: AP D’Urso

Attendance  3510

THEY say good fortune evens itself out in a season, but Shrewsbury only had to wait 20 second-half minutes at St James Park yesterday. City keeper Ashley Bayes was lucky to stay on after up-ending Shrews striker Steve Jagielka as he raced on to a through ball to face the home keeper one-to-one outside his box in the 47th minute. Referee Andrew D'Urso probably felt that Bayes' action in trying to kick clear as he collided with Jagielka was accidental and showed compassion, as well as a yellow card, to Bayes But City's luck was missing in the 67th minute, as Shrewsbury notched a controversial winner through Kevin Jobling. Austin Berkley's threaded ball through to Jagielka looked offside, a point not lost on City's red defensive line, who stood waiting for the whistle. It didn't come and nor was it in evidence when Jagielka passed forward to Jobling to beat last man Bayes and score. City's appeals were lost on D'Urso, who treated them with the same disdain as when Shrewsbury's players complained pas- sionately that Bayes should have been dismissed for his foul on Jagielka. Nor was City's good fortune in evidence when they had two goalbound efforts cleared off the line as they produced another late Park charge. After prompting from teenage substitute John Wilkinson down the left, a good cross produced openings for Jon Richardson and fellow centre-half Jon Gittens. The ball was scrambled clear to target man Steve Flack, whose rising drive from just inside the box was deflected away by right-back Kevin Seabury with visiting keeper Paul Edwards helpless. Then, from a Jason Rees free kick five minutes from time, Gittens' back-post header looped over Edwards only to be headed over the bar by visiting centre-half Peter Wilding. It was that sort of day for City, who failed to turn territorial advantage into goals in the first half and late in the second. In the past, visiting sides have crumbled under City's late onslaught and that's why the home side have notched seven home wins this season. Chester, and now Shrewsbury, are the only sides to have beaten City at the Park this term. In the first half Bayes was forced to wear his keeper's cap as the sun set. He was rarely troubled by the tame Shrews, although he was forced to punch a decent Kevin Hanmer cross away under pressure in the opening ex- changes. Then he dollied a Han- mer corner but was quick enough to collect the ball as it bounced. The best first-half
chances fell to City, with Gittens foiled in the opening minutes as he dived bravely to meet Flack's flick-on. In the seventh minute Flack set up Fry and his rasping, first-time drive needed to be deflected wide by Hanmer. Then, in the 10th minute, City's former Shrewsbury striker, Darren Rowbotham, shot just wide. In the 15th, Graeme Power's free kick to Gittens was well saved by Edwards. In the 34th minute Jimmy Gardner, back in the starting line-up, sent a 25-yarder just wide. The same player also sent in a thundering last-minute effort, but that, too, was cleared by the Shrews. It was that sort of day.

Exeter City 
Bayes Gardner Power Baddele Richardson Gittens Rowbotham Rees Flack Fry Breslan. Substitutes: Wilkinson (for Breslan, 58 mins), McConnell (for Fry. 78) Holloway (not used).

Shrewsbury:
Edwards, Seabury, Hanmer, Wilding, Gayle, Tretton, Berkley, Kerrigan, Jaglielka (Steele 75, Brown 90), Evans Jobling. Sub (not used): Whelan

Scorer: Jobling, 74 minutes.

Bookings:
Exeter - Bayes, 47 mins. Shrewsbury - Hanmer. 4 mins; Tretton, 23 mins

Referee: A D'Urso (Billericay)

Attendance: 3,510