Halifax Town 1 Exeter City 1.

Match Report by Martin Shaw.

Saturday 19 December 1998

Referee: G Cain

Att: 2342

A LATE volley from striker Marc Williams, who hadn't scored for 12 games' robbed brave Exeter City of three points from their long trip north to Halifax. The Grecians looked set for their first away win in 26 matches their last success coming at Brighton on October 18 - after a bizarre own goal gave them a deserved lead on 33 minutes. Peter Fox's side had soaked up intense opening pressure from pace-setters Halifax before Jimmy Gardner's free kick found Chris Curran 15 yards out. The striker's volley struck Town defender Paul Stoneman on the shoulder and looped over home keeper Lee Martin before nestling in the back of the net. That was a pleasing sight for the hardy band of travelling supporters who had not seen anything like it for 308 minutes of league football - but the goal was certainly a just reward. Fox gambled on playing three strikers against last year's Conference champions and for long periods they dominated a lack lustre Halifax side. Darran Rowbotham should have doubled their lead seconds af- ter the break but he fluffed his shot from eight yards when it looked a certain goal. The Grecians striker is still stuck on 99 strikes for Exeter and boy did he regret the glaring miss. On 50 minutes Chris Fry hit a stinging free kick that tested Martin to the extreme but that was the last Exeter attacking initia- tive as Halifax screamed forward in search of an equaliser. Exeter's goalmouth resembled a pinball machine in the last half hour as Town forced 16 corners and countless goalmouth scrambles in a blistering response. Keeper Ashley Bayes pulled off half a dozen top class saves, the best coming with eight minutes remaining as he turned Stoneman's bullet header over, but something had to give. The Exeter defence was being run ragged by teenager Chris Newton and with five minutes remaining his ball from Peter Butler on the right and his well placed cross was lashed home by Marc Williams. Bayes got a hand to the ball but couldn't keep it out and the magnificent goalkeeper was further extended during an elongated three minutes of added time. He went full stretch to deny Newton and twice beat away Dave Hanson's shots. On the final whistle the Exeter players received a tremendous ovation from their fans. If they carry on playing with such grit and determination that unwanted record the worst in Britain will certainly come to an end sooner rather than later. Rowbotham's miss proved costly but the signs are there that he will make his cen- tury and his side will win away - that would be a fine present for the festive period.

Exeter City 
Bayes Fry Power Baddeley Gale Gittens Rowbotham Holloway Flack Curran Gardner. Substitutes: Bresland, Wilkinson, Clark (not used).

Halifax:
Martin, Thackeray, Brad- show (Newton, 56), Sertori, Lu- cas, Stoneman, Paterson, Butler, Williams, Gwinan (Hanson, 33), Brown. Sub not used. Murphy.

Scorers:
Halifax - Williams, 85 minutes;
Exeter - Stoneman o.g, 33 minutes.

Referee:
George Cain (Bootle, Merseyside)

Attendance: 2,342.