Lowest gate since 1995 sees City triumph

Match Report by Ed Hogg

Exeter City 3 Rotherham United 0.

Tuesday 13 April 1999.

THERE are at least three unwritten rules in football.

1. New Boss Syndrome dictates that a freshly-appointed manager will enjoy a flying start with the same players whose appalling displays cost the previous hotseat incumbent his job. 
2. Manager-of-the-Month Doctrine ensures the presentation of the award immediately sparks a hopeless series of results.
3. And Lowest Gate of the Season Law guarantees the struggling home side will deliver a stunning performance.

Exeter City's home clash with high-flying Rotherham last night produced a gate of just 1,929 the Grecians' smallest crowd for a Nationwide League fixture in almost four years. The apathy was understandable. Peter Fox's men had slithered out of Division 3 play-off contention after a ghastly seven-match winless sequence. City had netted just one goal in their four previous St James's Park contests. And Rotherham had galloped into genuine automatic promotion contention thanks to an impressive eight-match unbeaten spell. Predictably, Exeter produced a fabulous display responding to Fox's contract threats with a sparkling 3-0 victory. "Exeter looked like the side going for promotion, muttered shellshocked Millers boss Ronnie Moore. "They closed us down constantly and never gave us a minutes' peace. "Exeter's season is dead yet they ran their socks off." It was the new work ethic that Fox had hoped to achieve with last weekend's warning over possible surprise close-season departures. But a clutch of players whose City contracts expire this summer strengthened their claims for new deals. The hosts scarcely wobbled once Chris Curran had headed them into a 20th minute lead. Curran preferred to Chris Holloway in midfield capped a slick build up by butting Chris Fry's measured cross past Mike Pollitt from 10 yards. Fry, back in senior action after a long-term ankle injury, was instrumental in much of Exeter's best work. And Fry just failed to apply the finishing touch to John Wilkinson's teasing 29th minute cross after a mesmeric run from the rookie winger. Rotherham striker Leo Fortune-West then booked himself a personal appearance before an FA disciplinary panel, thrusting an elbow in Fry's face to collect his 11th caution of the campaign. Mark Williams' brilliant clearance prevented Jon Gittens doubling the deficit from another Wilkinson cross. City goalkeeper Ashley Bayes was forced into a stunning reflex stop from Fortune-West just before the interval. But Exeter were rapidly back on the offensive Pollitt sprawling to claw away Flack's diving header from a massive Bayes punt. Bayes then denied Chris Sedgwick before Millers defender Phil Whelan gifted the home side a 2-0 lead. Flack whipped in a dangerous low cross from the left flank and Whelan's flailing boot sent the ball spinning past the stranded Pollitt. Barry McConnell promptly crashed a 20-yarder just over and Wilkinson also went close. Power twice produced timely tackles to foil ex- Plymouth favourite Darren Garner and Sedgwick before Bayes beat away a Paul Warne volley. But City were scarcely troubled. And their guests' misery was completed by McConnell's emphatic stoppage-time penalty. Alan Knill stumbled into Flack, referee Alan Wiley immediately pointed to the spot and Pollitt six clean sheets in his previous eight outings -dived the wrong way.

EXETER:
Bayes, Curran, Power, Baddeley, Gittins (Tosh, 75), Rees, Flack, McConnell, Wilkinson (Gale 84). Sub (not used): Potter.

ROTHERHAM:
Pollitt, Williams (Berry 78), Beech, Garner, Knill, Whelan, Sedgwick (White), Thompson (Roscoe 59), Fortune-West, Warne, Varty.

MATCH FACTS

ATTENDANCE: 1929

GOALS:
Curran (20) 1-0, Whelan og (56) 2-0, McConnell pen (90) 3-0.

REFEREE: Alan Wiley (Brentwood).

SHOTS ON TARGET:
Exeter 6 Rotherham 3.
SHOTS OFF TARGET:
Exeter 3 Rotherham 2.
CORNERS:
Exeter 3 Rotherham 2.
FOULS:
Exeter 12 Rotherham 15.
OFFSIDES:
Exeter 10 Rotherham 7.