Colchester surge is held up at the double

By KEN REYNOLDS

COLCHESTER snapping hard on the heels of Sheffield United at the top of the Third Division, were crushed by two goals in five minutes at EXETER last night.

Steve Wright equalised for the visitors after Lee Roberts gave Exeter an early lead, but an own-goal by Steve Dowman in 67 minutes, followed by a Dave Pullar special sealed it.

Exeter 3
(L. Roberts, Dowman (og) Pullar)
Colchester1
(Wright)
Attendance  2.648

• Sheffield United stayed on top with a comfortable home win over SOUTHEND. Paul Garner (28 minutes) and John Matthews (67 mins) were on target and Southend 'keeper Mervyn Cawston saved a Jeff Bourne penalty.
• But BRENTFORD came a cropper at Bury. John Fraser gave the Bees an interval le a d and Bob Booker's second four minutes from time-could not prevent a 4-2 defeat.