ECFC 3-1 Sheffield United

Scorers: Moore (og), Hatch, Pullar

Attendance: 6,632

10-SECOND GOAL PUTS CITY ON THE WAY
By Martyn Dean

Exeter City 3, Sheffield United 1

Exeter City: Main, Mitchell, Hatch, Hore, Giles, P. Roberts, Neville, P. Rogers, Bowker, Delve, Pullar. Sub: Forbes.

Sheffield Utd.: Richard son, Moore, Garner, Kenworthy, Tibbott, Mat thews, Flood, Speight, Busby, Charles, Sabella. Sub: Bourne.

Referee: Mr. Allan Robinson, of Waterlooville.

A PACKED St. James's Park witnessed the most sen sational start to a game for years as Exeter City tore Division III leaders Sheffield United apart with two goals in the first three minutes. The first goal must rank as one of the fastest of the season. It took just 10 seconds for Exeter to get the ball in the back of the net from the kick-off. TONY MOORE was the first Sheffield player to touch the ball and he certainly wished that he had been spared that dubious honour. Peter Rogers crossed the ball from the right wing, Keith Bowker failed to get his head to it, but the ball went through to Moore, who deflected it past a startled Derek Richardson.
The fans had hardly had chance to recover their breath when City made it 2-0.
Tremendous shot

This time they did not need a helping hand from United. PETER HATCH robbed Sheffield's Argentinian star Alex Sabella in midfield and carried the ball forward before hitting a tremendous left-foot shot which flew into the top corner from 30 yards. The match was still less than three minutes old and one wondered just how of the fans queuing outside had missed all the excitement.

After such an incredible opening one might have expected things to quieten down quickly but City were in no mood to slow the tempo. They continued to press. City won 11 corners before the interval without reply, but Sheffield bounced back into the game via a Jeff Bourne penalty in the 57th minute. It was awarded against Phil Roberts for a scything tackle on right winger John Flood, and Bourne an earlier substitute for the injured Nick Speight sent 'keeper Ian Main the wrong way. The following nine minutes were nail biting but Exeter's 15th corner of the match, taken by Hatch, ended all that. Up went the heads, out came the ball, and there was Pullar to thunder it back on the half volley to put the issue beyond doubt.

CITY VERDICT

EXETER CITY under lined their potential as promotion candidates with a tremendous victory over leaders Sheffield United at St. James's Park thie afternoon. In what was easily their most convincing home performance of the season, Exeter tore United apart with two goals in the first three minutes. The game never went off the boil after that as both sides treated the crowd of 6,832 to a match full of incident and excitement. Although Sheffield hit back with a 57th-minute penalty, they seldom looked like shaking City out of their rhythm and when. Dave Pullar banged in a third goal, after 68 minutes it was all over bar the shouting.