SATURDAY 3rd FEBRUARY 1968.

Chesterfield 1-1 Exeter City

GOOD POINT BUT CITY COULD HAVE GOT MORE.

CHESTERFIELD 1,
Roberts; Holmes, Sears; Pugh, Phelan, Hughes; Randall, Hollett, Curry, Kettleborough, Wilson,

EXETER CITY 1
Smout; Smyth, Balson; Newman, Harvey, Huxford; Blain, Banks (Fudge), Curtis, Crawford, Corr,
Scorers:
Chesterfield: Hollett,
Exeter : Blain,

Attendance; 11,631,

It was a big disappointment for City after leading for most of the time at Chesterfield, but it came away with a point from their draw against a side pushing strongly for promotion, For most of the game it looked like City would win their first League match away this season, City took the lead in the 6th minute when Jimmy Blain beat Roberts with a 30 yard shot, They stayed ahead for 79 minutes when Chesterfield equalised, then the City players appealed that Hollett had taken a pass offside when he beat John Smout, Chesterfield mounted more pressure in the second half but they became desparate as the City's defensive system kept working away. The City occasionally broke away and one good effort from Alan Banks was just too high, Chesterfield have made a habit of equalising late in the game against Exeter this season. When they came to St James' Park earlier in the season, they also drew 1-1, the equaliser coming with just one minute to play.

Match Report 2

HOLLETT DASHES EXETER HOPES
Chesterfield 1 Exeter 1:
by IAN NORTH

LOWLY EXETER, ahead after only six minutes, made an off-form Chesterfield struggle to get back on terms. The goal came as a shot out of the blue. Johnny Corr slipped a ball to outside right Jimmy Blain, who unleashed a high, dipping shot from 30 yards out. It looked simple enough to stop, but Roberts, facing a dazzling sun, beaten. was completely The rest of the game saw Chesterfield struggling hard to make amends and Exeter fighting grimly to hold their slender lead. Chesterfield, despite the good efforts of David Pugh, who was making his home debut, never hit the form that took them to the top of the table earlier this season. They lacked striking power, too many shots being off the target. Exeter were content to make the occasional breakaway raids in which Banks and Blain were prominent and Chesterfield's normally tight-knit defence looked surprisingly suspect at times.

Chesterfield. reeling from that early goal, almost got back on terms in the 13th minute when Bill Curry headed Ivan Hollett's centre narrowly over the bar. Goalkeeper John Smout dealt competently with further first half efforts from Andy Wilson and Keith Kettleborough and Exeter almost strengthened their lead in the 37th minute when Banks sent the ball skimming past a post. Credit must go to Chesterfield for their all-out effort in the second half. And when it seemed that the equaliser would never come, Hollett smashed in an 85th-minute shot from a well placed Wilson pass. In the 61st minute left-half Cliff Huxford was booked for delaying over a free kick.

Notes on the Game
EXETER were slammed-and saluted after the 1-1 draw at CHESTERFIELD.
Frustrating

Chesterfield manager Jimmy McGuigan said: "Exeter played a frustrating type of defensive football. But they played it so successfully!" Jimmy Blain scored after only six minutes with a 30-yard. surprise effort, and many blamed the sun shining into goalkeeper John Roberts's eyes. But Roberts later confessed: "The sun was very bright, but it wasn't to blame. I was at fault."


WHATLING KNEE OPERATION.

Bad news from St James' Park is that Keith whatling who has been troubled with a knee injury from nearly three months, requires a cartilage operation. He will go into hospital at any moment and is expected to be out of football for about six weeks,