SATURDAY 4th MAY 1968.
NEXT SATURDAY IS THE DECIDER.

Smyth bids to break stalemate

EXETER CITY 0
Smout; Smyth, Balson; Newman, Harvey, Huxford; Banks, Blain, Curtis, Crawford, Corr,

HARTLEPOOL 0
Smith; Bircumshaw, Drysdale; Hepplewhite, Gill, Parry; McGovern, Bell (Blowman), Cummings, Wright, Somers,

Exeter 0 Hartlepools 0
by RAY COLLIER

EXETER CITY'S right back Cec Smyth, already voted player of the year by supporters, did not get the 27th birthday present he desperately wanted from this game-a win that would have taken Exeter out of re-election trouble. How hard Smyth worked to get that win. Twice he dashed away in typical raids down the right wing to cross near-perfect centres. From one. Alan Banks's header was saved by Hartlepools faultless 'keeper George Smith, and from the other centre forward Dermot Curtis lashed in a shot that was only inches wide. So the game that could have decided a great deal as far as Fourth Division promotion and re-election is concerned. ended in stalemate. But it was a terrific struggle. Hartlepools needed a win because if other results had gone their way as well, victory would have assured them of promotion. Exeter wanted both points to avoid having to apply for re election. Now for Hartlepools all depends on their last two games, both against Swansea and for Exeter all hinges on their last match, at home to Darlington. The fact that neither side scored doesn't mean the game was without action. After 15 minutes of mundane Soccer it suddenly sparked into life and from then on it was nail-biting stuff. There were some desperate scrambles in both goalmouths and a series of near misses. Jimmy Blain had a tremendous shot tripped over the bar by Smith and Johnny Corr had two tremendous drives only inches wide of the mark. Exeter in fact near the end got the ball into the net when Harvey headed in from a corner, but the whistle had already gone for an infringement. Hartlepools, who at times looked over anxious had some bad luck. Centre forward Bobby Cummings was just wide with a header and a shot and had one tremendous drive beaten out by a defender, while Hepplewhite and Bircumshaw both went near with long shots.

• EXETER CITY must now win their last match to avoid requesting re-election for the eighth time in their history.
  Manager Frank Broome said after the 0-0 draw with HARTLEPOOLS: "We shall beat Darlington if we get the same amount of effort we had in this match. We just need a bit more sharpness up front."