Monday 28th August 1972
Football League 
Exeter City 1, Hartlepool 1

What the papers say 

Everything was going so wrong for Exeter and then suddenly it went right. After much grating of gears they finally slammed it into top and really got going-but the trouble was the race was nearly over. And that was the story of this game. Exeter wasted a couple of solid first-half chances and lived to regret their failure as in the 48th minute Hartlepool took the lead. All of Exeter's racing and chasing seemed to be getting them nowhere until finally they started to link to gether and become a formidable combination instead of just 11 anxious players. Dave Gibson picked off an equaliser in the 60th minute with the ease of an expert marksman, and from that time on Exeter unleashed a steady and systematic series of raids on what rapidly became a be sieged Hartlepool goal. But some how Hartlepool survived. They really did not deserve to do so as a couple of thundering shots scraped inches wide of the mark. But at the same time if Exeter had shown the same method of execution in the rest of the game as they did in those last 30 minutes or so, they would not have had to rely on a late finish. No matter how full of vigour it was. Exeter should have got this game under control in the first half. In stead they allowed it to slip from their grasp and let Hartlepool establish themselves.
Western Morning News


After a fairly even first half, during which the number of chances Exeter missed was cancelled out by the amount of possession that Hartle pool had, the Victoria Ground men snatched a lead which would have shocked niany teams into defeat only three minutes into the second half. And soon after this goal, another chance was sent narrowly wide. However, Exeter showed that they have spirit, too, and hit back hard to cut out a fine equaliser. After falling behind, City had piled on more pressure than Hartlepool have had to face in any game this season. The fact that they crumbled only once in front of wave after Iwave of dangerous attack is a great reflection not only on the back four, but also on the rest of the side who fell back to help. And Exeter's equaliser was some thing special which very few sides could have managed to stop. Tony Scott crossed from the right and with centre-half Jim Giles unmarked Spelman had to leave Gibson free on the far side of the box. Giles won in the air and headed on for Gibson to slam an unstoppable angled volley past Barry Watling.
Hartlepool Mail

The home side's substitution of John Wingate for Graham Parker after 54 minutes helped them wrest midfield control from a United trio who worked but never sparkled. Exeter managed to exert pressure on the United defence and Vasper began to black out against crosses pumped from the right. He raced out to a 60th minute corner but under pressure could only tip it away. Dave Gibson picked the ball up, chipped back to the far post and Wingate rose above Eades to head into an unguarded net. While Vasper tremored, Wilson shone. Walton should have equalised when presented with a bad back pass but he allowed the 'keeper to block him. Greenhalgh might have done so too when he slipped through in the area with ten minutes left-but again Wilson saved.