MONDAY 19th MARCH 1973.

CRUSHING FIVE GOAL DEFEAT.

DONCASTER ROVERS 5.
Book; Branfoot, Uzelac (Briggs); Wignall, Brookes, Irvine; Joy, Rabjohn, Kitchen, Haselden, Elwiss,

EXETER CITY 1, Clarke; Stacey, Giles; Balson, Benson, Parker; Morrin, Neale, Binney, Plumb, Wingate.

Scorers:
Doncaster Elwiss 2, Brookes, Haselden, Irvine,
Exeter Binney.
Attendance: 1,823,

The slim hopes that Exeter City had of promotion to the Third Division virtually disappeared as they suffered a crushing blow at Doncaster Rovers, City keeper Allan Clarke was beaten four times before the interval, but the men in front of him must take the blame, Doncaster took an 11th minute lead when Irvine crashed in a tremendous 25 yard shot, Just 9 minutes later Brookes ran in unmarked on the blind side of City's defence to head a a second goal,

City's lone first half chance came when Fred Binney hit a post from close range, but two minutes later Elwiss pushed the ball past an unsighted Clarke to make it 3-0, He scored again in the 38th minute when a shot from Wignall was deflected to him and he lashed in an unstoppable shot, Doncaster's fifth goal came in the 67th minute whem Hasleden headed in a centre, Surprisingly Exeter then showed signs of a revival and with 6 minutes remaining found the net when Dick Plumb headed over the goalkeeper,

Exeter's defence had looked far too brittle to withstand the pressures of a late push for promotion. But the last thing they could have expected was to find a team who were until recently struggling in the bottom four, showing such devastating form as this. Binney and Tony Morrin were about the only players to take much credit from an extremely disappointing team display.