Casual Exeter clinch two more vital points

ATTACK WASTES CHANCES

By Exonian
Exeter 3, Newport 1

THIS win was not as convincing as it looks. But at this stage of the season the importance of points in the promotion race is paramount, and few of the 6,000 crowd could complain. The way the other results went, Exeter had to win this game to stay with the leaders. Win it they did, but they could have cantered home and at the same time collected a crop of goals!

Exeter will rarely have quite so much play as in the first-half and only lead by one goal New port were overwhelmed during this period. Their defence was swamped as Exeter repeatedly attacked and reserve goalkeeper Jimmy Parkhill, who replaced Alan Barnett (ill), was hardly tested. There was nothing wrong with Exeter's approach work, but it was frustrating to see so many chances go begging.

Tireless

The goal Exeter needed so badly came in the 31st minute, when Adrian Thorne sent Alan Banks away with a beautifully placed pass down the middle. The tireless Banks-he again chased everything and was quite outstanding-looked for a second as if he might be forced off the ball, but he regained his balance and scored. In the second-half Exeter started well and in the 50th minute were awarded a penalty for a foul on centre-forward Dermot Curtis. Centre-half Keith Harvey made no mistake with the kick. But after that Exeter faded and Newport got on top. Newport were pretty ineffective when they got near goal, but even so, they gave the Exeter defence some anxious times.

Cracking
Finally they did get one. It was cracking shot from centre a forward Graham Reynolds, and gave Parkhill no chance. If Newport then had any hopes of earning a draw they were quickly dashed. Again it was Banks who got the goal. A centre from Graham Rees was breasted down to Banks by Thorne, and Banks hit the ball first time into the net. Generally it was a scrappy game, and although there was plenty of goalmouth incident, there can be little doubt Exeter have turned in better performances than this and lost.

Attendance: 6,011.


2nd Report 
Banks keeps Exeter in the hunt
Exeter 3 Newport 1

Goalkeeper Jimmy Parkhill, a 26-year-old Irishman called into the side three hours before the kick-off, helped Exeter to clinch two more promotion points in this match (writes DONALD READ). 

Parkhill, a former Irish amateur international signed by Exeter last summer, was brought in for his! League debut when Alan Barnett; went down with gastric flu. He showed no sign of the nerves: which he admitted afterwards had: plagued him, and dealt confidently with most of the shots that came his way on a treacherous, muddy surface. The only shot that beat him was
a good one from Newport's Welsh amateur international Graham Reynolds. But this 18-yard drive, which crashed into the roof of the net 10 minutes from time, was the only chance Reynolds was given by Exeter centre half Keith Harvey. For the rest of the time Newport's smooth-moving but weak- finishing attack had little chance against a defence with one of the best home records in the League. And Newport really came into the game only when Exeter relaxed. The rest of the game belonged. to Exeter, and if their finishing: had been more accurate they could have run up their highest score of the season. Inside right and star man Alan Banks got two goals in the 31st and minutes-and Harvey got another from a 50th-minute penalty. But these were only a fraction of the chances that they had. Newport 'keeper Len Weare made a couple of good saves, but he should have been given no chance from some of the attacks that Exeter set up. Twice the ball went skidding across the face of the Newport goal with no one there to tap it in.

EXETER CITY 3
Parkhill, Smyth, MacDonald; Hancock, Harvey, Anderson; Rees, Banks, Curtis, Grace, Thorne,

NEWPORT C 1,
Weare; Frowen, Walters; Rowland, Rathbone, Hill; Smith, Sheffield, Reynolds, Hunt, Pring,

Scorers
Exeter City Banks 2, Harvey,
Newport Reynolds,

Attendance 6,077,

WESTERN LEAGUE 

WELTON ROVERS 3-1 CITY RESERVES 

Thompson; Quarrington, Edmunds; Rutley, Henderson, Gough; Welsh, Redwood, Riding, Edgar, Ley,

Scorers
Welton Boxley, Simmons
Exeter City Redwood