Away-day blues continue to plague sloppy Minstermen

City's ability to concede one goal, followed soon after by another and then another is becoming an all too familiar sight for followers of the Minstermen at the moment.

Already this season, Chesterfield and Stoke have taken advantage of a rearguard, rattled at conceding one, to go on second-half goal blitzes and secure wins that should never have been so comfortable.

At St James' Park on Saturday, the goal-fest came in 13 first-half minutes to turn on its head a match in which City had looked promising if not perfect. The game, therefore, was as good as over with almost an hour of football still left to play.

David McNiven's headed goal in the dying embers of the first half prompted hope of a red revival. But it was always going to be an impossible task.

As galling for the 50 or so City fans who had made the long trip south was that Exeter were not a side that deserved such a smug advantage.

City had more shots on goal, more corners and played the more careful and considered football for long spells. Alan Fettis in the City goal didn't have shot to save in the second half.

The real difference between the sides was Exeter possessed the cutting edge in former Cardiff man Christian Roberts, who made his poise and pace count when the City defence inexplicably switched off.

Both sides started sluggishly but with the onus on the home side to force the play City could consider themselves pleased with their showing in the first 15 minutes.

The home fires quelled, the Minstermen were unlucky not to take the lead on the quarter-hour mark when Kevin Hulme rose majestically to meet Steve Agnew's corner only for Exeter 'keeper Arjan Van Heusden to tip the midfielder's thunderous header out from under the bar.

The narrow escape seemed to give the Grecians a wake-up call and, after Roberts saw a rising drive just clear the Minstermen crossbar and Fettis got down well to save Mark Rawlinson's low drive from 25 yards, they took the lead on 23 minutes.

There seemed little danger when Andy Roscoe took a throw-in down the left and picked out Paul Buckle.

The midfielder turned, cut inside and played a neat one-two with Steve Flack before lifting a delightful curler over and round Fettis, who could do little but watch the ball nestle in the top corner.

To be fair, aside from closing down Buckle quicker there was little City could have done to prevent the goal and it would be churlish to try to diminish such a quality strike.

But just when City needed to steady the ship and regroup, Exeter, tails-up, rolled on and through a City defence that went AWOL, not once but twice.

Mark Rawlinson hooked on a hopeful ball over his shoulder from just inside the Exeter half.

Gary Hobson looked a racing certainty to get to the ball first but was simply outpaced by Christian Roberts who ran free to slot the ball past Fettis.

Worse for City and particularly Hobson, followed five minutes later as Exeter stretched their advantage to three thanks again to the pace and expert finishing of Roberts.

Chris Curran hoofed another hopeful ball down the right and once again the Grecian outpaced Hobson before turning inside and striking the ball past Fettis into the opposite left-hand corner with a clean finish

Hobson, injured and no doubt red faced, was immediately substituted for Matt Hocking but a rout looked on the cards.

Exeter certainly fancied their chances but credit to a wounded City who, perhaps realising they had little to lose, started to probe with more purpose.

Steve Agnew saw an effort deflected into the arms of Van Heusden before Alcide just failed to get to McNiven's cross, after the bustling striker latched onto Hall's ball down the line.

City's renewed efforts were rewarded on the stroke of half-time when Agnew earned a free-kick out wide on the right.

The City skipper dusted himself down before floating in a free-kick that saw McNiven, possibly the smallest player on the field, get in front of his marker with a hunger that was badly needed to nod home from six yards.

It handed City a lifeline and when Darren Edmondson had the ball in the Grecian net just moments later a whiff of a fightback was becoming more pungent.

Unfortunately, referee Paul Armstrong ruled out Edmondson's poke home from an acute angle for a foul on the Exeter 'keeper, who'd dropped Wayne Hall's cross under the challenge of the City midfielder.

You rarely see referees give otherwise but it was tough luck on City and one sensed a comeback was now nothing more than a forlorn hope.

Terry Dolan brought on Barry Conlon for the ineffective Alcide after the break and City certainly upped the tempo and played with a sense of urgency.

Certainly, a York goal looked more likely than a fourth for Exeter as Agnew's passing came to the fore and City's defence looked more solid.

The Minstermen forced a succession of corners, Van Huesden deflected a McNiven effort over the bar and Conlon headed wide from ten yards.

But the half was more memorable for the referee's whistle than any flowing football and while City encamped themselves in the Exeter half gilt-edged chances were conspicuous by their absence.

The best effort came from substitute John Williams, but his piercing half-volley brought the best out of Van Heusden again, who acrobatically tipped the ball over the bar for a third time of the afternoon.

City Match Facts

Exeter City 3, York City 1

Nationwide LeagueDivision Three

Saturday, September 16, 2000

YORK CITY: Alan Fettis 7, Barry Jones 6, Mark Sertori 6, Gary Hobson 5 (Matt Hocking 38mins, 6), Wayne Hall 6, Darren Edmondson 6, Steve Agnew 8, Kevin Hulme 6, David McNiven 7, Colin Alcide 5 (Barry Conlon 46mins, 6), Graham Potter 5 (John Williams 76mins)

Subs, not used: Russ Howarth, Lee Bullock

Booked: Sertori 63mins (dissent), Agnew 90mins (dissent)

Sent off: None

Scorers: McNiven 45mins

EXETER CITY: Arjan Van Heusden, Graeme Power, Jamie Campbell, Paul Buckle (Kwame Ampadu 59mins), Chris Curran, Jon Ashton, Andy Roscoe, Steve Flack, Christian Roberts (Graeme Tomlinson 88mins), Lee Zabek, Mark Rawlinson (Mark Burrows 78mins).

Subs, not used: Stuart Fraser, Darren Roberts.

Booked: Rawlinson 66mins (foul)

Sent off: None

Scorers: Buckle 23mins, C Roberts 28, 36mins

Evening Press/Unique Pub Man of the Match: Steve Agnew

His passing, both long and short, marked him out as City's best player and hope. Involved in all City's brightest moves.

Match Stats

York

Half-time 1

Corners 12

Shots on target 6

Fouls committed 17

Exeter

Half-time 3

Corners 10

Shots on target 6

Fouls committed 19

Attendance: 2,904

Referee: Paul Armstrong (Thatcham)

City's next match: Saturday, September 23: York City v Brighton and Hove Albion, ko 3pm. Nationwide League Division Three.

PICTURE: TOUGH TACKLE: York City's Wayne Hall gets stuck into a challenge with Exeter City's double scorer Christian Roberts