Droylsden F.C.-The bloods on the net!

EXETER CITY 1 – 1 DROYLSDEN

BLUE SQUARE PREMIER – Thursday 3 April 2008

Report by Gary Owen

A valuable away point was secured in this re-arranged fixture following the wash-out of a few Saturdays ago, and The Bloods had to work very hard against a good footballing Exeter team.

As expected, The Grecians enjoyed the majority of possession and created good chances, but their wastefulness in front of goal, combined with an unbeatable night for Paul Phillips (except for a late penalty) meant that all three points looked like they might be coming back up the M5.

Droylsden made the early running, with Robbie Talbot and Steve Halford going close, but it wasn't long before Phillips was stretched by Wayne Carlisle from the edge of the box.

Phillips then held on to a long range effort from Rob Edwards before Richard Logan recorded his first miss of the night, this time from Adam Stansfield's run and cross.

Droylsden then had a great chance to snatch the lead when Talbot nodded the ball into the path of the onrushing Terry Fearns, but his volley flew past Andy Marriott's left hand upright.

Play reverted to the other end, where Stansfield beat the offside trap to bear down on goal, but Phillips timed his run from his line to thwart the Grecains' striker, and Halford helped to clear-up.

Halford then thumped a header over the bar at the other end from Chris Denham's corner before Logan shot over for the hosts and Stansfield saw his shot blocked by Greg Strong.

Juts four minutes after the re-start, though, Talbot stunned St. James' Park by scoring from the tightest of angles, after a smart turn in the box took him past a defender and goalkeeper Marriott, but he turned the ball back towards goal, where it found the far corner.

Six minutes later, Logan again wasted a good opportunity, shooting over when well-placed centrally in front of goal, before Matthew Gill had two strikes at goal – the first blocked by Strong, and the second saved by Phillips.

Talbot shot over for Droylsden, and Edwards did likewise for the Devon side as chances continued to be created at both ends of the pitch, before Carlisle tricked his way past Halford to curl a shot wide of the mark.

Talbot again saw a rising drive go just too high, and Phillips saved from Stansfield at the expense of a corner.

Edwards' shot was also too high before Exeter struck level on 75 minutes, Steve Basham being pulled back by Halford in the box, and the referee had no hesitation in pointing to the spot. Logan made no mistake this time, with Phillips guessing the wrong way.

Exeter then went for the winner, but Ben Watson's header looped towards the far post where it was fielded by Phillips and Ryan Harley presented Logan with a great chance, but he could only shoot straight at Phillips from 8 yards with the 90 minutes just about up.

Phillips held on to a Watson shot, and the final attack was that of Droylsden when Danny Ellis got in behind the Exeter defence, but there was no-one on hand to convert his cut-back into the Exeter box.

TEAMS:

EXETER CITY

Marriott, Sercombe, Edwards, Seaborne, Gill, Taylor M., Moxey, Harley, Stansfield, Logan, Carlisle

Subs. not used Jones, Friend, Cozic.

DROYLSDEN

Phillips, Halford, Newton, Munroe, Strong, Lynch (Murphy, 64'), Mackin, Burbeary, Denham, Talbot (Ellis, 87'), Fearns (Dugdale, 77').

Subs. not used Cryan, Williams.

ATTENDANCE: 3,071

REFEREE: Mr. Steve Creighton (Reading, Berkshire)