Recap

Exeter City 3 Hull City 1. D3. Saturday 17 August 2002.

Referee: S Tomlin

Att: 4257

Official Site match report

Exeter City v Hull City

The Grecians’ start the match with exactly the same line-up as the team that played superbly well against Scunthorpe in midweek.There is blistering sunshine for this afternoons game with the Grecians starting attacking the St James’ Road end.

The Grecians’ started off where they finished again Scunthorpe forcing a chance in the first minute with Cronin crossing for Goodman whose touch slightly let him down for the ball to come to Lee Sharpe, striking the ball it deflected off the defence to safety.

Hull also start off well with a corner that was headed just over the bar by Anderson.Hull took the lead in the tenth minute as Gary Alexander fed the ball through to Stuart Green who stroked the ball calmly under Kevin Miller.

City seem to be rattled by the Hull opener and are being forced back into their own half.City almost equalised five minutes later as Walker whipped in a free kick that went agonisingly wide from the top of Goodman’s head.

After a couple of exchanges between Curran and Elliott, the latter was booked for diving under a challenge from the City captain.Twenty one minutes in and the equaliser and from guess who!The ball came back out to Sharpe fifteen yard out and he made no mistake drilling it home off the underside of the bar.

Three minutes later and he nearly bagged himself a second as Goodman layed off the ball he bent it towards the top corner forcing Matt Glennon into a superb save.Seconds later and it was Coppingers turn as he snuck in and rattled one off the crossbar.

After thirty eight minutes City created another good chance with Coppoinger again, tricking his way through three or four defenders he then let rip with a shot that whistled its way just past the upright.After forty one minutes Stuart Green was given his marching orders as he elbowed Justin Walker.

City inflicted the final insult of the first half as this time the ball bounced over the defence with Steve Flack somehow managing to clip the ball almost in slow motion over the keeper and it just beat the defence into the back of the net.

Half Time Score Exeter City 2-1 Hull City

Straight from kick off and it was goal number three as Steve Flack put the ball into the back of the net.Even Graeme Power was getting in on the act as he cracked an effort from thirty yards that was just wide.

Thomas and Coppinger linked up well down the right wing to set Steve Flack up with the chance of a hat-trick, although his header was a little too faint and went out for a goal kick.Lee Sharpe went off to a heroes reception as he was replaced by Andy Roscoe.

A minute later and James Coppinger again went dinking through the defence and forced a superb one handed save out of Glennon.The second half is not full of so many chances but City are playing the best football seen here at the park for quite some time.

The game ends with City winning their first game of the season, just one word to describe them ‘QUALITY’.

Final Score: Exeter City 3-1 Hull City

City Line Up:
Kevin Miller, Graeme Power, Justin Walker, Chris Curran, Lee Sharpe (Andy Roscoe 68), Barry McConnell, Santos Gaia, Steve Flack (Gareth Sheldon 82), Don Goodman (Martin Thomas 31), James Coppinger, Glenn Cronin
Subs not used: Stuart Fraser, Neil Whitworth, Gareth Sheldon

Hull City Line up:
Matt Glennon, Shaun Smith, Ian Ashbee, John Anderson, Greg Strong (Justin Whittle 45), Stuart Elliott (Simon Johnson 27), Lawrie Dudfield (Ryan Williams 45), Gary Alexander, Stuart Green, Michael Price, Carl Regan

Subs not used: Paul Musselwhite, Gary Bradshaw