Dean Bennett scored another cracker of a goal today and the rest of the team also played their part in an exceptional first half.

It just seems a shame that all the hard work was undone in the second half by a total lack of concentration and a dubious decision by the officials.

On the bench, for the first time, was the youth team keeper John Danby.
There was also a return to action for Lee Ayres, making his comeback after breaking his toe at Hull in August.

The Harriers almost went a goal down in the opening minute when City's Roscoe sent a volley just wide of Brockies post, but after that the rest of the half belonged to the Reds.

A corner kick from new signing Richie Appleby fell to Bo Henriksen who shot on the turn and forced Van Heusden into an excellent save.

Van Heusden was back in action a minute later when he performed an identical save from on fire Dean Bennett.

We really should have taken the lead after 14 minutes though when Deano sent the ball over a defenders head, ran around him and sent over a cross for the unmarked Larkin on the edge of the 6yd box.

But Larkin wasted his chance by taking too long over it and allowed Van Heusden to come out and smother it.

He tried to make amends in the next attack but his header went just over.

Stamper was the next to test the keeper when he forced him to save his near post header from a corner.

Deano opened the scoring in the 31st minute.

Appleby found Dean in acres of space with a pin point ball, he took it past a defender and coolly slotted the ball under the advancing keeper.

A typical Dean Bennett strike that took him to 5 goals in 5 games.

Exeter were being played off the park and they knew it. They started to resort to shirt pulling etc. but the ref was taking no notice.

We should have should have extended the lead just before half time when Henriksen's header went just wide with the City defence rooted.

We could have gone in at the break three goals to the good. Instead we had to settle for the one.

HT. 0-1

The second spell started much the same as we had finished the first but we were to regret not increasing our lead when we could.

Richie Appleby went down injured after two minutes and it looked bad but luckily he recovered enough to carry on.

Just after, we won a free kick on the edge of the box but the chance was wasted by trying to be too clever instead of just hitting it. Stamp's eventual kick tamely hit the wall and was easily cleared.

Both Dean Bennett and Bo came close again but they just failed to connect to the balls that had been put in to the box for them.

Colin Larkin was then fouled on the edge of the box but Appleby's free kick went out for a corner which came to nothing.

City replaced Roscoe with Paul Read after that and they started to come into the game more, twice testing Brockie with long range efforts.

Bennett was the next to pick up a knock when was caught late by Ampadu. He stayed on the pitch but never looked the same after that.

Abdou Sall was the next to come close when his close range volley was hooked off the line by a defender.

Then came the lack of concentration that led to the equalising goal.

Danny Williams collected the ball in plenty of space in his own half but instead of playing the ball up field he passed it back to Brock.

This immediately put Brockie under pressure and he mis-kicked the clearance. The ball fell to the ex Man Utd player Graham Tomlinson who spotted him off the line and lobbed the ball over his head.

Even the City steward who was stood behind us said it was lucky.

After that Exeter started to play and we went to pieces.

We thought that City might score again but not in the way they did.

The City skipper, Curran, took a throw in and sent it deep into the area, Flack jumped the highest and his header was going goalwards until Brockie tried to punch it out.

The City crowd roared for the goal, and after consulting his assistant and waving away the Harriers players, gave it.

The Reds heads dropped and the game fizzled out to it's disappointing end.

All that hard work! undone by a lack of concentration.

FT. 2-1