Exeter secured their first win of 2011 as they beat struggling Walsall.
The home side took the lead inside five minutes when Richard Duffy converted Stephen Tully's cross at the back post.
Substitute Daniel Nardiello doubled the lead when he tucked the ball into the corner after a quickly taken free-kick by David Noble.
Nardiello missed a penalty after Aaron Lescott fouled John O'Flynn in the area, before Julian Gray scrambled in a late consolation for the visitors.
Exeter City manager Paul Tisdale told BBC Radio Devon: "When you think you've got it won, you really have to kill the game so I was relieved to walk off with a win.
"We still get the three points, we made heavy work of it at times as I suppose they've got nothing to lose and they played to the end.
"I'm philosophical about it, we played Walsall earlier in the year and played fantastically well and lost, and then today we played below par and won."
Live text and stats
Saturday, 22 January 2011
Npower League One
Home Team
Score
Away Team
Time
Exeter
2-1
Walsall
FT
(HT 1-0)
Duffy 4
Nardiello 77
Gray 85
Exeter
01 Hamer
02 Tully
03 Duffy
06 Taylor
11 Golbourne
18 Jones (O'Flynn 60)
04 Dunne
08 Noble
22 Sercombe yellow card
12 Cureton
20 Logan (Nardiello 60)
Substitutes
30 Krysiak,
05 Archibald-Henville,
14 Cozic,
21 Thomson,
10 Nardiello,
16 Stewart,
29 O'Flynn
Walsall
29 Walker
02 Westlake
14 Taundry
32 Butler
03 Lescott yellow card
06 Smith
08 Richards
18 Gray
22 Gill (Paterson 68)
10 Macken
11 Nicholls (Grigg 64)
Substitutes
21 Bevan,
04 McDonald,
05 Lancashire,
12 Marshall,
20 Geddes,
15 Paterson,
19 Grigg
Ref: Robert MadleyAtt: 4,853
EXETER
WALSALL
Possession
Exeter53%
Walsall47%
Attempts on target
Exeter4
Walsall6
Attempts off target
Exeter2
Walsall9
Corners
Exeter3
Walsall7
Fouls
Exeter8
Walsall11
Final Result
Full Time
90:00+4:11 The referee blows his whistle to end the game.
90:00+1:28 Short corner worked by Daniel Nardiello.
89:59 Corner taken by Matthew Richards, clearance by John O'Flynn.
88:27 Short corner worked by Richard Taundry, Julian Gray takes a shot. Fantastic save by Ben Hamer.
86:17 Corner taken short by Daniel Nardiello.
86:01 Daniel Nardiello takes a shot. Blocked by Darryl Westlake.
85:07 Corner taken by Matthew Richards from the left by-line, clearance by Matthew Taylor.
84:06 GOAL - Julian Gray:Exeter 2 - 1 Walsall Julian Gray gets on the score sheet with a goal from close in low into the middle of the goal. Exeter 2-1 Walsall.
83:27 Free kick awarded for an unfair challenge on Matthew Richards by James Dunne. Direct free kick taken by Matthew Richards.
81:20 Jamie Paterson produces a left-footed shot from inside the area that goes over the bar.
80:30 Penalty taken by Daniel Nardiello saved by Jimmy Walker. Exeter 2-0 Walsall.
79:51 Aaron Lescott gives away a Penalty for an unfair challenge on John O'Flynn.
79:51 Booking Booking for Aaron Lescott for unsporting behaviour.
78:22 Outswinging corner taken from the left by-line by Matthew Richards, Matthew Taylor makes a clearance.
77:34 William Grigg produces a right-footed shot from the edge of the area and misses to the left of the goal.
76:40 James Dunne fouled by Richard Taundry, the ref awards a free kick. Assist on the goal came from David Noble.
76:40 GOAL - Daniel Nardiello:Exeter 2 - 0 Walsall Daniel Nardiello grabs a goal from inside the box to the bottom right corner of the goal. Exeter 2-0 Walsall.
72:57 Richard Taundry concedes a free kick for a foul on Richard Duffy. Ben Hamer takes the indirect free kick.
64:30 Header from deep inside the area by William Grigg goes over the bar.
63:08 Substitution William Grigg joins the action as a substitute, replacing Alex Nicholls.
62:27 Corner taken by Daniel Nardiello from the left by-line.
60:34 Mathew Gill takes a shot. Comfortable save by Ben Hamer.
59:26 Substitution John O'Flynn comes on in place of Billy Jones.
59:26 Substitution Richard Logan leaves the field to be replaced by Daniel Nardiello.
57:02 Inswinging corner taken from the right by-line by Julian Gray, free kick awarded for an unfair challenge on Ben Hamer by Jonathan Macken. Ben Hamer takes the indirect free kick.
54:52 Free kick awarded for a foul by Steve Tully on Alex Nicholls. The free kick is swung in right-footed by Matthew Richards, Ben Hamer makes a comfortable save.
54:24 Richard Taundry takes a shot. Comfortable save by Ben Hamer.
50:03 Free kick awarded for an unfair challenge on Richard Taundry by James Dunne. Matthew Richards crosses the ball in from the free kick, clearance made by Matthew Taylor.
49:12 Mathew Gill takes a long range shot harmlessly clearing the crossbar.
48:05 Jonathan Macken produces a header from inside the area that goes over the bar.
46:06 Emmanuele Smith concedes a free kick for a foul on Richard Logan. Billy Jones crosses the ball from the free kick right-footed from left channel, Emmanuele Smith makes a clearance.
45:32 Effort from inside the area by Richard Taundry misses to the right of the goal.
45:01 The second half kicks off.
Half Time
45:00+1:27 The players leave the pitch at half time.
44:52 Andy Butler concedes a free kick for a foul on Richard Duffy. Ben Hamer takes the free kick.
43:51 Julian Gray fouled by Liam Sercombe, the ref awards a free kick. Matthew Richards takes the indirect free kick.
43:51 Booking Liam Sercombe is shown a yellow card for unsporting behaviour.
42:13 Inswinging corner taken by Mathew Gill, clearance made by Matthew Taylor.
36:17 Jamie Cureton produces a drilled right-footed shot from deep inside the area which goes wide of the left-hand post.
35:15 Effort from inside the area by Jamie Cureton misses to the right of the goal.
34:36 Mathew Gill concedes a free kick for a foul on David Noble. Free kick taken by Richard Duffy.
33:09 Billy Jones is flagged offside by the assistant referee. Jimmy Walker takes the indirect free kick.
31:05 Free kick awarded for a foul by James Dunne on Richard Taundry. Matthew Richards crosses the ball from the free kick left-footed from right wing, clearance made by Richard Duffy. Effort on goal by Julian Gray from just inside the penalty area goes over the target.
25:30 Alex Nicholls has a shot on goal from outside the area which misses right.
23:48 Richard Logan fouled by Aaron Lescott, the ref awards a free kick. Billy Jones delivers the ball from the free kick left-footed from right wing, Matthew Taylor challenges Alex Nicholls unfairly and gives away a free kick. Jimmy Walker takes the free kick.
19:55 Julian Gray takes a shot. Save by Ben Hamer.
19:33 Free kick awarded for a foul by David Noble on Jonathan Macken. Free kick taken by Mathew Gill.
15:54 Foul by Mathew Gill on Richard Logan, free kick awarded. Free kick crossed by Billy Jones, Emmanuele Smith manages to make a clearance.
9:57 Mathew Gill challenges James Dunne unfairly and gives away a free kick. Direct free kick taken by David Noble.
9:10 Jonathan Macken produces a right-footed shot from the edge of the area and misses to the left of the target.
7:30 Julian Gray takes a shot. Save made by Ben Hamer.
3:05 The assist for the goal came from Steve Tully.
3:05 GOAL - Richard Duffy:Exeter 1 - 0 Walsall A goal is scored by Richard Duffy from inside the penalty area to the bottom right corner of the goal. Exeter 1-0 Walsall.
2:06 Aaron Lescott challenges Liam Sercombe unfairly and gives away a free kick. Shot on goal comes in from David Noble from the free kick, Andy Butler gets a block in.
1:08 James Dunne gives away a free kick for an unfair challenge on Mathew Gill. The free kick is delivered left-footed by Matthew Richards from left channel.
0:28 The referee blows for offside. Jimmy Walker restarts play with the free kick.
0:00 The match gets underway.
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