Crazy, crazy night

EYES ON THE BALL . . . Aidan White, who put Athletic in front, and Scott Golbourne battle for possession.

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Athletic 3, Exeter 3

IF THIS was a boxing match, the man in the middle would have stepped in at half-time.

Bruised, battered and with legs wobbling all over the field, punch-drunk Exeter were as aggressive as Audley Harrison on a bad day.

And the visitors’ wobbly legs were down to them taking some heavyweight blows from an Athletic side who were scintillating at times.

It was just like the first-half performance against Huddersfield Town a week-and-a-half ago, only this time with three goals rather than one.

Aidan White’s excellent solo effort — his second-ever goal in professional football — signalled the start of the rampage, followed by Oumare Tounkara’s clinical header and a wonderfully-worked third finished expertly by Chris Taylor.

Only the thickness of a post prevented White, and then Dean Furman after the break, from adding to the lead.

Nobody in the ground could have predicted what was to follow.

And as much as Athletic will be kicking themselves today, huge credit has to go to the visitors — like Athletic, entering the game on a three-match winning streak — for picking themselves up off the canvas in such spectacular fashion.

First, Richard Logan turned home after Dean Brill had spilled Ryan Harley’s shot into his path 13 minutes from full-time.

With the game entering its final stages, all that was needed to close out a victory which would have taken the home side into the play-off positions was to be solid.

Much to the fury of manager Paul Dickov, Athletic turned out to be as sturdy as the Irish economy.

Losing all semblance of shape, the home team crumbled as Exeter poured forward in numbers.

Once expert goal-poacher Jamie Cureton had turned neatly and fired home the second, nerves were not so much on edge as halfway down a steep precipice.

As Exeter’s twin substitutes David Noble and Daniel Nardiello worked wonders — Athletic’s, to say the least, didn’t — Carl Winchester was given precious little protection as the visitors constantly exploited the left flank.

And the overworked 17-year-old conceded a penalty two minutes from time with a rash challenge on lively substitute and former Athletic loan striker Nardiello.

In keeping with this madcap clash, Harley’s spot-kick hit the inside of Brill’s right post and dribbled agonisingly back across goal before going behind.

Referee David Coote ruled that the Athletic stopper had got a decisive touch.

And in the confusion that followed, a Harley corner was scrambled home by Nardiello to give the Grecians one of the most unlikely points you will ever see.

For Exeter it felt like a win. For Athletic, it felt like a particularly gruesome defeat.

The final kick of the game four minutes into added time almost rescued Athletic as Dale Stephens struck a terrific 25-yard free-kick towards the top-right corner only to see goalkeeper Artur Krysiak produce a brilliant stop to push the ball on to the post and behind.

Athletic started the game apace. After the outstanding Furman, back in the side after suspension, has rasped a drive into Krysiak’s hands White picked up the ball on the right flank, danced past one man and in between two more before unleashing a perfect left-foot shot which found the bottom right corner to leave the ’keeper rooted to the spot.

Exeter had set up to attack Athletic, but they were being dominated all over the field.

After a neat build-up, Stephens’ shaped cross then found in-form Tounkara’s head and the burly forward powered his header home into the far corner.

Confidence was high and further Athletic goals seemed inevitable. Furman fizzed a deflected drive narrowly over the bar and White hit the far post with a low drive from a tight angle.

Stephens was one-one-one with Krysiak when he tried to place a shot which was well blocked, before Athletic’s superb third.

White played the ball in from the left and Tounkara’s first-time cushioned pass into the area bisected the defence and was perfect for Taylor, who rifled home left-footed and low into the far corner from eight yards out.

Completely outplayed, Exeter could have been thinking of the long trip home.

Instead, Paul Tisdale’s side stuck to their task and the second half was a much more even affair.

Furman was extremely unfortunate not to grab a fourth goal when his curling left-footed drive from the edge of the area struck the inside of a post after good work in the build-up from Cedric Evina.

Had it gone in, that would certainly have been game, set and match.

Instead, Athletic ceded the initiative and Harley’s rasping drive that led to Logan’s goal opened up the floodgates.

And Cureton and Nardiello turned the match on its head before Stephens so nearly claimed a last-gasp winner.

It is now vital that Athletic — still only two points away from a share of third place in npower League One, with a game in hand to play at Rochdale on Saturday — regain their focus quickly.