Bristol Rovers ride their luck before seeing off Exeter

Bristol Rovers 1 Exeter City 0: Darryl Duffy scored a poacher's goal to settle a tight West Country clash and make it three home wins on the bounce for Bristol Rovers.

But the Pirates rode their luck against a battling Exeter City side who twice hit the woodwork and were unfortunate to leave the Memorial Stadium empty-handed.

Duffy scored the only goal of the game 11 minutes before the break, pouncing from close range after Jo Kuffour's initial shot broke to him via keeper Andy Marriott.

But the Gas then had to did deep to protect their three points in the second half as the visitors threw everything at them.

Rovers were wearing black armbands in memory of director and former chairman Ron Craig, who died the day before the game, and the club flag was flying at half-mast.

The Pirates made two changes to the side that had started the 4-2 defeat at Charlton.

Carl Regan was recalled to the right-back berth as Pat Baldwin moved into central defence at the expense of Byron Anthony, who began on the bench.

Mark Wright was also recalled on the wing and although striker Chris Dickson was available again after missing the clash at The Valley, Duffy kept his place in the team and started alongside Kuffour up front.

Former Gas favourite Marcus Stewart, making his first visit to the Memorial Stadium, was among the Grecians' substitutes.

It was the visitors who made the brighter start, with Scott Golbourne supplying a dangerous cross from the left which Regan had to glance behind for the first corner of the night.

Minutes later, Golbourne posed another threat with another good ball from the flank. This time it reached Richard Logan, who was at a tight angle on the far side of the six-yard box, but still managed to get in a shot which struck the outside of one of Mikkel Andersen's posts before bouncing away to safety.

Rovers' first attempt came in the 11th minute when Duffy let fly with a speculative 30-yarder which had keeper Marriott scurrying across his line, but rolled wide of the upright.

Four minutes later they came closer when Kuffour took a return pass from Chris Lines and advanced to the edge of the box before hitting a shot with the outside of his right foot which went narrowly wide of a post.

Marriott was forced into his first save of the night in the 25th minute, when a superb angled pass by Kuffour sent Wright away down the right. The winger cut in to shoot from 20 yards but the keeper was able to parry the ball away.

Rovers took the lead in the 34th minute, with the lively Kuffour the instigator.

He cut in from the right and unleashed a low cross-shot which Marriott again parried – but this time the loose ball fell for Duffy, who gleefully rammed it home from a couple of yards out.

Exeter again made the livelier start to the second period with Logan seeing a volley deflected wide off a team-mate before Alex Russell fired a dipping 30-yarder over the top. Rovers had to survive a series of testing corners before Andersen made a catch to relieve a spell of pressure from the Devon side, who then made a 65th-minute change when Stewart made his first appearance against his old club by replacing Steve Tully.

Four minutes later, Rovers made a switch when Andy Williams replaced Wright – but Exeter continued to press and were almost rewarded with an equaliser when Russell's low drive from 25 yards hit the outside of a post.

Seconds later Andersen had to come to the rescue to tip away an angled shot from the same player as the Pirates rode their luck.

Exeter made a double change by bringing on Stuart Fleetwood and Barry Corr, while Rovers took off Dominic Blizzard and gave youngster Ben Swallow the final 15 minutes.

Exeter, with the wind behind them, were prepared to shoot from distance and Ryan Harley drew another save from Andersen with a long-range effort as the Pirates continued to be forced deep.

The home side made their final change 10 minutes from time when Dickson replaced goalscorer Duffy.

But Logan wasted a fine chance to grab a point for the Grecians when he directed a free header straight at Andersen in stoppage-time.