Match 43
5th March 2015
Cambridge United (a)
Cambridge United
0-1 Exeter City
Watkins earns three points for City
Line-UpsCambridge United: Norris, Legge, Berry (capt), Dunk (Ismail 60'), Coulson, Spencer (Simpson 65'), Williamson, Dunne, Ledson (Donaldson 60'), Furlong, Haynes.
Subs: Beasant, Omorusi, O'Neill, Roberts.
Exeter City: Olejnik, Woodman, Ribeiro, Harley, Oakley, Holmes, Moore-Taylor (capt), Wheeler (Taylor 81'), Watkins, Stockley, Brown.
Subs: McAllister, Morrison, Noble, Tillson, Pym, Grant.
Goals: Watkins 76'
Referee: Frederick Graham
Report by Oliver Roderick
OLLIE WATKINS' second goal in as many games earned all three points for Exeter City at Abbey Stadium.
Ryan Harley came back into the Exeter City line-up for this one, with Alex Nicholls nursing the facial injury he sustained in the midweek draw with Portsmouth. Tuesday's late goal hero Ollie Watkins continued in the starting eleven, while Cambridge were unchanged from their midweek win over Wycombe Wanderers.
If anyone could accuse City of starting slowly in recent games, that wasn't a valid claim this time around. Just two minutes were on the clock when David Wheeler headed wide from Lee Holmes' cross, while Ollie Watkins' fantastic turn on the left side of the box wasn't followed by a finish to match. Bobby Olejnik was called into action for the first time fifteen minutes in; former Grecian James Dunne's low drive making City's number one save low to his right.
David Wheeler got to another Holmes cross to force Cambridge keeper Will Norris into a save, but the half ended goalless after a quiet further ten minutes.
HALF-TIME: CAMBRIDGE UNITED 0-0 EXETER CITY
Cambridge had a Will Norris double-save to thank for keeping them on level terms in the first few minutes of the second period. First, the goalkeeper dived to his left to push away David Wheeler's curling effort, and then he got to his feet to tip Ollie Watkins' rebound over the bar. In the best chance of the match so far, Christian Ribeiro's header from Lee Holmes' corner was hooked off the line ten minutes into the half.
With new Cambridge signing Zeli Ismail looking dangerous out on the right wing, he produced two teasing crosses, with Olejnik punching the first and catching the second. But City, who looked worthy of holding a point, would take the lead on seventy-six minutes, as Ollie Watkins fired in his second goal in as many games, this one deflected from the right side of the box.
From there, the Grecians would not see their lead threatened to any great extent. They defended resolutely, and left Abbey Stadium with a deserved three points.
FULL-TIME: CAMBRIDGE UNITED 0-1 EXETER CITY
Attendance: 4,573 (273 away)
Man of the Match: Ollie Watkins
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