Exeter City 0
Cheltenham Town 1

First home loss of the season
by Harrison Lane

For the second time in five days City were back at SJP, facing Cheltenham Town for the second time this season after winning 7-0 at the Completely-Suzuki Stadium. This time Cheltenham were the winning side, travelling home 1-0 winners.

City went into this game as the highest scoring team in the top four divisions of English football, with seven of their 16 goals this season scored away at Cheltenham only a few weeks ago in the Carabao cup, but were unable to add to that tally after a hard fought game today at St James Park. 

On a cloudy day down in Devon, The Grecians welcomed the struggling Robins to SJP, but with all their efforts exerted, Cheltenham travelled home with all three points after a goal from Dan N’Lundulu. 

After the fantastic 3-1 victory over Wycombe Wanderers in midweek, Matt Taylor made only the three changes with Sam Nombe coming in to replace Jevani Brown who is away on international duty, Sam Stubbs replaced Pierce Sweeney to make his first league start of the campaign and Jake Caprice a straight swap for Josh Key at right wing back as well for his start in the league. Sweeney missed out following the birth of his baby this morning. 

Only four minutes into the game and the City fans were almost up on their feet celebrating an opener, but thanks to a point blank save from the Cheltenham keeper Luke Southwood after a combination of Matt Jay and Nombe, the game was kept goalless. Within the commotion, there was also a for an alleged push on captain Jay but the shouts waved away by the referee. 

A long range sighter from Tim Dieng saw the ball sail easily into the hands of Southwood in the Cheltenham goal. Not even ten minutes played and City controlling and dominating the numbers in possession and shots on goal. 

With 25 minutes gone, City were very much the team in charge but Cheltenham were starting to find some space in behind Stubbs, Hartridge and Diabate, but the commanding figure of Jamal Blackman was steadying the ship at the back. 

And only moments later the midfield scoring machine that is Harry Kite was through on goal, catching the ball beautifully on the volley, but the Cheltenham goalkeeper matched his quality, tipping the ball over the bar. The resulting corner from The Grecians came to nothing with the mis-hit corner cleared away by the away defence. 

Seconds later and some haphazard defending led to the ball falling to the feet of Sparkes on the edge of the area, his curling effort was deflected behind for another City corner. From the resulting set-piece, a floating ball found Stubbs at the back post but his cushioned header again finding the hands of Southwood. 

With his name in shining lights, Sparkes once again lined up a shot from distance, but it was not once of his greatest efforts with the ball sailing very wide of the goal, with Cheltenham clearing the ball as far up the field as possible, but again Matt Taylor's boys came back with another counter attack earning themselves another corner. 

Corner, after corner, after corner, most of the first half was heavily spent in the Cheltenham defensive third, but they were keeping the back door firmly locked shut. As much as the City attack were trying to bust it open. And that was that for the first half, 45 minutes of constant pressure from City but not too much to take away from it. 

The second half saw Cheltenham counter attack from the off put the pressure on the City backline, but a crunching sliding challenge from Stubbs on his first league start of the season put that to bed very quickly. 

The Big Bank really came alive at the start of the second half, with the home fans getting louder and louder as the seconds went by. The noise was clearly working as the ball was rarely away from the Cheltenham defensive third, much the same as the first half. 

But then the deadlock was broken, a counter attack from Cheltenham in the 56th led to N’Lundulu opening the scoring for the home side, very much against the run of play as he found space in the area, shrugged off his marker and smashed past Blackman.

Come the 65th minute, Taylor made another change with Southampton loanee Kegs Chauke coming on to replace Stubbs, with Kite moving to the right hand side of the back three. Five minutes later and the ball was almost in the back of the Cheltenham net, an Archie Collins strike from the edge of the area was just tipped wide of the post by the Cheltenham keeper.  

A big moment came in the 87th minute with Taylor making his fourth change of the game, with academy starlet Sonny Cox coming on to make his league debut in place of the departing Kite. A fantastic ball in the final moments of added time from Nombe found Coley at the back post, but he took his eyes off of the ball in the final moment and the ball ended up the wrong side of the post. 

An absolute screamer of an effort from Sparkes, almost sent the Big Bank into delirium but another save from the Cheltenham keeper sent the ball over the bar for another City corner. 

Starting XI: Blackman, Caprice (Key), Stubbs (Chauke), Diabate, Hartridge, Sparkes, Kite (Cox), Collins, Dieng (Coley), Jay (C), Nombe

Subs Not Used: S.Brown, Grounds

Cheltenham Town: Southwood, Taylor, Freestone, Williams, Long (C), Jackson (Raglan), Chapman, Perry (Adshead), Sercombe, Nlundulu (Norton), May

Subs Not Used: Macdonald, Barkers, Brown, Ferry

Referee: Robert Lewis

Attendance: 5927 (266 Away)

EFL Youth Alliance Cup
Exeter City 3
MK Dons 3 (4-5 Pens)

Derek Baker reports on City u18s match on Saturday.

Exeter City’s under-18s were knocked out of the Youth Alliance Cup at the first hurdle on penalties following a 3-3 draw with Milton Keynes Dons at the Cliff Hill Training Ground on Saturday.

A strong end to the first period saw the Grecians take a two-goal lead into half-time courtesy of a Theo Cutler brace, before a spirited Dons side produced a marvellous comeback.

Tommy Blennerhassett and Jediah Bombo brought the visitors back level, before Tom Dean thought he had won the tie for City when he finished off a lovely sweeping move.

Kevin Nicholson and his young squad switched their focus on this season’s cup competition following an encouraging performance last week.

Exeter and Milton Keynes had faced one another previously back in 2017 when Dan Green’s team triumphed 1-0 thanks to a James Dodd strike.

This time around, the Devonians welcomed back Tavistock loanees, Aamir Daniels and Joe O’Connor back into their matchday squad, while goalkeeper, Lewis McNab, deputised for the absent Andrew Sowden in what looked a strong side.

But it was the Dons who began brighter, and they bossed the territory inside the opening stages, not allowing the home side to get out of their own half.

McNab produced an early save when he denied a low effort on five minutes, and the young shot-stopper was called upon once again moments later when he comfortably held a free-kick.

Pedro Borges headed the first Grecians effort over on nine minutes, however, that seemed to settle his teammates, and City skipper, Harrison King, stung the hands of the visiting ‘keeper with a long-range strike not long after.

Both sides traded efforts midway through the first half; Borges unable to guide his diving header goalwards following good work from trio Dean, Daniels and Alfie Cunningham, but in truth, clear-cut chances came at a premium despite some positive phases of play.

MK wasted another opportunity when they shot off target from 20-yards, however, just before the interval, the deadlock was finally broken following good wing play from King.

The full-back received the ball on the right side, before he drifted infield with a mazy run. His subsequent shot was parried away by Sebastien Stacey, but on the follow-up, Cutler pounced and tapped the rebound into an unguarded net despite the opposition's protests for offside.

A confident Cutler was beginning to cause havoc in the Milton Keynes backline, and deep into injury-time, the striker netted his fourth goal in two matches with a decisive finish. Good work from Daniels saw the Exeter number 11 clip a cross into the centre, which in turn saw the chasing defender slip over. Cutler raced onto the loose ball, before he composed himself and shot high past the goalie to make it 2-0.

After the break, Nicholson’s men created the first opening for substitute George Spencer, however, his cross-shot flashed across the face of goal.

Around the hour mark, both goalkeepers were called into action, firstly when Daniels curled an effort towards goal which was pushed away, before McNab made sure after a looping header seemed to connect with his left-hand post.

Two opportunities in as many minutes for the Devonians still failed to beat Stacey, but midway through the second period, the Dons could have been killed off when King found himself through on goal following a brilliant bit of anticipation.

After intercepting a square pass, King blitzed his way past the final defender with a strong run, to end up one-versus-one with the opponent's goalie. However, the home captain saw his low shot well stopped, before the follow-up was put behind for a corner.

The Grecians were made to regret that missed opportunity a few moments later as their opponents pulled a goal back. With a move down the left, Blennerhassett was able to steal in ahead of McNab to finish precisely, halving the deficit.

King came to his side’s rescue with a brave challenge on 77 minutes when a long ball ripped open a hole in the City defence, however, no one was able to stop a leveller going in just a minute later when Bombo tucked the ball home to make it 2-2 and set up a dramatic finish.

Spencer, who had looked lively in attack since his introduction, went close when his shot cannoned off the upright, while up the other end, the visitors shanked another shot from distance wide.

The contest, from about the 85th minute, had almost everything, and the thrilling finale started after Nicholson’s players won themselves a free-kick. Joe O’Connor floated a ball into the danger area, before King rose highest and thundered a header past Stacey, only to be denied by the linesman’s flag seconds later.

But while the celebrations were cut short there, they resumed not long after when Jacca Cavendish located Cutler with a pinpoint pass. The forward turned his man and powered his way to the byline, before a smart cutback found Dean, who arrowed a finish into the far corner to spark jubilant scenes for those in red and white.

The game’s flow up to that point had been disrupted by lots of drinks breaks and injury treatments, and therefore the officials were not afraid to add on plenty of time on top of the regulation 90.

After the clock had ticked into added time, Spencer found Stacey in good form to keep things at 3-2.

Eight minutes into the extra period, MK thought they equalised when a cross from the left flank avoided everyone in the centre. On hand was Bombo at the far stick, however, and he diverted the ball home, only for the other assistant referee to disallow the strike.

The Dons were not to be denied though, and in the 101st minute, they earned their reward with a third goal from a set-play. A deep corner found it’s way to Waller 12-yards out, and he sent a looping header into the top corner to break Exeter hearts.

The full-time whistle sounded not long after, and with the format of the competition forcing ties to be decided on the day of the game, the lottery of penalties was going to determine the winner of what was an epic contest.

The hosts, however, missed their first attempt, unfortunately, and despite scoring all of their subsequent kicks, Milton Keynes were faultless from 12-yards, and they triumphed in the shoot-out 5-4, to book their place in round two.

Exeter City’s Under-18s Lead Coach, Kevin Nicholson: “I thought we could have been a lot better than what we showed in the first half despite being 2-0 up. We were ok, but we could have scored more, and we missed that ruthlessness in front of goal.

“The biggest disappointment is the attitude we showed in the second half. When MK Dons had their spell, and they scored their first goal, which came out of nothing really, we started to turn on one another and started to get on at the referee.

“It is part of the players’ learning. I think coaches are quick to jump on defenders when you concede goals, but we have had 4 or 5 good chances. We have got to be clinical, and we are putting pressure on the lads to understand that.

“I am happy from a learning point of view because if we were more clinical, I feel we would have gone through quite comfortably. We are away at Cheltenham next, and that is another learning thing. We have got to bounce back. There is no point in dwelling on this. The players can only control what they’re in control of, and that is making sure they prepare well for Saturday.”

Exeter City Under-18s: Lewis McNab, Ed James, Scott Simmons, Jacca Cavendish, Harrison King, Aamir Daniels, Gabriel Billington, Tom Dean, Pedro Borges, Alfie Cunningham, Theo Cutler

Subs: Liam Oakes, Joe O’Connor, George Spencer