Winning start to pre-season for the Grecians.

Exeter City’s long-awaited pre-season kicked off with a 1-0 win at Tiverton Town, as trialist Julien Dacosta got the only goal of the night.

It was a game of two very different halves for the Grecians as Gary Caldwell fielded two completely changed XIs for each 45-minute stint. With a mix of first teamers, academy and trialists taking to the field. There was a big chance early on for City, as new summer signing Vincent Harper was able to show off his silky skills and he took on the Tivvy right back, sending a ball to the back post but City trialist Julien Dacosta was only able to find the side netting. A big chance for the home side followed as Tivvy found space behind the City backline but were unable to finish his chance as his shot flashed past the Gary Woods and the far post and behind for a goal kick. With 19 minutes on the clock, Harper and James Scott were linking up well down the left-hand side, causing big headaches for the Tivvy back line. After some trickery from Harper, the ball rolled back to trialist Reece Cole who cannoned an effort off the underside of the bar. However, unbeknownst to everyone in the ground the ball spun away from the goal and was cleared away.  As the game approached the 30-minute mark, Tivvy should have taken the lead. A long ball over the top caught out every player in red, leaving Thompson baring down on goal, with all to aim for, the man in yellow sent it just wide of the post. City were starting to see much more of the ball as the game approached half time and with Will Aimson starting to dictate play through the middle of the park, a lovely link up with Sonny Cox allowed the City youngster to play Dacosta in behind the Tivvy defence but a swift sweep of the leg took the trialist down. The resulting free kick was taken by fellow trialist Cole, but his strike went over the bar, as his up and over technique didn’t come to fruition after being too close to the goal to trouble the keeper. With the pressure on, City found themselves with a corner, as it cleared the area, Scott picked it up on the far side and laid it back to Kite on the edge of the area. As Kite lined up a trademark screamer, a few Tivvy players started to run him down forcing the midfielders shot wide of the goal. Right on the cusp of half time, City opened the scoring after a combination of both wing backs. Running down the left-hand side, again causing trouble, Harper jinxed his way to the by-line, sending in a peach of a cross to Dacosta, with the right wing back finding the back of the net. The second half saw 11 changes for the boys in red and white, with another debut handed to Jack Aitchinson, whilst Lewis Spence and Brad Young were given minutes while on trial at the club. Tiverton started the second half the brighter of the two sides, testing Harry Lee on a few occasions in the opening ten minutes. With a whole host of trialists on show for the home side, they were really trying to make themselves seen. As the second hand was reaching its halfway point, City had their first proper chance of the half, a corner sent into the area, found the head of captain Pierce Sweeney, but the Irishman’s glancing header went just wide of the post. City almost made it two, with the game just edging past the 75th  minute mark, Young found himself through on goal but his shot on target was blocked by a Tivvy defender and cleared away. It was City once again, with Aitchison linking up with Young, with the latter sending a ball into the box which was more a shot than a cross in the end, with the keeper comfortably collecting. That was that for City as they saw the game out as 1-0 victors, after a tough 90-minute battle against the yellow part of Devon. 

City First Half Team: Woods, Dacosta, Billington, Aimson ©, Hartridge, Harper, Kite, Cole, Cox, Beardmore, Scott

City Second Half Team: Lee, Caprice, Sweeney ©, Diabate, O’Connor, Mitchell, Spence, Borges, Young, Aitchison, Nombe

Tiverton: Saunders, Trialist A, Jones, Trialist B, Jones, Richards, Morison, Allen, Bath, Thompson, Garside

Second Team: Vowles, Trialist C, Trialist D, Trialist E, Trialist F, Trialist G, Trialist H, Trialist I, Trialist J, Trialist K 

Attendance: 1611

11th July 2023
Mousehole (a)

Mousehole 0 City 8

City make it two wins from two.

City ran riot with eight goals on a brisk night in Cornwall over Southern League outfit in Mousehole at Trungle Parc.

Vincent Harper secured himself a brace, followed by excellent finishes from Sam Nombe, Mitch Beardmore, Jack Aitchison, Sonny Cox, Reece Cole and Pedro Borges.

Lining up in the usual five back formation, Gary Caldwell made vast changes to the two separate elevens fielded in the previous game away to Tiverton. With first starts handed to Jake Richards in the opening 45 and the second half seeing first team appearances awarded to Sam Joce and Tom Dean. It was a good start from Caldwell's side as 15-year-old Richards on his first start for the first team picked up the ball with ease in the centre of the park. His first pass found Demetri Mitchell on the left-hand side who laid it back to Harry Kite, but the midfield maestro’s strike cleared the bar. The next attack for City saw the opening goal of the game, Harper on his second start for the club found space on the right-hand side, and having cut in on his favoured left foot, let loose, burying the ball into the bottom corner.

Mousehole almost found a way back in inside the opening 10 minutes, but fantastic awareness from Harry Lee stopped and almost certain goal from the opposing number nine Mark Goldsworthy. With 15 minutes on the clock, City were awarded a free kick right on the edge of the box after tricky feet from Aitchison forced the defenders in green to bring him down. The Scot stepped up to take the free kick, but his effort was not able to beat the wall. As the game ventured toward the 20th minute mark, Cheick Diabate was caught dawdling on the ball and a Mousehole attacker pipped the ball from him, but in a flash, Diabate pulled him back as he was about to run through in on goal. After a quick throw in their own half, City launched a quick attack resulting in them doubling their lead. Richards picked up the ball and played a lovely pass through the middle to Aitchison who waited for the run from Harper before sliding the wing back in. On his week foot, the tricky winger played the ball to Nombe, who at the first attempt found the gloves of Ollie Chenoweth, but he was not missing from the second attempt as he blasted the ball into an empty net. Right on the cusp of the half-hour, City found the back of the net courtesy of Aitchison. Picking up the ball on the left-hand side, Aitchison showed why Gary picked him up this summer. His tricky feet led to him fooling a few defenders and with the ball on his right foot and just inside the 18-yard box smashed the ball to the right-hand side of the keeper, rippling the back of the net. Some wonderful link up play between Mitchell and Aitchison was starting to really bamboozle the Cornish outfit's defence, but a brilliant block from a defender in green stopped City from making it four. With City very much in control, the flair was starting to show, Aitchison and Mitchell were linking up once again and with half time fast approaching, City were wanting to get more goals in the game. Up stepped Harper, who with a fantastic solo effort found the back of the net, getting himself on the scoresheet for the second time. In quick succession, with two goals in two minutes, City got their fifth of the game. Beardmore found space just inside the opposing area and let loose a low driven shot past Chenoweth in the Mousehole goal, and with that came the end of the first half. Out for the second half, City were completely changed once again as Gary was making sure he was to get a good account of all players involved in the squad. It was a quick start for the second XI for City as they came out the blocks at a canter with Sonny Cox leading the line. The youngster had the first effort of the second half on goal as he picked up a loose defensive pass, threatening the keeper with a strong effort from range. The next time round Cox couldn’t miss. After a mistake at the back, Borges picked up the loose ball and with the whole goal to aim for unselfishly played the ball across the six-yard box for Cox to tap in from a few yards out, securing City their sixth of the game. Even with being six goals down, Mousehole were still showing fight and with lots of confidence they were starting to bring the ball out from the back. In the 55^thminute, they had their most meaningful effort of the game as Gary Woods was forced into a fingertip save to send the ball over the bar. With 70 minutes on the clock, Borges almost got himself on the scoresheet but his effort from range sailed wildly over the bar, and following that City made an unplanned change as Richards was called upon again to replace Sweeney, who looked like he may have been carrying a slight knock. City were really keeping on the pressure as the clock ran down, this time Joe O’Connor found himself in an advanced role and tested the Mousehole keeper, who did well to keep hold of a strong effort from the wing back. With only five minutes left on the clock, Cole picked up the ball from O’Connor on the far side, after an impressive solo run from Cox. Sitting comfortably 35 yards out, Cole send a thunderous strike right down the throat of the keeper, leaving the keeper nothing to do, other than watch it sail right past him. It was another in quick succession for the Grecians, as this time Borges got himself in on the action, after assisting Cox earlier in the half, he found himself barrelling down on goal, and with the keeper rushing out to him saw it fit to send a cheeky dink over him. That was that for City with Borges goal the last bit of action of the game, securing an impressive eight goal victory over the Cornish outfit.

City Team 1: Lee, Harper, Billington, Diabate, Hartridge, Mitchell, Kite, Richards, Beardmore, Aitchison, Nombe ©

City Team 2: Woods, Caprice, Sweeney (Richards), Aimson ©, Joyce, Edgecombe, Dean, Cole, O’Connor, Borges, Cox

Mousehole: Chenoweth, Otto, Fraser, Hill, Lewis, Elcock, Calver ©, Mitchell, Turner, Goldsworthy, Mconie

Subs not used: Moyle, Kevern, Bissett, Sousa, Symons, Evans, Willis, Nixon, Boyd

Attendance: 617

Saturday 15th July 2023 

Bath City 0 City 0

City draw on the road by Harrison Lane.

City were held to a goalless draw, but learnt lessons as they took on Bath City at Twerton Park.

With the Grecians taking to the field for their third pre-season game of the summer, Gary Caldwell changed up his style from the previous two games. This time around fielding a 60/30 minute split, with Joe O’Connor and Pedro Borges playing the first 30 minutes, who were then replaced by Alex Hartridge and Jack Aitchison. All other starters played the first 60 and then the changes ran. Making the squad for the first time since his signing was Dion Rankine, followed by trialist Tom Carroll. It was a slow start to the game for both sides as neither was able to really get the ball under control, with the only shouts coming from players on either side asking for fouls in each of their defensive thirds. With 10 minutes on the clock, the Romans almost took the lead, with a fantastic corner into the box, it found the head of Ben Morgan, but his bullet header was cleared off the line by his own player. Waiting on the edge was a fellow Bath player, but his strike was deflected away and behind for another corner. City’s first chance of the game didn’t come until the 23^rd minute, a beautifully sprayed pass from Sweeney, found Caprice overlapping and in behind the Bath defence but his attempted cross to Cox was gathered up by Wright. As planned at the start of the game, the Grecians made a double change in the 33rd minute with Borges and O’Connor replaced by Aitchison and Hartridge, with Gary giving all players a chance to shine in pre-season. The game was approaching the final ten minutes of the first half and the Grecians were starting to get a foothold in the game, and seeing a lot more of the ball, with the only downside being they hadn’t troubled the Romans keeper. Bath once again found space in behind the City defence and it was Hayfield who was opening up down the right-hand side, but with two of his teammates in the box, he was only able to find the feet of Sweeney, who cleared it behind for another Bath corner. It was Sweeney to the rescue once again as Bath launched another attack on the City goal. A quick free kick into the box was aimed towards multiple Bath players, but it was the head of City’s Irishman who stopped the home side taking the lead.

Half time saw the arrival of new signing Dion Rankine, who came on in place of Caprice, with this being the first time City fans saw their new boy in action. City started the second half much brighter than the first half and it was Rankine who was straight into the action. His tricky footwork opened up space on the right-hand side, allowing him to cut inside onto his weaker left foot, but from close range a Bath defender put his head in the way and the ball deflected behind. A free kick was awarded to City early on in the second half and up stepped dead ball specialist Cole, who sent the ball dipping and swerving towards the goal, but keeper Wright matched the effort with a world class save as he tipped the ball over the bar. Rankine tried his luck once again, this time from around the 35-yard mark, a corner from the right was headed out to the Chelsea loanee and after taking it under control he let loose, but his effort sailed just over the bar. With the second half fast approaching the 60^th minute mark, Rankine this time was attempting to turn provider. Picking up the ball on the right hand, it was step over after step over with the ball being laid back to Scott, but his effort was deflected wide. The 62^nd minute saw City make eight changes with Billington, Diabate, Mitchell, Kite, Carroll, Beardmore and Nombe enter the field of play in place of Sweeney, Aimson, Harper, Trevitt, Cole, Scott and Cox.

The best chance of the game fell to trialist Tom Carroll as Nombe was able to use his speed and strength to get in behind the Bath defence but his cut back bounced at the wrong moment for Carroll as he got his foot under the ball and sent it over the bar from close range. It was another chance from range for City, this time it was Kite who found space around the 30-yard mark, but his curling effort curled to far wide of the goal, and behind for a goal kick. With the game approaching its end, City were pushing with intent to secure a winning goal, Nombe aiming to turn provider turned the Bath City left back inside out and his ball into the box found Kite, however, his effort was smothered by Bath defenders. That was that for City as the game in North Somerset ended up no goals scored for either side.

Bath City: Wright, Raynes, Greenslade, Batten, Parselle ©, Hayfield, Cooke, Smith, Frear, Russe, Morgan

Subs: Dyer, Trialist A, Trialist B, Trialist C, Lines

Exeter City 
Woods, Caprice (Rankine), Sweeney (Billington), Aimson © (Diabate), O’Connor (Hartridge), Harper (Mitchell), Trevitt (Kite), Cole (Carroll), Borges (Aitchison), Scott (Beardmore), Cox (Nombe)

Attendance: 708

Tuesday July 18th 2023
 
Taunton Town v Exeter City 
at the Cygnet Health Care Stadium.
Report by Harrison Beer. 

Taunton Town 0 City 3

City back to winning ways

City made it a third pre-season win and a fourth clean sheet in four following an impressive display at the Cygnet Health Centre Stadium against National League South opposition Taunton Town.

Early play saw encouraging signs for both teams, with the hosts and the visitors both able to create somewhat of a threat in their opposing final thirds. The travelling Grecians didn’t have to wait long to get in front, when in the eighth minute Demetri Mitchell was able to fire a powerful shot off towards the bottom-left of the Taunton goal, proving too much for Dan Lavercombe who deflected the ball into his own net. 22 minutes in and Taunton were able to create their first real threat of the game, with Cheick Diabate being forced into defensive action by clearing a Taunton cross out for a corner. A strong delivery was followed by panic in the Exeter box with the ball bobbling for a few seconds before being cleared away from danger. The 30^th minute saw the first of the pre-arranged substitutions from Exeter, with Edgecombe and Billington making way for Sweeney and Harper to tackle the remaining hour of play. The hosts were given another chance at goal when in the 32^nd minute a free kick was awarded just outside the Grecian penalty area, with a Lucas shot finding its way straight into the gloves of Woods and proving to be an easy save for the City keeper. Having given Taunton a chance to get back into the game, City immediately looked to make it two in the 34^thminute when a smart looking attack resulted in Sweeney neatly crossing a ball into the Taunton penalty area, with a Nombe header not being quite enough to make it two as the ball flew just wide of the post. The Peacocks mounted a fast counterattack, with a ball over the top into new signing Linton putting him through one-on-one with Woods, who pulled another strong save out of the bag to prevent the hosts from getting onto the scoresheet. The final chance of the first 45 came in the form of another Taunton corner kick and despite a smart looking delivery into the penalty area, City were better prepared to deal with the threat at the second time of asking and cleared the ball away before the referee blew his whistle to signal the break in play.

The beginning of the second half saw the addition of another scheduled substitution in the form of Cole replacing Carroll for the second 45 minutes of play. Exeter spent no time in doubling their lead after the break, with a cheeky Nombe backheel from 8 yards out finding the back of the net and giving the Grecians some breathing room. Woods was once again tested immediately after, with a swift Taunton attack from kick-off relying on another strong save from the keeper to keep the visitors two in front. What would ensue would be a plethora of chances from the visiting team at the Taunton goal, with the new Brentford loanee, Trevitt, trying to get his name on the scoresheet in only his second game in a slightly different red and white strip, following a shot on goal that was sent just that bit wide of the post, keeping the goalkeeper on his toes. 57 minutes in and the hard work paid off for new signing Trevitt after a cross from Scott found the youngster a couple yards out, allowing him to chip the ball over the goalkeeper and into the roof of the net. In the 60^th minute the final seven substitutes from the visiting team entered the field of play, with Rankine, Diabate, Hartridge, Trevitt, Scott, Mitchell and Nombe making space for Beardmore, Aimson, James, O’Connor, Aitchison, Borges, and Cox. The impressive display in front of goal from Exeter keeper Woods continued in the 71^st as another impressive save combined with brave defensive work from James once again denied the hosts from getting onto the scoresheet. Chances began to die down in the dying minutes of the second half, with new signing Cole firing a shot just high and wide of the Taunton goal, preventing the visitors from making it four. The self-proclaimed dead-ball specialist was given another chance to show his worth in the 90^th minute, hitting a well placed free-kick into the depths of the Taunton penalty area to be met with the leaping head of James who was unable to capitalise and tipped it just wide of the far post. No matter though as soon as the goal kick was taken the referee blew the whistle for the last time to conclude the Grecians fourth pre-season game of the summer with the visiting Devonians leaving the Cygnet Health Care Stadium with a stride in their step after an impressive three nil win.

Exeter City: Woods, Rankine (Beardmore), Billington (Sweeney), Diabate (Aimson), Hartidge (James), Edgecombe (Harper), Carroll (Cole), Trevitt (O’Connor), Scott (Aitchison), Mitchell (Borges), Nombe (Cox)

Taunton Town: Lavercombe, Smith, Grimes, Evans, Booth, Chamberlain, Guest, Lucas (Doleman), James (Tabu), Sims-Burgess (Day), Linton

Subs: Irish, Tabu, Jarvis