2024-08-24
Peterborough (h)
Football League Youth Alliance
Plymouth (h)
Peterborough (h)
Match Report:
Exeter City 1 Peterborough United 2
Despite Reece Cole opening the scoring within four minutes and Joe Whitworth saving another penalty, two first half goals for the Posh were enough to complete a comeback victory at SJP.
City started the brighter of the two sides and opened the scoring within four minutes of kick-off. The visitors, Peterborough, couldn't deal with a bouncing ball inside their penalty area but Reece Cole could, turning and lashing the ball home.
However, Peterborough equalised just three minutes later, and then defender Manny Fernandez was gifted space to run into City's half and smash the ball home from 30 yards to turn the game around minutes before the half-time break.
The Grecians plowed their way through the second half, and Joe Whitworth even saved a penalty from former Exeter man Archie Collins, but it wasn't enough to nick a point.
Gary Caldwell made one change to his starting team from last week’s defeat at Northampton Town, with Ryan Woods returning from suspension to slot straight into the side. Ed Francis dropped to the bench, while Jack McMillan shifted from midfield to an unfamiliar left wing-back position.
The Grecians started brightly once again, with Millenic Alli timing his run perfectly to beat the offside trap and latch onto Johnly Yefko’s long ball. However, a Peterborough boot put the ball out for an inconsequential corner.
That early pressure was a pre-curser to City’s opener just four minutes in. A bouncing ball inside the penalty area wasn’t dealt with by the Posh defence, allowing Reece Cole to control, turn, and fire a shot from the penalty spot above the goalkeeper and into the net for 1-0.
However, that lead barely lasted 180 seconds though, with an equaliser coming from the visitor’s first attack. Malik Mothersille was found in space on the left-hand side of City’s box, and he calmly rolled the ball out of Joe Whitworth’s reach to nestle into the far corner.
Peterborough took the initiative after their leveller, encroaching City’s penalty area on several occasions and coming closest through former Grecian Joel Randall. Kwame Poku’s cross was met by an unmarked Randall in a central position, but his header went wide of the target.
This near miss sparked a response from the Grecians, who once again threatened through the combination of Yefko and Alli. This time, the centre-back played the ball on the grass, a delightful through-pass which expertly evaded the Posh defence and found Alli running down the left, but his first time low shot trickled wide of the post.
Poku continued to cause problems for City’s defence, and on 26 minutes he weaved his way into the box again from the right. The winger’s shot was pushed away by Whitworth, and luckily just out of reach of a lurking Randall. Then, four minutes later Poku sidestepped Yefko 30 yards from goal and shot, but the ball went well over.
Josh Magennis had the next chance to restore City’s lead. Alli burst down the left again and sent a fizzing low ball into the box, and a Posh touch made it just evade the Northern Irish striker in the middle with the goal gaping.
After twice passing the ball onto Alli, Yefko fancied a shot of his own five minutes from the break. Cole’s teasing ball into the box was cleared, narrowly evading Ilmari Niskanen, and mopped up by the centre-back mid-way through Posh’s half. With cheers of ‘shoot’ coming from the crowd, Yefko had a crack, but it ended up high in the Big Bank.
Alli repeated Yefko’s trick moments later, with another curling effort from the left going high and wide.
However, City were left to rue their missed chances when on the stroke of the 45th minute the Posh went ahead. Centre-back Manny Fernandez strode out of defence and, met with no resistance, struck from 35 yards out. Whitworth spotted the shot late as it nestled past him into the bottom corner.
Second Half
That gave Posh the lead at the break, and they came out in the second half eager to extend that margin. Mothersille was again found in space by Poku, but this time Whitworth held the ball.
The Crystal palace loanee was called into action again just minutes later when Posh quickly transitioned from defense to attack. Abraham Odoh fired a low shot, but Whitworth was equal to it, making another solid save.
City then mounted an attack of their own. Jack McMillan found Reece Cole on the edge of the box, and the midfielder cleverly feinted before passing out wide to Ilmari Niskanen. The Finn’s first-time cross was met by McMillan, but his shot was deflected wide by the Posh defense.
Despite Exeter’s efforts, Peterborough remained dangerous on the counter-attack. In the 68th minute, former City players Archie Collins and Joel Randall combined, with Collins getting a shot off that Whitworth parried out for a corner.
Peterborough had a golden opportunity to double their lead from the penalty spot soon after. Following a City corner, United launched a swift counter-attack, with Niskanen missing a crucial tackle. Substitute Ricky Jade-Jones, using his blistering pace, found himself one-on-one with Whitworth. The City goalkeeper reached for the ball but brought down Jade-Jones in the process, conceding a penalty.
However, Whitworth redeemed himself by diving the right way to deny Collins from the spot, keeping City’s hopes alive.
Jade-Jones continued to cause problems for the Grecians, racing from the edge of his own area to set up Poku in the middle of the box. Poku’s shot was on target, but Whitworth made another crucial save.
At the other end, Cole attempted to level the score with a half-volley, but his effort flew well over the bar.
In the dying moments, City twice came agonizingly close to an equaliser. Pierce Sweeney fired wide after receiving the ball on the edge of the box from a cleared Ben Purrington cross. Moments later, Alli controlled a high, looping ball and slotted it into the net, but the goal was disallowed due to a foul on his marker.
Ultimately, the Grecians couldn’t find that elusive second goal, falling just short of a point at SJP.
They’ll have a chance to bounce back next Saturday when they travel to face Bolton Wanderers.
Exeter City: Whitworth, Niskanen, Sweeney, Crama, Yfeko, McMillan, Woods (Doyle), Cole, Aitchison (Francis), Alli, Magennis (Purrington)
Substitutes: MacDonald, Purrington, Fitzwater, Francis, Doyle, Diabate, Borges
Peterborough United: Steer, Curtis, Collins, Wallin, Mothersille (Jade-Jones), Odoh, Randall (Hayes), Sparkes, Kyprianou ©, Fernandez
Substitutes: Bilokapic, Conn-Clarke, Nevett, Jade-Jones, Hayes, Dornelly, O’Brien-Brady
Attendance: 6343 (506 away)
Football League Youth Alliance
Exeter City v Plymouth Argyle
Under-18s Match Report:
Exeter City 1 Plymouth Argyle 3
Exeter City under-18s first match in the Youth Alliance Cup ended in defeat as they were beaten 3-1 by Plymouth Argyle at Tiverton Town on Saturday morning.
Theo Cutler’s spot kick gave the Grecians the lead at the Ian Moorcroft Stadium just moments after the break, but the Pilgrims fought back with three unanswered goals to secure the local bragging rights
Under-18s chief Nicky Ajose made four changes to the side that were beaten 4-3 by AFC Wimbledon last weekend, with Dylan Shanahan replacing Dan Layer in goal, while Luke Hodgetts, Louis Cayless and Harry Appleton all came into the starting XI. Jacca Cavendish, who returned from his ACL injury at the start of the season, retained the armband.
It was an entertaining start to the game as both sides fielded early chances – City striking the post and Shanahan in goal diverting a Harry Shield effort round the post.
Indeed, Shanahan would have an busy afternoon as he made back-to-back saves from Fletcher Poole and Sam Lord as Argyle threatened to open the scoring. Shanahan was eventually beaten, though was saved by the offside flag as Shields’ chipped effort over the shot-stopper was chalked off midway through the half.
After a goalless first half, City came out the traps in the second and with their first attack were awarded a penalty – Cutler duly stepped up to slot home the spot kick and put the Grecians 1-0 up in the Devon Derby, firing the penalty straight down the middle.
Cutler could have doubled the lead less than five minutes later as he fired an effort just wide of the mark.
That let off for Argyle galvanised the visitors and they were level on 62 minutes when Kian Burch tapped home from close range after connecting to a precise pass.
Ten minutes later and the Greens were ahead when Shields found space in the final third, picking up a cross-field ball before driving forward from half-way and beating Shanahan with a low driven effort.
City’s were down but certainly not out and continued in their efforts to find an equaliser – but for a mass of Argyle men putting their bodies on the line with a series of blocks in the box.
Poole added a third for Argyle in stoppage time to kill the game off and secure the win for Plymouth. City were sloppy at the back and gufted the Greens possession on the edge of the area, with Poole slotting home.
City: Shanahan, Cartwright, Cavendish, Cayless, Oakes, Hodgetts, Crees, Appleton, Graham, Alsop, Cutler.
Subs: Layer, Anthony, Wilson, Bellotti.
Argyle: Holman, Mwaro, Haley, Dean, Ireland, Sullivan, Poole, Lord, Burch, Fisher, Shield.
Subs: Campbell, Hatch, Flower.
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