City suffer stopage time heartbreak
Report: Bristol Rovers 2 Exeter City 1
Exeter City fell to a stoppage-time winner at the hands of Bristol Rovers, as the Pirates triumphed 2-1 at the Memorial Stadium.
The Grecians took a lead midway through the first period when Lee Brown mistakenly looped the ball into his own net, but barely a minute had passed when Rovers were back level as O’Toole made no mistake from the spot.
Despite chances at either end after the break, the game appeared to be tailing out all-square as neither side could burst the net again.
But O’Toole was alive deep into stoppage time to volley in a winner, sending City back down the M5 without a point to show for an industrious performance against their neighbours.
Former Pirates man Danny Coles was back into the starting XI, having missed out in recent weeks after knee surgery. He was given the captain’s armband once again, and lined up in defence alongside centre-half partner Pat Baldwin – also formerly on Rovers’ books.
That meant for a space in midfield for Scot Bennett – Matt Gill, recently brought in permanently from Rovers, wasn’t quite fit enough to begin after a hamstring complaint against Torquay. It was also another City start up front for Tom Nichols with David Wheeler and Alan Gow flanking the forward.
It was the home side that began the more assured on the ball on a stodgy surface. And the Grecians had a huge let-off within the opening minutes as Ellis Harrison escaped down the right flank, drove goalwards, and laid on a perfect cross for Eliot Richards. Somehow, however, the midfielder conspired to turn the ball wide of the post from practically under the crossbar, with the goal at his mercy.
The Grecians did manage to get some moves flowing and made progress upfield. Nichols had a chance to open with a free-kick from just outside the apex of the box on the left, but his effort just cleared the goal.
And Exeter did in fact take the lead on the 20-minute mark in rather bizarre circumstances. A quick counter down the left, instigated by Wheeler, saw Exeter escape into the box. And after interplay between Gow and Nichols, the latter looked to slot in in Wheeler – but instead the ball looped off left-back Brown and found the net.
But a minute later Rovers were back on terms from 12 yards. Richards used a turn of pace to draw a foul in the area, and O’Toole hammered into the bottom corner to restore parity.
Gow was beginning to show his magic with the ball at his feet as the half progressed, and was unlucky to get crowded out at the last after wriggling clear from the half-way line. Another effort from the Scotsman, after link-up play with Nichols, saw a shot nicked just wide of the target after clipping a defender’s boot.
Richards again had another chance to find the net for Rovers as the first half wound to a close as Liam Sercombe’s headed clearance could only find the opposition midfielder – but he hammered his volley just wide.
Half-time: Bristol Rovers 1 Exeter City 1
for the complete report visit www.exetercityfc.co.uk
