Exeter City 3 Shrewsbury 2: Match report
Exeter City pulled off a memorable comeback as they overturned Shrewsbury Town’s 2-0 first-half lead – Tom Nichols’ dramatic winner came in second-half injury time to secure a 3-2 victory.
The Shrews looked good for their second place in Sky Bet League 2 in the first half, with striker James Collins getting his ninth and tenth goals of the campaign.
The second half was a totally different story though – City pulled one back within seconds of the restart, with Nichols fed by Matt Grimes before putting the ball behind Town keeper Jayson Leutwiler. Substitute David Wheeler headed the equaliser, before Nichols’ second won the points for the Grecians at the death.
The Grecians, without captain Scot Bennett, who was replaced in the XI by Jimmy Keohane after he injured his ankle against Newport County AFC last Sunday, handed a first league start to 19-year-old goalkeeper James Hamon for the visit of the Shrews. Ryan Harley, who returned to the club this week, was not involved for this one, while Arron Davies was on the bench after a late fitness test.
Visiting manager Micky Mellon made just the singular change to his side’s last outing, the FA Cup first round replay with Walsall which the Shrews won 1-0 thanks to Liam Lawrence’s 53rd-minute goal. That swap saw Scotland Under-21 international Jack Grimmer come in for Bobby Grant, the striker on loan at Shrewsbury from Blackpool. Fellow loanee Grimmer had missed out in midweek at parent club Fulham’s request.
French striker Jean-Louis Akpa Akpro put Liam Lawrence’s corner over the bar in the first meaningful effort on ten minutes, before debutant James Hamon made a collection seconds before the former Rochdale, Bury and Tranmere player could get is head to a Jack Grimmer cross. But the goalkeeper’s resolve was ended in the 13th minute, when James Collins’ shot flew past him into the net.
Craig Woodman’s dispossession of Grimmer almost set in motion a quick route back into the game for the Grecians, but referee Christopher Sarginson ruled that there was a foul in the build-up before Graham Cummins could head the final effort into the hands of visiting goalkeeper Jayson Leutwiler.
Goalscorer Collins almost got a second in spectacular fashion when, on his weak left foot, he unleashed a great strike that whistled perilously close to Hamon’s left post. Grimes attempted the unexpected when he lashed against the Swiss goalkeeper’s near-side-netting. Jimmy Keohane had the Grecians’ best chance yet when his diving header went wide from Liam Sercombe’s inch-perfect cross.
Liam Lawrence was booked for a dangerous-looking challenge on Tom Nichols just before the half-hour, as the chances kept getting better for the Grecians. Nathaniel Knight-Percival made an unbelievable last-ditch challenge to deny Liam Sercombe the chance to pull the trigger. The ball then arrived with Cummins, who with the goal at his mercy scuffed into the grateful arms of the goalkeeper. Akpa Akpro shot wide at the other end moments later.
Then, it was a feeling of dejection for City, as despite Hamon’s tremendous point-blank save from James Wesolowski, Collins was on hand to give the goalkeeper no chance, grabbing his second and doubling the visitor’s advantage. Hamon made a near-identical save from the Australian Wesolowski five minutes later, but luckily for the Grecians, no Shrews players were available to knock in the rebound this time around.
Leutwiler made a comfortable save from a well-hit Matt Grimes free-kick before the Shrews broke. At the culmination of the move, Hamon pulled off a heroic stop to stop Collins from getting his hat-trick, the frontman having broken free of the offside trap. With Shrewsbury piling on the pressure, Akpa Akpro shot against the side-netting once more.
With two minutes of added time signalled, David Noble set through Liam Sercombe to roll one wide. That was the final action of a first half in which Shrewsbury had looked worthy of their second-placed standing.
Half-time: Exeter City 0 Shrewsbury Town 2
Read the rest of the match report here.
