Exeter City come from behind to earn a much needed point
Report: Exeter City 2 Dag & Red 2
A goal deep, deep into stoppage time by Eliot Richards earned Exeter City a 2-2 draw at home against Dagenham & Redbridge.
The Grecians had gone ahead in the first half through Tom Nichols, but a fine strike by Luke Norris got the visitors on terms in the second period.
Dagenham went ahead through what appeared to be a soft penalty, as Medy Elito slotted in after Brian Saah was judged to have been fouled, by Richards rescued a point with virtually the last kick of the game.
After impressing in midweek for the under-21 side, David Wheeler came straight back into the starting XI for Exeter City to face Dagenham & Redbridge, although Jimmy Keohane was not in the matchday squad at all. Sam Parkin returned to the forward line, where he partners Tom Nichols in attack.
Last season’s Grecians loanee Lawson D’Ath started in midfield in Dagenham colours, while Daggers dangermen Zavon Hines and Rhys Murphy both missed out through injury. 18-year-old James Hamon takes a seat on the bench as the reserve goalkeeper for Exeter, with Artur Krysiak retaining his starting berth between the sticks.
And within a minute City had already registered their first chance – Nichols showed great running to get to the left-hand corner flag and backheel for strike-partner Parkin – the former Luton and Swindon man picked out Liam Sercombe at the far post, but he volleyed over.
Exeter were showing plenty of positive signs and again Sercombe found space after working well with Wheeler down the right, and his left-footed strike deflected into the arms of the grateful Chris Lewington from outside the area.
Dagenham had looked uneasy with City’s threat in the opening quarter of an hour, but suddenly showed a bit of creative spark. D’Ath teed up Luke Norris out wide on the left and the striker bent a shot goalwards with his right from outside the box – and it just clipped the far post on its way behind.
Soon after captain Abu Ogogo went within a few feet of opening the scoring – Femi Ilesanmi threaded a great ball down the left channel for Adebayo Azeez, who laid back for the skipper, but his effort was fractionally wide of the upright.
The game had gone into a rather scrappy lull, despite conditions being about as favourable as they had been for some months at the Park.
But the Grecians got a goal that their first-half pressure had merited just after the half-hour mark. Parkin escaped down the left channel and set up Craig Woodman to swing in a deep cross – Wheeler rose highest to nod back for Grimes, and the teenager’s shot was diverted into the net by Nichols with a neat backheel inside the six-yard box.
The visitors began to look rather short of ideas again and it was City that could have grabbed the second on the stroke of half-time, but Woodman’s superb corner was just taken off the head of Scot Bennett.
Half-time: Exeter City 1 Dagenham & Redbridge 0
For the full report go to http://www.exetercityfc.co.uk/fixtures-results/match-report/?matchid=363...
