Plenty of action but no goals

Match report: Exeter City 0 Stevenage 0

Neither Exeter City nor Stevenage were able to make a breakthrough in an hour and a half of play at St James Park, as the meeting ended 0-0.

Chances came and went at either end – and City substitute David Wheeler even hit the bar with a towering header midway through the second period for the hosts.

But ultimately the game ended without either goalkeeper needing to make a visit to the back of the net on Tuesday evening.

City manager Paul Tisdale named an unchanged starting XI for the Grecians’ fixture after the weekend win against AFC Wimbledon, meaning that Connor Riley-Lowe retained his starting berth.

New loan signing Lee Holmes started on bench while veteran loan signing Kevin Lisbie came straight in to start for Stevenage, having arrived earlier in the day.

Tom Nichols was slipped in early down the left but was flagged just offside, before the Boro started turning on the intensity. A dangerous ball in from the right by Tom Pett was met by Lisbie – his effort was cleared into the path of Charlie Lee, whose scuffed effort needed turning around the post by Clinton Morrison.

Exeter soon settled and a neat ball down the channel by right-back Arron Davies found Alex Nicholls on the run and it needed an important block from Bira Dembele to put the ball out. Nichols then nearly got in down the left before a saving tackle came in from Dean Wells.

Nicholls had a decent opportunity to open the scoring as he was first to Liam Sercombe’s corner, but he diverted the ball wide. Nichols then received a long diagonal from captain Matt Oakley but got under his effort on the half-volley.

Riley-Lowe had to put in an important block to deny Tom Pett’s shot after Dean Parrett had skipped through midfield and laid him in down the inside right, and then defender Wells brought James Hamon into action as he headed a corner goalwards from a tight angle, only to see it saved comfortably.

However Hamon was forced into a more spectacular denial when a clearance from Ryan Harley only found Keith Keane, and the Irishman’s lashed effort needed a fingertip save to turn it around the post.

Journeyman Lisbie had the sort of opportunity which he had gobbled throughout his career as he met Pett’s right-wing cross at the far post, but he made poor contact and City cleared.

Half-time: Exeter City 0 Stevenage 0