Exeter City 1 Hartlepool Utd 2: Match report

Exeter City could not build on an impressive cup win over Brentford on Tuesday as they fell to a 2-1 defeat at home to Hartlepool United on Saturday.

The Grecians took the lead in the first half as Liam McAlinden bagged his first goal for the club, but the home side were hit with a couple of sucker punches midway through the second half as goals Michael Woods and Billy Paynter turned the game on its head in matter of minutes.

City were without a number of first team players going into the game. Ryan Harley, who scored the winner against Brentford in the EFL Cup on Tuesday, dropped out injured and joined Lee Holmes, Troy Archibald-Henville, Troy Brown, Joel Grant and David Wheeler on the sideline.

However, it did not affect the first-half performance as the Grecians deservedly led 1-0 at the break through McAlinden’s strike.

The first half wasn’t awash with chances, but McAlinden went close to opening the scoring in the 17th minute with a deflected effort and then Jake Taylor got into a couple of good crossing positions as City had most of the attacking play.

Nathan Thomas was the Pools dangerman, but when he went on a slaloming run through the home defence his final ball to Lewis Hawkins was overhit and the ball ran harmlessly through to Bobby Olejnik.

That and a free-kick late in the half, which Thomas put into the wall, was the best the visitors created in the opening 45 minutes.

Therefore, it was a 1-0 advantage City merited at the break. The goal came in the 31st minute as Ollie Watkins picked up the ball from a throw-in and got to byline before cutting the ball back for McAlinden to roll a shot into the bottom corner.

City came close to making it 2-0 on the stroke of half-time as Craig Woodman crossed for Robbie Simpson to send a header arrowing towards the bottom corner, but Trevor Carson made a smart save.