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Exeter City 1-1 Ipswich Town (4-2 on pens) - Match Report
Tuesday, 14th Aug 2018 21:57

Former Blues midfielder Lee Martin struck the decisive penalty as Town were beaten 4-2 in a shoot-out by League Two Exeter City following a 1-1 draw to crash out of the Carabao Cup at the first round stage. Kayden Jackson put the Blues ahead in the first half but another ex-Town player Troy Brown equalised in the second to leave the scores level at full-time. Teddy Bishop and Trevoh Chalobah missed their spot-kicks for the Blues before Martin won the tie for the Grecians.

Boss Paul Hurst made three changes with striker Jackson and midfielder Tayo Edun making their full Town debuts, and Freddie Sears returning to the XI.

Cole Skuse and Ellis Harrison dropped to the bench, while Gwion Edwards missed out with a minor quad problem.

Bishop, who last played on Boxing Day, and Danny Rowe were among the subs for the first time this season.

Exeter included two ex-Blues, winger Martin, who was making his full debut for the Grecians, and central defender Brown.

Town started positively and as on Saturday passed the ball around confidently. On six, after good work from Edun, Jonas Knudsen crossed deep from the left but Craig Woodman nodded away ahead of Jon Nolan.

Having struggled to get hold of the ball in the early stages, Exeter began to get on top and in the 15th minute ex-Blue Martin struck a curling effort from 25 yards which Toto Nsiala blocked, although it looked to be going wide in any case.

Town quickly regained the upper hand and on 17 a Knudsen cross was cleared out to Chalobah, whose volley wasn’t too far wide of Grecians’ keeper Christy Pym’s right post.

Chances were rare occurrences but on 26 Janoi Donacien broke into the right of the box and flicked the ball over Pym across the six-yard box but no Town player was on hand to add the final touch and Aaron Martin cleared.

Exeter should have taken the lead on the half hour when Lee Martin was sent away behind the Blues’ backline and crossed to Matt Jay at the far post but the sliding striker somehow scuffed the ball wide when it seemed easier to score.

With eight minutes of the half remaining, Town went in front. Edun skipped past a couple of Exeter players then as he reached halfway sent Jackson away down the left.

The £1.6 million signing from Accrington cut in virtually along the touchline and looked set to cut back to any one of a number of team-mates but instead smashed a shot into the net off Pym at his near post with the keeper covering the cross.


Whether Jackson was shooting or crossing was the subject of debate, however, the 24-year-old appeared to have noticed Pym straying away from his post and had tried something similar from the other flank earlier in the game.

The Blues were a more confident outfit having gone in front and might have doubled their lead just before half-time when a cross ran out to Nolan 12 yards out from where he hit a shot on the turn which was deflected wide off Jake Taylor.

Soon after, the half-time whistle went with the Blues having been in control for the most part, although with Exeter having had the game’s best chance up to Town’s goal through Jay, who really ought to have put his team in front.

As in their previous two games, Town had been more comfortable on the ball than was the case in previous seaosn and played it around slickly at times, with Edun catching the eye, however, without creating too many clear-cut opportunities.

Jordan Spence replaced Donacien ahead of the start of the second half, the right-back presumably having picked up an injury.

The home side went close to an equaliser in the 55th minute when sub Archie Collins broke into the area and hit a shot which deflected into the side-netting off Knudsen. From the corner, Aaron Martin flicked a header wide.

Exeter weren’t too far away again on 59 when Hiram Boateng sent in a dangerous low ball from the left but sub Tristan Abrahams was unable to get a touch at the near post.

Town threatened for the first time since the break in the 62nd minute when Spence sent Jackson away on the right but the goalscorer’s low ball flew behind Edun.

But two minutes later, the Grecians equalised and via one of their former Blues. Jack Sparkes’s low freekick from the right somehow made it into the six-yard box where Bartosz Bialkowski desperately stuck out a toe. However, the keeper was only able to send it straight up in the air and Brown nodded into the net from an inch or so out.

Two minutes after the goal Bishop replaced Sears, then Grecians skipper Jake Taylor was booked for a foul on Nolan.

As the game moved into its final quarter of an hour, Jackson was sent away by Spence and cut the ball back to Nolan, who shot not too far over the bar from the edge of the box. On 78 Rowe took over from Ward.

Edun then shot well over from 20 yards, prior to Blues fitness coach Nathan Winder being shown a yellow card - with coaching staff receiving cautions for the first time this season - for dissent, referee Brett Huxtable having given a freekick to Town when the Blues were still in possession and breaking forward.

Jackson was crowded out as he broke into the area on 81, then Knudsen and Nsiala were both yellow-carded, the Dane for dissent having conceded a freekick and the former Shrewsbury defender for a foul on the edge of the box. From the resultant freekick, Sparkes shot straight at Bialkowski.

Town came close to winning it in the 85th minute when Jackson laid the ball back to Edun, who hit a powerful strike which Pym did well to bat away.

The game was becoming ever more open with penalties looming and two minutes later Abrahams struck a shot across Bialkowski from an angle on the left which the keeper saved low and Chalobah cleared.

In the final minute of scheduled time, Spence appeared to aim a stamp towards Woodman after being rather unnecessarily clattered from behind on the touchline but fortunately appeared not to make contact and little was made of the incident.

Moments after the board was raised signalling four additional minutes, the Blues went close again. Nolan hit a cross-shot from the left and Woodman did well to force the ball out ahead of Bishop inside the six-yard box.

Neither side was able to find a winner in the remaining minutes of an evenly-balanced scrappier second half and the game went to a penalty shoot-out in the traditional format rather than the ABBA system used in the competition last year.

Town got off to the perfect start with Bialkowski saving Taylor’s kick down to his left, but Bishop saw his penalty saved by Pym having hit the ball too close to the Exeter keeper.

Bialkowski almost saved from Pierce Sweeney, pushing his penalty on to the inside of the post but the ball eventually found the net.

Skipper Chambers made it 1-1 with a confidently struck kick, then on-loan Norwich striker Tristan Abrahams put the Grecians back into the lead with a spot-kick into the roof of the net.

Jackson sent Pym the wrong way to make it 2-2 before Collins smashed his penalty home to make it 3-2 to the League Two side.

Chalobah blasted his spot-kick well wide to leave ex-Blue Lee Martin with the chance to put his old club out of the Carabao Cup, which he duly did, beating Bialkowski with a well-struck penalty.

Having just about shaded the first half, Town faded after the break, as they have done in all their games so far this season, and allowed Exeter back into the game with Brown’s goal which was a very poor one to concede from a Blues' perspective.

Another Town cup campaign comes to an early end with the Blues still looking for their first win of the season ahead of Aston Villa’s visit to Portman Road on Saturday and then a similarly tough-looking trip to Derby next Tuesday.

Exeter City: Pym, Sweeney, Brown, A Martin, Woodman, Boateng (Sparkes 62), Tillson, Taylor (c), L Martin, Jay (Collins 52), Stockley (Abrahams 52). Unused: Hamon, Forte, Oates, Croll.

Town: Bialkowski, Donacien (Spence 46), Nsiala, Chambers (c), Knudsen, Chalobah, Edun, Sears (Bishop 66), Nolan, Ward (Rowe 78), Jackson. Unused: Gerken, Skuse, Harrison, Kenlock. Referee: Brett Huxtable (Devon). Att: 3,675 (Town: 351).


Photo: Action Images



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Zondervanromeo added 21:08 - Aug 15
Think we need to bring in some Proper blokes
1

GiveusaWave added 21:22 - Aug 15
it's going to be a tough season ahead....as fans we need to try and stay on board. The one phrase I'd hate to hear someone say next year is "remember the glory days under MM in the Championship...?"

We do need to get behind Hurst and the team he has built....or else our next destination is league 1.

For me...we need to bring in a clinical finisher and someone who can deliver a good corner. Some of the new lads need to be trained up on positional awareness as well....

In terms of the game...though we played better first half like Hurst I thought we were much more dangerous in the second. Some of our defending first half was woeful and we were lucky to get away with it. Passing at times was solid but we were against league 2 opposition. Corners were woeful and felt we had no cutting edge up front.

Poor start to the season but it can only get bettter....right???
1

afcfee added 21:51 - Aug 15
This score doesn't change the fact Skuse is s**t .
1

Michael101 added 22:04 - Aug 15
Well we are up to are up to our knees in the brown stuff,and it's all the fault of mad Mick he's the one who go#led everything up the last five years.it will take at least six months to sort out his c%co ups
1

dirtydingusmagee added 22:05 - Aug 15
Never known Swn98 to be so happy and posting so much ,because things havnt gone well, claims to be ITFC supporter, but he is just a wannabe shoe shine boy for Mick .
2

Michael101 added 22:15 - Aug 15
Sorry Sen can t have that job skuse,chambers and Knutson are first in line
1

Brownie added 22:48 - Aug 15
Haven't posted much recently as got bored reading school playground insults from keyboard to keyboard. That doesn't seem to have changed much reading this timeline..

To me MM leaving was definitely the right decision. If he stayed we needed to change the club crest to a groundhog. We couldn't go on with the status quo. I don't hate the man but he had his time in my view.

The board needed to pick the manager and they have.I can't believe people are talking crisis after 2 league games & a cup match. The same people posting about getting new players are the same ones saying we now have too many.We all want the team to win and play well. That's why we go to games and why lots of different opinions on this site have been going for decades.

My suggestion is get behind the team and the boss. If petty insults to people you don't even know and will probably never meet is your thing then fine but don't bring that Saturday or at Derby.

I'm looking forward - but nervous - about both games but either way the team needs us behind them. COYB!
2

wayway added 00:06 - Aug 16
Three games in and the vultures are circling, I even read some dickhead is calling for Alladice, what a joke but I bet old Boring Billy McCarthy is laughing all the way to the labour exchange
3

Swn98 added 07:42 - Aug 16
Oh dirty what a silly man you are.
-2

Steve_ITFC_Sweden added 08:21 - Aug 16
Ideally, in the brave new ITFC world, games against two newly promoted sides and a League 2 reserve team shouldn't be close affairs; but in fact all three were just that. There wasn't much between the opposing teams in any of these fixtures: the odd goal against the run of play won it for Rotherham, and technically we drew against Exeter. PH wanted to get in Tilt and Windass, remember. I just wonder if these two would have tipped the balance in our favour. I like PH and really want him to succeed, so I'm certainly on board for what admittedly looks like being a bumpy journey.
2

BeattiesBackPocket added 09:36 - Aug 16
Lets please for the love of god get some perspective on this please. Yes I want to win every game, yes i like a cup run but come on people. Ill say this Middesbrough won narrowly AT HOME against opposition from the same league and Notts County were near the bottom last time i looked, Bristol City lost AT HOME against lowly opposition in Plymouth, Notts Forest have spent a fortune and needed a penalty shoot out AGAIN AT HOME against lowly Bury, the team we took to Exeter under Burley only drew 1-1 and we had a very strong play off winning team against them!

Early days I just wish the Mick lovers would stop going on about Mick hes gone now and had 5 years and signed 80 players he had his chance and was given more than enough time in my opinion should have gone after being shown up on national TV against NON LEAGUE Lincoln City and this wasnt after 3 games in for him either! But he was given time so how about the Mick lovers give Hurst some time and stop being so damn quick to HOPE an IPSWICH MANAGER FAILS!!! Also please not one of these "Fans" has said why hes not in a job yet with so many jobs that came up end of last season and all summer if he is as great as some fans on here believe??
1

Swn98 added 10:03 - Aug 16
Beattiesbackpocket
I have stated many a time mm will get a position just like he did at Ipswich when a club are in the mire and needing his unique skills just hope that club doesn't finish one point above us to send us down.

-2

BeattiesBackPocket added 11:34 - Aug 16
I dont disagree with you Swn98 he WAS the right man at that time we needed a Mick side the type that fights tooth and nail whether the football was pretty or not but then it just stayed the same uninspiring football but for a season where Murphy had a one season wonder that tripped us into the play offs. He should have gone way earlier than he did. My piont is if he is the wondrous manager we cannot live without as some make out then he should be working by now with soooo many clubs having been seeking managers but like you say he is only a manager now for getting teams out of the proverbial S**t
2

Swn98 added 13:55 - Aug 16
Half agree bbp
-1

Swn98 added 13:57 - Aug 16
Nice that 2 people of opposite views can post a thread have a decent discussion and agree on some things it's a shame that other posters on here can't.
0

Swn98 added 21:37 - Aug 16
What a silly Feline you are cat
0

Swn98 added 21:37 - Aug 16
What a silly Feline you are cat
0


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