Match Report: Exeter City 2 Tottenham Hotspur U21 0
Exeter City secured qualification the Bristol Street Motors Trophy knock-out stages with a 2-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur Under-21 at St James Park.
Millenic Alli opened the scoring in the second half before Jake Richards stunned the crowd with an outstanding free-kick in stoppage time in a game where First Team Coach David Perkins became City’s oldest ever player at the age of 42.
With six points from two matches in the competition and Bristol Rovers yet to face Swindon Town, that meant the Grecians have secured at least second place in Group G.
Gary Caldwell made ten changes from Saturday’s 2-0 win over Stevenage at St James Park, with new signing Mustapha Carayol handed his full debut in red and white, while Jake Richards also named in the starting line-up for the first time this season. Meanwhile, five current members of the under-18s squad found themselves a place on the bench – George Birch, Theo Cutler, Liam Oakes, Louie Cayless and Kieran Wilson with spots alongside Harry Lee and coach David Perkins.
In a game where the Grecians knew they could qualify, they started confidently against the young Spurs side. Alli was the first to register a shot, beating the offside line from a weighted pass down the left before dropping the shoulder and firing just over on the angle.
Carayol then controlled a lofted ball to the left from Caleb Watts, his delivery falling to Pedro Borges ten yards out who saw his effort blocked on the line. Ed Francis, fresh from his third goal in three matches, then played a gorgeous ball down the line which Carayol did well to direct into the path of the Portuguese midfielder, who saw his long range strike deflected.
It was not all one way traffic however though, with the North Londoners speedy on the counter – Jaden Williams flashing a ferocious effort just wide of MacDonald’s goal after City failed to clear in their own area. Leo Black’s free-kick was then flicked on acrobatically by captain Dante Cassanova, ensuring MacDonald was alert to get down and gather.
In the first half, City’s biggest opponent was the offside flag, several promising attacks thwarted by the assistant referee to the displeasure of Borges and Cox – Spurs’ high defensive line achieving its goal.
When they did beat the trap, it was a golden chance for Alli. Cox raced onto the ball and spotted Francis in space on the edge of the box, who fed the ball to Alli through the tightest of gaps. The City forward stung the palms of Spurs stopper Luca Gunter, who pushed the ball behind.
Ed James then nodded a superb cross from Francis wide after a recycled corner as the Grecians continued to pepper the visitors goal before the half-time break.
The Grecians returned for the second 45 with a change as Oakes replaced Carayol as the 17-year-old gained more valuable first team experience.
After Ben Purrington forced Gunter to hold a near-post header just seconds after the restart, Alli then should have really scored as the ball fell kindly in the area following Borges’ delivery. The striker aimed for the top corner, but put too much on it and fired over.
Fear not, such is the perseverance of Alli it would not be long before he got his name on the scoresheet. Francis floated a corner to Borges who saw his header into a mass of bodies turned in by Alli at the far post – certainly not Alli’s best goal in red and white, but they all count – justifying his trademark acrobatic celebration in front of the Big Bank.
Minutes later Alli then mopped up a loose ball in the final third before feeding Cox who dropped the shoulder and aimed low for the far corner, Gunter gathering the pacy effort.
Midway through the second half Caldwell wrang the changes as he introduced Cayless, Cutler and Perkins to the mix. While Cayless made history in City’s first group game against Swindon as City’s second-youngest ever player, it was first team coach Perkins who would go into the history books this time around as he became the club’s oldest ever player at a spritely age of 42.
While Perks’ introduction was seen as a novelty by some of the SJP crowd, his role was important as he provided importance guidance to the younger members of the squad. Let’s hope they weren’t taking notes when he went in for a crunching tackle on Damola Ajayi – both parties thankfully coming out unscathed.
Cutler, who scored a late winner a fortnight ago in the Premier League Cup and has been prolific for the under-18s was close a second goal in front of the Big Bank when he raced onto Borges’ perfectly weighted outside of the boot pass. He beat the last man but got his feet tangled, before eventually firing an effort narrowly into the side-netting.
Throughout the game Spurs were forced to pick their moments and one of those came as Cayless was dispossessed by Ajayi who drove forward and forced a corner, with the resultant set-piece striking the bar from a header.
With the average age of the City XI on the field now almost mirroring that of their North London opponents, Spurs were gaining more possession as the fourth official’s board displayed six minutes.
Hearts were in mouths when Fitzwater, who was captaining the side, missed a crucial tackle on Yusuf Akhamrich on the edge of the box, but MacDonald was alert to come out and claim.
From MacDonald’s distribution City burst forward, Borges stinging the fingertips of Gunter before the ball was hooked away. City then won a free-kick 25-yards out and step up Richards to send the jaws of the crowd towards the floor with a breathtaking technique.
With a finish that Cristiano Ronaldo would be proud of, the 17-year stepped up and unleashed a rocket of a finish into the top corner for his first professional goal to round of a successful evening for the Grecians.
City are next in action on Saturday with a trip to Wigan Athletic for a 3pm kick-off.
EXETER CITY XI: MacDonald, Watts (Cayless), Fitzwater ©, James, Purrington, Carayol (Oakes), J.Richards, Francis (Perkins), Borges, Cox (Wilson), Alli (Cutler).
Subs: Lee, Birch.
Goals: Alli 56’, J.Richards 90+4.
Yellow cards: J.Richards
SPURS U21 XI: Gunter, Dorrington (McKnight), Robson (Linton), Cassanova ©, Williams, Ajayi, OIusesi (Andiyapan), Black, Akhamrich, Irow, (Hall), King (Kyerematen).
Subs: Maguire, Baptiste.
Referee: Craig Hicks
Attendance: 2,890 (541 away)