Dissatisfying draw for City against Forest Green

A frantic second half salvages point

A disappointing result in City's first home game of the new year, in which a win was expected due to Forest Green's dismal form. The reigning League Two champions are currently rock-bottom of League One, while Exeter's experiences in their new league have been very different. Top half and keeping half an eye on the play off places, it is a situation that arguably not many fans expected come January. 

Exeter went into this game with a loss of personnel from their last match - long-time captain Matt Jay and crucial midfielder Timothee Dieng both departed to lower league teams. Two important midfielders gone, but one gained. The signing of Joe White on loan from Newcastle is an exciting development, and he looked good when he came on around the 60th minute. But the trio of Archie Collins, Jack Sparkes and Harry Kite seemed capable enough too, as they have all season. 

Exeter's goal came at the end of a unique run of play - and it was an absolute screamer. City fans were infuriated as a foul on debutant White wasn't given, then a kick on Jake Caprice was ignored too.

The ball came to Sam Nombe, who took it round one and shot into a Rovers' defender on the floor who seemed to handle it - but again not given. Screams from the Big Bank didn't affect the referee's judgement, but it didn't matter. Jevani Brown, with essentially his first touch of the game after being subbed on, perfectly bent his strike into the corner, leading to rapturous celebrations from home fans.

An equally bizarre pattern of events came just minutes later, although this time with no ending fanfare. A Harry Kite long shot struck the post, and Nombe on the follow-up could only divert the ball onto the crossbar of an open net. A scrap in the box followed, with a goal line clearance and multiple blocks keeping the Grecians at bay. White was then involved again, dribbling past two before a block came in and out for a corner, which was taken short and drilled in, being poked just wide. Absolutely gutting for the City fans in full voice.

The first half was uneventful really - Forest Green had the best chance from a corner headered wide but the majority of the possession and breaks into opposition ground came from the red and white. The crowing move of the opening 45 was started with a Kite tackle and lofted ball over to Sparkes, who brought the ball down and forward expertly with an exquisite touch. A ball through to Josh Key set him through on the left to play it into Nombe, whose shot is just blocked and out for a corner. Promising signs, but nothing solid yet to cheer about. 

The Rovers came out fall guns blazing after half-time - manager Ian Burchnall's team talk definitely worked. Their press was much higher, their players were a lot more alert and their movement on and off the ball had improved significantly. Three minutes in, a Jamie Robson thunderbolt sailed just over the bar and five minutes after that first blood was drawn. Robson on the left-hand side took it past City captain Pierce Sweeney, before laying it off to Kyle McAllister, who calmly played it across the box for Jordon Garrick to tap home on his debut. A deserved goal due to their second half dominance.

City responded well with two decent crosses into box - one that ended up dipping over the crossbar, close enough that Russ Doohan in net dived for it and collided with the woodwork. The other swung in by Jake Caprice and headered wide, before the aforementioned Jevani Brown wonderstrike.

The Grecians dominated for the last 15, ever pushing for the winning goal that would see them move deep into the top 10. A chance for Stansfield was the closest they came though, and the game ended 1-1. Neither team will be particularly happy, with Forest Green still in 24th, and City up to 10th, although very susceptible to games in hand for nearly every team around them.
 

EXETER CITY STARTING 11 -

Blackman, Caprice, Sparkes, Hartridge, Collins, Stansfield, Nombe, Key, Kite, Sweeney (C), Diabate

EXETER CITY SUBSTITUTIONS -

Lee, Stubbs, Harper, White, Chauke, Brown (⚽), Grounds

FOREST GREEN STARTING 11 -

Doohan, McGeouch, Casey, Stevenson (C), Garrick (⚽), Robson (A), McAllister, Godwin-Malife, Cooper, Peart-Harris, March

FOREST GREEN SUBSTITUTIONS -

Thomas, O'Keeffe, Bernard, Cargill, Hendry, Stevens, Bakayoko