City lose final match of the season

Match Report: Exeter City 1-2 Oxford United

A second-half Millenic Alli goal was not enough to inspire Exeter to a comeback win against Oxford on the final day of the season. The visitors were looking to secure a play-off spot, and had gone ahead through Mark Harris and Cameron Brannigan, but held on to win despite City’s resurgent second-half performance.

Harris put United ahead on 12 minutes, stealing the ball from Will Aimson and curling the ball past City keeper Vils Sinisalo. Despite having nothing to play for, the hosts looked nervous and uncomfortable in possession, with multiple passes going astray. Oxford’s Josh Murphy, brother of Newcastle United’s Jacob Murphy, got the better of both Pierce Sweeney and Will Aimson on multiple occasions, with his pace proving the main problem for Exeter’s two ageing centre-backs.

Murphy’s skill, as well as his well-executed dive, won the penalty which Cameron Brannigan eventually converted for Oxford’s second. Having found himself in behind Will Aimson once again, Murphy turned in the penalty area and allowed his trailing leg to clip the top of Aimson’s outstretched one, his subsequent tumble to the floor enough to convince referee Tom Reeves to point to the spot.

Brannigan dispatched the spot kick, although only just. Sinisalo dived the right way, low to his right, but couldn’t quite make contact with the ball to make the save, which would have been the perfect way to mark his final game for the Grecians.

In slipping deeper and deeper in defence of their precious two-goal lead, which had them narrowly in the play-off spots as things stood, Oxford allowed Exeter more time on the ball. This proved costly as Millenic Alli smashed home from a corner won by lively half-time substitute Dion Rankine 10 minutes or so into the second half. Not that the goal provoked United into anything less than continuing to park the bus, and it was Exeter with the majority of the possession from then on. Some neat link-up between Alli and Reece Cole nearly led to an equaliser on a couple of occasions, the most notable of which ended with Alli smashing the angle of the post and bar.

Will Aimson nearly atoned for his pair of errors with a header from a corner which looped over the bar, but by that point, it was all the same to the away fans, who had given the loudest cheer of the afternoon for the news that Lincoln had conceded to Portsmouth, all but confirming Oxford’s place in the top six.

There were a few goodbyes for Exeter at full-time, not only Sinisalo, who will return to parent club Aston Villa, but also Devon-born academy products Alex Hartridge and Harry Kite, both key members of the Grecians 2022 promotion side.

Despite the loss, many City fans will be pleased with the end of the season, and optimistic about their chances of pushing higher up the league next season, especially if they are to keep the likes of Alli, Cole and Luke Harris at the club over the summer.