Taken from Devon Live:
Bath City 3 Exeter City 4 - late Matt Jay goal secures Grecians win in pre-season friendly
Goals from James Dodd, two for Sam Nombe, and one for Matt Jay gave City the win in an entertaining friendly
Matt Jay struck late on to secure another pre-season victory for Exeter City in an entertaining 4-3 win at Bath City.
First half goals from James Dodd – a first in Grecians colours – before Nombe’s first of the night had put them on course for a comfortable win, but just before the break, Cody Cooke’s deflected strike pulled one back for the Romans.
Bath had chances to level, but Nombe, making it four goals in two games this week, put City 3-1 up just before the hour with a calmly taken finish after a defensive mistake.
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Tom Smith made it 3-2 when the midfielder scored late on for the hosts, and then moments later completed the comeback, sliding past Scott Brown when one-on-one with the keeper.
But on 83 minutes, Jay, off the bench, used his class to work an opening that never looked on to drill home a late winner and ensure they came away from Twerton Park with the victory as they build towards the start of the League Two season on August 7.
Manager Matt Taylor named another mix-and-match side as the pre-season campaign continued, making nine changes from the side that started Tuesday’s 5-0 win at Taunton Town.
Scott Brown was in goal, with Jordan Dyer, George Ray and Alex Hartridge were the back three, with Josh Key and Jack Sparkes as wing-backs, Dodd, Archie Collins and Harry Kite in the midfield, and Joel Randall and Nombe up front.
And it took just four minutes before City should have taken the lead, but Hartridge, having been left unmarked from a corner, volleyed narrowly over the bar.
One minute later, they came even closer. Sparkes found space down the left wing, fired in a pinpoint cross to Nombe, but his effort bounced back off the post, with the ex-MK Dons man failing to convert the rebound.
But on 17 minutes, the goal came. Nombe picked up the ball in the six yard box after a superb pass by Key, and the striker laid it off for academy product Dodd, and the 20-year-old drilled the effort into the bottom corner.
On 30 minutes, the Grecians made it two, and Nombe got the goal his performance deserved. Randall used his pace to good effect, bursting free down the right-hand side, who then found the 22-year-old in the box, who swivelled, and powered an effort past the Bath goalkeeper.
Just before the break though, Bath got one back, when Cooke latched onto a cross from Alex Fletcher, and the ex-Weymouth man’s shot a deflection and beat Brown in the Grecians goal.
Within sixty seconds though, City extended their lead, and it was that man Nombe again. A poor pass was intercepted by Key, who then found Collins, who squared the ball nicely to the striker who placed his effort into the bottom corner of the net.
On the hour mark, Taylor made ten changes, with a whole new outfield unit. Ellis Johnson, Pierce Sweeney and Cheick Diabate were the new back three, with Jake Caprice and Zeph Collins as the wing-backs, Jack Veale, Eli Collins and Jay in the midfield, and Jevani Brown and Ben Seymour upfront.
City were in control, but suddenly found themselves with a nervous last 15 minutes when the National League South side scored against the run of play, with Smith tapping home a dangerous cross at the far post.
And the on-loan Dagenham and Redbridge man grabbed a second in the 80th minute with a lovely composed finish and finding himself one-on-one with Brown, making it 3-3 as the game entered the final ten minutes.
But skipper Jay, with an outstanding finish, gave the Grecians a late winner. Having picked up the ball inside the area, he found space to shimmy around the defence and fire a low effort into the back of the net.
City are next in action on Tuesday night when they travel to Weymouth.
Exeter City first 60 minutes
Scott Brown, Jordan Dyer, George Ray, Alex Hartridge, Josh Key, James Dodd, Harry Kite, Archie Collins, Sam Nombe, Joel Randall
Exeter City last 30 minutes
Scott Brown, Ellis Johnson, Pierce Sweeney, Cheick Diabate, Jake Caprice, Eli Collins, Matt Jay, Jack Veale, Zeph Collins, Jevani Brown, Ben Seymour.
