A youthful Exeter City side were beaten 4-0 by Championship side Bristol City at the Cliff Hill Training Ground.
Manager Matt Taylor named a side brimming with Academy talent as Ben Seymour lead the line and Jordan Dyer took the captains armband.
Bristol City named a young side with some experienced heads with Premier League winner Danny Simpson starting in midfield and the pair of Tomas Kalas and Adam Nagy who had recently played at Euro 2020.
City started the match on the front foot from the off and forced a corner in the first minute after great work from Toby Nevile down the right. James Dodd’s delivery was well defended by the Robins.
Down the other end Harry Lee was forced into his first save, getting down quickly to smother a shot from Nakki Wells.
The Robins opened the scoring from the spot in the seventh minute after Bakinson was fouled in the area. Nakki Wells stepped up and powered home past Harry Lee in the Grecians goal.
Bristol City continued to do the pressing and almost had a second when Bell fired a short off the post after a deflection. James Dodd would have City’s first real chance, firing just over the bar from twenty yards on the half volley.
The Grecians created a great chance to level after twenty as James Dodd fizzed in a free-kick from wide which was diverted towards goal forcing an impressive reaction save from O’Leary in the Robbins goal. The resulting corner was headed over by Jordan Dyer.
City should have been level on the half-hour mark as Callum Rowe raced towards the touchline before sending in a low cross which was inches away from Ben Seymour’s boot
Straight away down the other end Nakki Wells raced past the city back line but a fantastic recovery tackle from Skipper Jordan Dyer prevented the Robins from doubling their lead.
After 37 minutes Nakki Wells again would get in behind and was upended by Ellis Johnson just inside the box and the ref pointed to the spot. Bakinson stepped up and sent Harry Lee the wrong way to double the lead going into the break.
The second half sparked into life after 55 minutes, as Joe Williams sent a half volley from 20-yards which was impressively tipped over the bar by Harry Lee, moments later he was forced into a similarly impressive tipped over the bar.
The Grecians would recover to force their first meaningful chance of the second half. Charlie Hanson battled bravely to win a 50/50 challenge and the ball was sent over the top by Jack Veale to Ben Seymour, who took a great touch to settle himself before shooting high and wide when one-on-one with the ‘keeper.
Bristol City extended their lead on sixty-two minutes as a corner was cleared to the edge of the box and was fired into the top corner by Adam Nagy, who had recently been playing for Hungary in the Euros against the likes of Paul Pogba and Cristiano Ronaldo.
City made their first change as Ben Seymour made way for Eli Collins after sixty-six minutes, leaving Charlie Hanson to lead the line.
Bristol City would continue to do most of the pressing in the latter stages of the match, with the Grecians holding firm, with Wells going closest for the visitors, cutting inside, and rattling the crossbar from range.
Harry Lee continued to impress in the City goal, pulling off a fine save from close range from Bell as the Robins looked for a fourth.
Bristol City would soon have a fourth from a corner as the ball was whipped in onto the head of Nakki Wells who diverted towards goal and despite Harry Lee’s efforts he was unable to stop the ball crossing the line.
The match would end with the visitors picking up a 4-0 win, but would prove to be fantastic experience for the young Grecians who will have learned a lot from their Championship opponents.
The Grecians are next in action this coming Saturday in a 3pm kick-off against League One side Shrewsbury Town at St James Park. The match will be streamed live for free on the club’s Youtube channel.
Exeter City XI: Harry Lee; Ellis Johnson, Toby Neville, Jordan Dyer, Callum Rowe, Charlie Hanson, James Dodd (Nicholson ‘78, Harry Kite, Jack Veale Zeph Collins; Ben Seymour (Collins ’66).
Subs: Charlie Hanson, Andrew Sowden, Eli Collins, Jamie Nicholson.
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