Report: Clevedon Town 0 Exeter City 2

Exeter City won their first away game of pre-season against Clevedon Town at the Hand Stadium by a 2-0 scoreline.

It took two goals in as many minutes to settle matters, with Jimmy Keohane and Jake Gosling getting their names on the scoresheet.

Sam Parkin made his first start in City colours, having had to miss the first pre-season game against QPR.  Trialist David Wheeler was also amongst the starters.

A bright City start saw the Grecians create the first real opening as Jake Gosling and Wheeler linked up well on the right flank, but a good block led to a corner which was eventually dealt with.

At the other end of the field, Reeko Best opened his legs and forced young goalkeeper Christy Pym into a smart tip over the bar as Clevedon mounted their first attack.

Sam Parkin might have had an opportunity to notch his first Exeter City goal when he was fed to feet in the box.  He shifted and shimmied to work the space, but ultimately the powerful effort was blocked at close-range to deny an opener.

However two goals within as many minutes put City into a comfortable lead, just before the midpoint of the first half.

Firstly Keohane was left with the goal at his mercy, as stopper Danny Greaves could only turn into his path after denying Parkin from Wheeler’s cross.

Then Gosling quickly doubled as his deflected effort looped over Greaves – he began the move by latching onto a loose ball in the centre circle and drive goalwards, played a one-two with Keohane and found the net.

Wheeler was unlucky to add a third twice in quick succession – the first after being slipped in by Keohane was sent across goal and wide (though the offside flag was up), and the second missing at the near post when a raking ball by Jordan Moore-Taylor sent him clear.

Myles Anderson was the latest player to see a chance go begging when a whipped corner from the left was met by the centre-half at full stretch at the back stick, but Greaves reacted well to deny another City goal.

The Seasiders hadn’t been allowed to mount much in the way of attack in the first period, meaning that Best was reduced to shooting waywardly from 40 yards just before the opening period was brought to a close.

Elliott Chamberlain, on as a sub at the interval, was nearly sent clear right after the restart as a beautiful first-time ball by Gosling from a hanging ball sent him away, but the offside flag went up as he had the target in his crosshairs.

Amid plenty of second-half subs, the game lost any semblance of fluidity as the players worked hard but struggled to forge opportunities to add to the tally.

Jamie Reid, on just after the hour-mark, was optimistic in an effort on goal but was unable to test James Dunn in the Clevedon net, as his shot sailed over.

Reid was on the right of a three-man attack – with Tom Nichols on the other flank and Chamberlain leading the line – and more optimistic play nearly opened things up.  Receiving a pass from Arron Davies, Reid used Chamberlain’s decoy run to find space to shift onto his left, but his low shot drifted wide of Dunn’s near post.

The last two opportunities of the game both came to Chamberlain, and were supplied by Nichols.

Another hanging ball by Moore-Taylor had allowed Nichols to escape down the left and fizz in a low cross which just evaded Chamberlain, and moments later Nichols again had slipped in his strike-partner with a through ball but his first-time effort on his left was wayward.

Clevedon Town: Greaves; Gazzard, Barnes, Teale, Robbins; Swift, Mountford, Thorne, Brimson; Pearse, Best.

Subs: Dunn, Murray, Mortimer, Kingdon, Gromek, Lester, Mills.

Exeter City: Pym (Krysiak 71); Tillson (Dawson 62), Anderson, Moore-Taylor, Wannell (Woodman 46); Grimes (Davies 69), Keohane (Sercombe 71), Jagger Cane (Bennett 71); Wheeler (Nichols 71), Gosling (Reid 62), Parkin (Chamberlain 46).

Subs (not used): Krysiak, Bennett, Sercombe, Nichols.

Goals: Keohane (19), Gosling (20).

Referee: R. Corp