City progress to next round of U21 Cup
Exeter City Under-21s have won a trip to Selhurst Park to face Crystal Palace in the next round of the Under-21 Premier League Cup, after a dominant display against their counterparts from Torquay United.
Striker Tom Nichols proved his class by scoring two goals on a night where Exeter City were simply too good for Torquay United.
It took just 12 minutes for Exeter to put the ball in Torquay’s net with a Matt Jay deflection from a Matt Grimes shot. But the offside flag of the referee’s assistant quickly silenced the cheers.
Tom Nichols scored the first goal on the 26th minute mark. Just five minutes earlier Nichols had collided with the advertising boards after a challenge from Mickey Parcell and looked to be in serious trouble – but the striker bounced back and scored with a left footed shot low to the right of Torquay’s keeper Thompson.
Nichols then grabbed his second with a low effort just over ten minutes later, as Exeter were starting to firmly take hold of the game.
Moments later Torquay winger Elliot Benyon had a great chance to pull a goal back after creating space for a shot on the edge of the box, but hit his effort wide of the post.
Matt Grimes nearly made it three just before half time with a spectacular shot from distance with the outside of his left foot which struck Torquay’s bar.
Half-time: Exeter City U21 2 Torquay United U21 0
Exeter City started the second half as they finished the first, with increasing pressure on the Torquay defense. Therefore it didn’t take the Grecians long to score their third, as a loose ball after a Jimmy Keohane corner fell to Jordan Tillson, who put the ball straight into the top right hand corner.
Ollie Watkins scored Exeter’s fourth after 58 minutes with a great first time shot from 30 yards, after a poor clearance to his feet from the Torquay keeper Thompson.
Benyon pulled one back for Torquay 10 minutes later, which proved to be just a consolation goal in a game which Exeter had dominated.
Exeter had chances to net a fifth time, both Keohane and Nichols put close range shots straight into Torquay keeper Thompson’s hands late into the game.
Full-time Exeter City U21 4 Torquay United U21 1
Exeter City: Hamon; Dawson, Moore-Taylor, Tillson, Wannell; Keohane, Grimes (Riley-Lowe 72), Byrne (Pope 62); Jay (Gill 72), Nichols, Watkins.
Unused subs: Mitchison; Heidari.
Torquay United: Thompson; Parcell, Alexandrou (Chaney 87), Odofin, Campbell (Mare 28), Cameron, Yeoman, Craig, Benyon, Sullivan, Hutchings.
Unused subs: McGallon, Coleman, Lavercombe.
Referee: Marc Whaley