Exeter City won their fourth pre-season game as Jamie Reid and Liam McAlinden found the back of the net at Truro City.
McAlinden’s goal, his first for the Grecians, came in the 88th minute and settled a contest in which City had created the better opportunities.
Manager Paul Tisdale named a young side for the match, with five of the starting XI not having made a competitive first team appearance for the Grecians.
Matt Jay and Reid, who have spent loan spells at Truro City started up front. There was a familiar name in the Truro line-up as well with 32-year-old Les Afful, who made 78 appearances for Exeter between 2001 and 2006, starting.
City began the match brightly with Connor Riley-Lowe firing over from close-range and Reid hitting the underside of the crossbar in the opening 10 minutes.
However, after that the chances dried up for 20 minutes. City were still enjoying the majority of possession, but couldn’t find that killer final ball as Jay went closest with a long range effort that landed on the roof of the Truro goal.
At the other end Jack Crago was the main thorn in City’s defence. The lively-right-sided midfielder tested James Hamon with a back post header and then had an effort from the edge of the box that City’s young keeper did well to hold.
However, it was in the closing stages of the half that City were dealt a blow as Nick Grimes was injured in a tackle with Truro’s River Allen and had to be replaced by Max Smallcome. A minute later and it got worse for City as a through ball found Crago and he rolled a shot into the bottom right corner to give the home side the lead in the third minute of stoppage time.
City showed character though and responded immediately. Reid's composure allowed him to bypass two sliding challenges as he made his way into the box and then he calmly placed a shot past Tom McHale to level the scores.
The Grecians made one change at the break with Christy Pym replacing James Hamon in goal. However, they were forced into another change nine minutes into the half as Toby Down went off injured to be replaced by Liam McAlinden.
Fellow substitute Max Smallcombe had the first effort on target for City in the second half as he vollied Jordan Storey’s right-wing cross towards goal, but McHale comfortably held the shot.
Jay and Reid then combined well to set up McAlinden with his first sight of goal, but his shot was blocked by Shane White.
McAlinden then turned provider in the 71st minute as he pulled a ball back for Reid who curled a shot high and wide. Wheeler, on for Jay, then had two shots in quick succession saved by McHale before Reid’s near post header forced the Truro keeper into another save.
McHale then produced another good stop in the 78th minute to deny Alex Byrne a goal.
City got the goal their second half deserved though as McAlinden latched onto a ball, raced into the box and side-footed a shot across McHale and into the corner of the net.
Exeter City: Hamon (Pym, 45); Sweeney, Storey, Grimes, Down (McAlinden, 54); Egan, Tillson, Byrne, Riley-Lowe; Jay (Wheeler, 70), Reid. Subs not used: Smallcombe, Taylor, Wheeler, Oakley
Truro City: McHale (Adelsbury, 73); White, Pugh (Kelly, 73), Bentley, Richards (Greening, 73); Knowles, Afful (Hardcastle, 73), Allen (Williams, 45), Crago (Rush, 68); Thompson, Fallon (Brett, 64).
Attendance: 273.