City suffer first defeat of Merit League One campaign
Exeter City under-18s lost 3-0 to Luton Town last weekend resulting in a variety of outcomes for the Grecians’ academy.
City’s under-18s faced their counterparts in Merit League One, and were hoping to extend their unbeaten start to their Merit League campaign.
Starting the game on top, Exeter played well enough to create numerous goalscoring chances, however they were unable to break through in the early moments.
With the windy conditions helping, the hosts went close to breaking the deadlock when they hit the crossbar, however, the team was unable to fire on all cylinders and take a deserved lead into half-time.
The Hatters demonstrated more attacking intent after the interval, and with the switch of ends, the away team started to use the wind to their advantage.
Luton went 1-0 up with a far post header from a free-kick before the lead wad doubled moments after.
A rampant 20-minute spell saw the visitors score once more after some neat build-up play, with Exeter unable to find anything in reply to help stop the momentum Luton enjoyed.
The game finished 3-0, inflicting defeat on Dan Green and his men for the first time during this Merit League season.
Exeter City academy manager, Simon Hayward, admitted that there may have been a few lessons to learn from, and was hopeful of a response next time out.
“This was probably one of the more disappointing games we have played all season," he said. "We were 10-20 per cent off our game and we have gifted Luton a few goals. It’s a bit of a wake-up call and a reminder that if we aren’t going to be at our best, then we could be punished.”