Exeter City’s young players are showing their versatility out on loan this season with positive results.
At the weekend Josh Key played a full 90 minutes for Tiverton Town as they continued their winning start to the Southern League Premier Division season with a 5-1 win over Walton Casuals.
Josh played in a wing-back role and showed good diligence in his defensive work, as well as an end product to his attacking play, to help the Yellows to a convincing victory.
Josh is on loan at Ladysmead with fellow City teammate Joel Randall. However, Joel has picked up an ankle injury and was not involved in Saturday’s match and is likely to be out for another couple of weeks.
Alex Hartridge and Max Smallcombe are both on loan at National South side Truro City. The White Tigers have had a turbulent start to the new season, with manager Lee Hodges and his assistant Chris Todd resigning after just two games. However, on Saturday, Truro showed their battling qualities under interim manager Ben Harding to salvage a late draw against Welling United with a stoppage-time equaliser.
Alex played the full 90 minutes in that match, impressing at left back. He is a centre-back normally but has already shown his adaptability to play in a full-back role as well as central midfield.
Ben Seymour, who has also shown his versatility by playing left and right midfield in recent weeks, was given his chance to impress in his preferred position as a central striker on Saturday as he helped National League South side Gloucester City to a win over East Thurrock.
Ben scored the only goal of the match as he timed his run well to latch onto Joe Hanks' pass and then fired past the visiting keeper.
However, it is perhaps Ben’s hard work in the games before that, when he has been deployed out wide, that have impressed the most and earned him the opportunity to start in his preferred position up front.
Harry Kite, on loan at Southern Premier League side Dorchester, impressed in his first match back from a concussion injury picked up in pre-season when the Magpies beat Wimborne Town 4-2 away on Tuesday, August 14. However, on Saturday, Dorchester fell to a 3-0 defeat away at Salisbury.
City coach Dan Green said it will be a week Harry has to learn from.
“Harry did really well on Tuesday in what was a convincing win, but it will be a lesson for him that he has to be ready for the next opponent," he said.
“Every team brings a different challenge and it is all about being able to adapt so you can be effective in any game against any opponent. We are pleased with how he did on Tuesday, but he needed to do better on Saturday. That is something he going to have to recognize.”