Exeter City continued their excellent form in pre-season as they beat Weymouth 2-0 at the Bob Lucas Stadium on Thursday night.
The Grecians took the lead through Tristan Abrahams' first goal for the club but had to wait until three minutes before time before the victory was confirmed as Matt Jay fired home his third goal in three games.
City started the match brightly with Abrahams setting up Hiram Boateng with a shooting chance on the edge of the box but Terras keeper Jordan Seebright produced a great one-handed stop to turn the midfielder’s shot over the crossbar.
However, the early pressure paid off as a bursting run forward from Boateng gave Nicky Law a chance to cross. This time Seebright didn’t deal with the danger effectively and the ball dropped to Abrahams who lifted the ball over the stranded keeper before volleying into the back of the net.
City’s pace and power up front were causing the hosts plenty of problems as Jonathan Forte broke into the box and played a dangerous ball across the face of goal that Jack Sparkes and Abrahams were close to turning home.
Brandon Goodship fired an effort wide for Weymouth as a warning sign that they were still in the game but Law would bring another top class save out of Seebright before the half was out with a dipping 20-yard effort.
Sparkes then went close with a free-kick early in the second half before Matt Taylor rang the changes making 10 substitutions around the hour mark.
City’s dominance continued though, and Jordan Tillson should have made it 2-0 when and Archie Collins cross bounced to him at the back post but he put his effort wide from close range.
So it was left to Jay, who has netted in the previous two pre-season friendlies, to secure the victory. He ran off the shoulder of the last defender to get on the end of a wonderful pass from Craig Woodman and, as Seebright rushed off his line, he hit a half-volley into the corner of the net from 25 yards out.
Exeter City: Hamon, A Trialist, Brown, Martin, Moxey, Boateng, Kite, Sparkes, Law, Abrahams, Forte. Subs (all used): Woodman, Dean, Hartridge, Taylor, Collins, Stockley, Tillson, Key, Seymour.