A three goal second half for the Bristol City saw City succumb to a 4-0 loss at the Robins High Performance Centre.
A Nahki Wells inspired Bristol City came out on top on a sunny afternoon in Bristol, as the Bermudan international scored one and assisted two.
It was a strong start to the game for both sides in the opening ten minutes, with both teams seeing a lot of possession. However, the home side did look the more promising with strong intricate play in and around the City box.
With ten minutes on the clock, it was the Grecians who almost took the lead, a lovely phase of play between Carroll, Cox, and Harper, led to the latter playing the ball onto the head of Scott, but the Scotsman was unable to direct his header goalward, sending it just over the bar.
The next promising attack was in favour of the home side, a through ball down the right-hand side, caught out Hartridge, who was high up the pitch. Alex Scott picked up the pass and barrelled towards the goal but a strong save at his near post from Viljami Sinisalo cleared it for a corner.
As the game was starting to slow up for both sides, it was the home side who took the lead with 30 minutes on the clock. A ball over the top from Dickie found Wells in behind the City defence, the Bermudan forward struck a well driven shot which was excellently saved by Sinisalo. However, following up and the quickest to react was Harry Leeson who slotted the ball into an empty net.
City found themselves on the attack late into the second half after a wonderful turn and nutmeg from Scott, who sent a searching ball down the right-hand side to find Daniels, but his ball into the box was gathered by Harvey Wiles-Richards.
After the half time break, the Grecians came out all guns blazing and found space in behind the Robins defence, a wonderful roulette from Trevitt allowed the Brentford loanee to send a peach of a ball to Daniels, the young wing back did enough to keep it in but had the ball pipped from his touch on the by-line and the Robins could clear.
With just under an hour on the clock, Bristol City made it 2-0 after a defensive mistake from City. Sinisalo played the ball outside of his area on the wide right to the feet of Trevitt, but the young loanee did not see Wells right on his tail and the Bermudan took the ball off him and slotted into an empty net from 18 yards out.
The home side almost made it 3-0 with 70 played, but the offside flag came to the City defences rescue. A corner by the home side had Sinisalo make a good save in the first instance but in the follow up, a Robins attacker was adjudged to be offside, and their goal was ruled out.
Bristol City’s next attack saw the third goal of the game, a ball over the top forced Bell to the by-line where he back heeled it to Wells who lined up a shot which was deflected to the back post for Sykes to head home unchallenged.
The Robins found themselves 4-0 up come the 80th minute, with Leeson getting his second of the game, with all the build-up coming through Wells who played in Leeson to curl it past Sinisalo.
Bristol City: Wiles-Richards, Leeson, Knight-Lebel, Dickie, Pring, King, Meerholz, Sykes, Scott, Bell, Wells
Subs: Duncan, Wood, Taylor-Clarke, Morrison
City: Sinisalo, Daniels (King), James, Aimson ©, Hartridge, Harper, Trevitt, Carroll (Beardmore), Rankine, Scott (Edgecombe), Cox