Exeter City were seconds away from their sixth win of pre-season at Torquay United when an unfortunate own goal resulted in the two sides sharing the spoils in Torbay.
Captain Josh Magennis opened the scoring within two minutes from close range before Jack Fitzwater doubled City’s lead with an unmarked header before half-time.
The Grecians had several chances to net a third but were met by a stubborn Gulls defence. They were left to rue these opportunities after a header ten minutes from time halved the deficit before Jack Fitzwater inadvertently sent the ball into his own net with all but the final touch of the match.
For the second match of a sweltering Tuesday, Gary Caldwell named a completely different eleven, with Charlie Cummins the only development player in the starting lineup, while Josh Magennis skippered the side.
At a fiery Plainmoor where both sets of supporters were exchanging chants throughout the warmups, it was City who opened the scoring just 80 seconds in. Yanic Wildschut reached the byline on the left wing and cut the ball back into the box for Josh Magennis, who scored with his second attempt first was blocked.
City dominated possession, with Wildschut having several openings down the wing, often after a ball from Ed Francis has played him in.
On the quarter-hour mark, Jack Aitchison won a free-kick 10 yards out from the top right corner of the Gulls’ penalty area. Reece Cole fizzed an inswinging ball towards the back post, narrowly evading an on-rushing Cheick Diabate and going out for a goal-kick.
A second free-kick from a near identical position minutes later did reach Cole’s target, but Jack Fitzwater couldn’t get the connection he wanted as the ball went out of play again.
The Grecians’ controlled passing quelled the atmosphere midway through the half, as while they kept a lot of the ball not many chances could be broken through a rigid United defence.
With a goal coming through midfield looking unlikely, City looked most threatening from crosses into the box, which paid off for their second of the evening. Cole delivered perfectly from a left-hand corner onto the head of an unmarked Fitzwater at the back post, who put Exeter 2-0 up with five minutes left in the half.
City almost had a third less than 60 seconds later had it not been for the offside flag. Caleb Watts was found on the touchline and pulled it back to Wildschut, who finished smartly into the bottom corner, but Watts was flagged off.
Determined to extend their lead to three before the whistle, Exeter came close again when Reece Cole rounded the keeper, but luckily for the Gulls they had a man on the line who could turn it round the post.
Halftime Torquay substitute Omar Mussa made sure that Whitworth was paying attention just seconds after the restart, firing a well-struck shot from 30 yards, but the Palace loanee was equal to it in the City net.
Fitzwater nearly doubled his personal tally in the 55th minute, narrowly heading over the bar from a corner into a bouncing away end.
As has been common in pre-season, the flow of the game was interrupted as both sides made several substitutions. Tom Dean, who was one of those changes after also featuring in the Brentford B fixture, almost fashioned another opportunity for Magennis, but his drilled cross was cleared out for a corner.
Another young sub, Liam Oates, forced a save from the backup Gulls stopper ten minutes from time with a low shot from the right of the box, but it was Torquay who managed to find the net next.
A free-kick from their right-wing to the back post appeared to come off the back of former Grecian Jordan Dyer to half City’s lead and set up a grandstand finish.
That goal ignited Yellows supporters around Plainmoor into life as their side came at a Grecians team growing younger by the sub.
United countered from a cleared City corner in the 86th minute and won a freekick 30 yards from goal, slightly left of centre. Mussa lined up again for a shot from distance but this time his effort went well wide.
City almost held off Torquay’s pressure until the 96th minute, when a cross into the box was unfortunately headed into his own net by Jack Fitzwater, and the referee blew for full-time moments later.
Next up, the Grecians are back at SJP for the first time since April this Saturday against Eastleigh, with tickets half-price in advance! Get yours here.
City: Whitworth (MacDonald), Watts, Diabate (Yfeko), Fitzwater, Cummins, Wildschut (Dean), McMillan (Crees), Francis, Aitchison (Ohanaka), Cole (Oates), Magennis ©
Substitutes: MacDonald (GK), Yfeko, Oakes, Dean, Crees, Perkins, Ohanaka
Torquay United: Hamon (Wonnacott), Booth (Foulston), Hasani, Collins © (Threlkeld), Seymour (Ash), Carson, Palmer (Dreyer), Tonks, Cooke (Crosbie), Hayfield (Mussa), Moxey (Dyer)
Substitutes: Foulston, Dyer, Dreyer, Mussa, Ash, Wonnacott (GK), Corsbie, Threlkeld, Tomlinson, Wellington