Exeter City under-18s recorded a fourth league victory of the season at the Cliff Hill Training Ground on Friday afternoon as they beat MK Dons 3-2.
Kieran Wilson, Santino Ohanaka and Tobias Alsop were all on the score-sheet in the searing heat, as they fought off a resurgent Dons side who had fought back from two goals down.
First Half
The Grecians saw their first sight of goal as Harry Crees fed Callum Graham on the left hand side, with Graham’s cross to the near post being diverted behind for a corner.
Lewis Sandford of the visitors was the first to test the goalkeeper though, as he stung the palms of Dan Layer who made a strong save. Layer then distributed the ball to set up the opening goal of the contest.
Crees – starting his first game since January – found Wilson with a weighted through ball, allowing the Scotsman to race through on goal and tuck the ball into the bottom left hand corner as he fired across Ryan Kelly in the Dons goal.
City could have had a second when Wilson held up the ball for a cross field pass to Tobias Alsop, who lay the ball down the left for Santino Ohanaka with a weighted left footed pass. Ohanaka cut inside and tested Kelly at the near to force a corner. From the set-piece, Crees was unlucky not to convert with a back post effort.
Wilson then struck the lower right hand post as he used his strength before racing to the edge of the area, unlucky not to double his – and the Grecians’ - tally.
It was two however just a few minutes before the break as Graham provided the ball for Ohanaka, who struck a brilliant left footed volley into the inner side netting to double City’s lead. It was a just reward for an excellent first half performance.
Against the run of play though, MK Dons found a way back into the game on the stroke of half time. Rian Silver picked up the ball midway inside the City half before playing through Zach White inside the area, who placed an effort low past Layer into the bottom corner.
Second Half
Dons came out of the traps fastest in the second half and had two efforts to level the scores inside five minutes. The first was blocked was half-time substitute Baker, before the second was blazed over from the edge of the box by Silver.
It wasn’t long before Silver did level the scores though, as he connected to a powerful cross from the right to send a looping header into the top right hand corner.
Wilson should have bagged his second of the game as he rattled the woodwork for a second time. He reacted to latch onto a lofted ball from defence and hit it first time on the bounce just inside the box, but his effort crashed against the crossbar, before Liam Cartwright’s follow up was blocked.
Wilson was then denied again just moments later as Kelly turned his right footed angled effort round the post.
City would retake the lead from the corner. Graham delivered an excellent whipped ball to the edge of the six yard box, where Alsop rose highest to send a bullet header over the line.
Graham and Wilson the combined at another corner with Graham’s lofted delivery finding Alsop inside the area who volleyed over he used showed great strength.
As most of the attacking threat continued through Wilson, he was just inches away from a sublime solo goal as he beat his man just past half way, dummied his defender on the edge of the six-yard box and then narrowly sent an effort just over the bar.
Substitute Jack Bellotti then volleyed over from 30 yards as City went on the hunt for a fourth goal.
MK were still looking for a leveller as Jack Burke fired high and wide as he connected a Dons corner, but in truth the Grecians were good value for their lead. Wilson thought he’d made it four when he appeared to beat the offside trap, and the goalkeeper, but the linesman raised his flag as he rounded Kelly.
City XI: Layer (GK), Cartwright, Alsop (Rickhuss), Cayless, Anthony (Baker), Aston, Lang (May), Crees (Bellotti), Wilson ©, Graham, Ohanaka.
Subs: Shanahan (GK).
Goals: Wilson 12’, Ohanaka 37’, Alsop 62’
MK Dons XI: Kelly (GK), Spalanzino, Boateng, Sandford, Flanagan, Burke, Nash, Goddard, Osborne, Silver ©, White.
Subs: Bardhan-Correia, Lupinski, Fry, Dobson, O’Keeffe.
Goals: White 43’, Silver 52’