Exeter City FC

Line-Ups

Exeter City Under-21: Hamon, McCready (Egan 44'), Read, Storey, Riley-Lowe, Harkness, Byrne, Jay, Rehemi, Watkins, Nichols.
Subs: Keadell, Down, Merritt, Gill.
 
Goals: Watkins 39'

Peterborough United Under-21: Curtis-Henry, Adebayo-Rowling (Ford 48'), Fox, Lee, Maslen-Jones (capt), Connor, Hood (Penfold 82'), Moore, Edwards, da Silva Lopes, Gow (Jarvis 74').
Subs: Humphrey, Alban-Jones.

Goals:

Referee: Martin Underhay

Report

OLLIE WATKINS' goal booked Exeter City's place in the Under-21 Premier League Cup Round of 32 as Peterborough ended the tie with ten men.

Tom Nichols led the line as one of two overage players in the starting line-up, with Tom McCready the other at right-back. Connor Riley-Lowe started at left-back despite currently being on loan with Truro City, while Jamie Harkness started in the middle of the park.

It was Peterborough, coached by former Wales international Jack Collison, who had the better of the early chances - Josh Read made a diving save to stop Deon Moore before Cameron Gow shot over, while captain Brad Maslen-Jones' shot was blocked before he smacked the bar.

At the other end, Ollie Watkins brought a save out of Dion Curtis-Henry, but he found the net just moments later - Mustafa Rehemi's cross was deflected goalwards, and Watkins backheeled the ball beyond the goalkeeper. City went in one-up at the break.

HALF-TIME: EXETER CITY UNDER-21 1-0 PETERBOROUGH UNITED UNDER-21

Andrew Fox put a free-kick just wide in the first chance of the second period, and that came just seconds before Tom Nichols forced a fine save out of Dion Curtis-Henry. Mustafa Rehemi miscued the rebound, before Matt Jay fired over.

Peterborough were reduced to ten men with twenty minutes to go - Ethan Lee was outfoxed by Ollie Watkins, and after pulling him back, as the last man he was sent off. Referee Martin Underhay did show a yellow first, though.

Rehemi hit the bar with fifteen minutes left, and Jordan Storey hit wide from the rebound. What looked a comfortable remainder of the game for City might have gone horribly wrong when Jonny Edwards saw James Hamon off his line with ten minutes left, but the striker could only find the roof of the net with his long-range lob.

Hamon would make a crucial save from Andrew Fox's free-kick, awarded when Josh Read cleaned out Danny Jarvis, and it would turn out to be a match-winning one. Jamie Harkness smacked the post in the dying seconds, but City booked their place in the Round of 32.

FULL-TIME: EXETER CITY UNDER-21 1-0 PETERBOROUGH UNITED UNDER-21

Attendance: 264

Man of the Match: