City triumph in Wiltshire
Exeter City’s under-18 side came away from Wiltshire 4-2 winners in a midweek fixture against Swindon Town.Just one defeat in four games meant the Devon club were hoping to keep that run going as they lined up against the league’s bottom side.
They started the match brightly, with the Exeter game plan focusing on winning possession back quickly and capitalising on defensive errors.
And the tactics worked just three minutes into the game, as Alex Byrne intercepted a pass in the middle of the pitch, and released Billingsley who smartly lifted the ball over the goalkeeper to give his side an early lead.
The Westcountry outfit looked good for their lead, however they weren’t doing everything right – and as the game reached the half-hour mark, in a three minute spell, the hosts found themselves ahead, scoring their leveller from the penalty spot, before turning the score right around moments after.
Skyrme’s team battled back trying to find an instant response and before the interval they did find an equaliser, with Dan Hayfield good work in midfield allowing Gill to convert his opportunity.
Two Exeter goals in the space of a few minutes meant the score had a different look to it early on in the second period.
The half was just six minutes old when Exeter retook the lead after the Swindon shot-stopper hit a clearance that ricocheted off of Gill and into the goal to the delight of the visitors.
And just two minutes later, the Grecians were able to win the ball deep inside the Swindon half, before Joe Charles fed Billingsley who scored his team’s fourth.
The game became stretched and wide open, as the home team tried to find a goal back, whilst City spurned chances of their own to put the match beyond the reach of their counterparts.
However a seventh goal of the match didn’t arrive, giving Exeter another vital three points as they continue to try and creep into the top half of the Merit League One table.
Exeter City under-18 coach Lee Skyrme said: “At half time we talked about addressing the key areas. I’m very pleased with how we started the second half.
“Parts of our performance were really pleasing, particularly the goals, as they were something we talked about. We mentioned about winning the ball high up, and as a result we’ve scored all our goals from doing just that.
“Our possession was okay, but at times we gave the ball away too easily, and we allowed the game to become more of a tennis match in the second period, and I thought we could have managed it better.
“We are looking a lot more comfortable in the new system, especially without the ball. We just need to focus on addressing a few issues for our next match.”