A stunning free-kick from Nia Lewis earned City Women their first point of the season, as the Grecians drew 1-1 at Hashtag United.
The hosts opened the scoring 20 minutes into the first half, but an almost instant reply from City saw the loanee Robin fire a free-kick from her weak foot into the top corner.
For the Grecians' first away match of the season, Abbie Britton made three changes from her opening day XI. Tia Asker and Saskia Heard started for their full debuts, while Emily Poole anchored the base of the midfield. Maya Kendell dropped out of the squad with injury, while Fearne Slocombe returned to the bench for the first time this season.
First half
City were pressing high from kick-off and their first two entries into the box came from fast-flowing moves. Firstly, Amber Pollock broke free down the right and crossed for Ishbel Zuurmond, before the assistant raised her flag, and then a smart nudge from Zuurmond released Charlotte Whitmore into the area, however her cut back was put behind by a sliding Tags defender.
The press kept the Grecians knocking at the door, and after Zuurmond won a free-kick on the edge of the penalty area, Georgia Vaccaro had a shot, but her low, drilled attempt went just wide of the post.
Continuing to dominate, the Grecians won several early corners, but Hashtag leaving three players up was going to be an issue on the break, and that was almost the case 12 minutes in as they broke quickly down the inside left of the pitch, but under pressure from Bow Jackson the attacker placed a low shot directly at Erin Foley in City's net.
That was just a warning shot though, as Hashtag went 1-0 up in the 20th minute. A corner wasn't dealt with inside City's box, and a low shot through a crowd of players slipped in at the back post.
It didn't take long for City to peg the game back level though, as a fantastic free-kick from Nia Lewis made it 1-1. After Pollock's run was illegally halted on the edge of the penalty area, Exeter were awarded a free-kick, which Nia placed expertly into the far corner of the net with her weaker left foot.
That didn't immediately deter Hashtag though, and they began to push as soon as they kicked off, with a low shot on target not troubling Foley, but having to be held.
City found joy on the break though, first down the right through Whitmore, who won a corner with a cut out cross. Lewis' dead ball delivery found Heard inside the box, but the keeper finger-tipped her effort away.
The cleared ball was recycled back into the box by City, and while Vaccaro met it in the centre, her flicked header went wide.
Finishing the half on top, City could've gone ahead through Asker as she cut in and shot, but it was pushed over the bar by the goalkeeper.
Second half
Whatever was said in the changing rooms at half-time had an impact on the City XI, as they came out after the break a gear higher than what they came in on.
Zuurmond was the first to have a shot on goal, as she picked up a ball midway inside the Tags half and surged forward. Met with a retreating defence, City's number 10 tried her luck from distance, and her drive was only narrowly over the bar.
There were cries from the crowd for a penalty as Vaccaro was brought down when she was through one-on-one with the goalkeeper, 10 minutes after the restart. The referee judged the foul to have happened just before the penalty box and awarded a yellow card for the Tags defender, giving Lewis another opportunity from a free-kick.
The Bristol City loanee decided to go low with this shot, and while she curled it around the wall it was palmed away by the goalkeeper, before being cleared by a melee of players.
City had the ball in the back of the net in the 64th minute from Vaccaro, after she caught a looping ball and ran through on goal, but the linesman's flag ruled out a strike that would've put the Grecians ahead.
Exeter had the momentum though and kept pushing, with Lewis crashing a ball off the underside of the crossbar from an incredibly tight angle, before a run forward from Asker created an opportunity for both Lewis and the substitute Ellie Sara to shoot, but both efforts were blocked.
It was the Grecians who finished the stronger of the two sides, but resilient defending and a lack of luck under the London sun meant that the match finished one apiece.
A point to take back to Devon ahead of three back-to-back home matches at Coach Road, next up for City is Bristol City PGA in the WNL Cup. Get your tickets for that match by clicking here!
Exeter City Women: Foley, Asker, Heard (Sandland, 87'), Jackson (C), Llewellyn, Pollock, Poole (Slocombe, 70'), Lewis, Zuurmond (McGowan 87'), Whitmore (Sara, 70'), Vaccaro (Pitman, 70').
Substitutes not used: Bell (GK), Papaioannou.
Goal: Lewis 24'