📝 Match Preview: Bristol City (A)

All you need to know about Saturday's match

4 September 2020

Exeter City kick-off the 20/21 season in Carabao Cup action as the Grecians make the short trip to Ashton Gate to face Championship side Bristol City in the first round.

Ahead of the match, manager Matt Taylor says Saturday's match at Ashton Gate is the first of two opportunities for players to claim a starting place for the league opener away at Salford City next weekend.

The Grecians face Championship side Bristol City in a 2pm kick-off this Saturday and Matt Taylor is expecting a strong challenge: "It’s going to be a really tough test at a team who were so close to the play-off places for a large portion of last season and it probably didn’t quite finish how they expected or wanted it to. They’ve got a new manager who will want to stamp his authority on that team straight away and will want a positive result.

“There is no pressure on us really, we’ve got to go there and play, some young players will be making their debuts for the club so that’s another tick and going in the right direction.

“I’ve said many times I’ll know twenty minutes into the first serious game where we are as a team, so I’m looking forward to those twenty minutes.”

THE CAPTAIN'S THOUGHTS

City captain Jake Taylor says the side are raring to go ahead of Saturday’s Carabao Cup clash with Bristol City at Ashton Gate.

The Grecians head up the M5 to face the Robins for the first time since 2001 and Taylor can’t wait for their first competitive game in over two months.

"It will be really nice to get back to playing. We’ve had a very good – but different – pre season and now the games are starting to come it’s really exciting and it’ll be a great game for us against good opposition. It’s one that we’re all looking forward to."

HOW TO WATCH

The match is behind closed doors but is available to stream live on the UK and Overseas on iFollow.

You can purchase a match pass for the 2pm kick-off at the cost of just £10. The stream includes the live BBC Radio Devon commentary, score overlay and replays.

To purchase a match pass, please click here.

For a guide to iFollow, please click here.

MATCH DAY COVERAGE

As usual, we’ll have the match covered across our social media channels and we’ll have a post-match interview with manager Matt Taylor as he reflects on the result.

Exeter City on social media

LAST TIME OUT

Bristol City ended their pre-season campaign with a 1-1 draw against League One side Swindon Town at Ashton Gate. Andreas Weimann opened the scoring for the Robins but they were pegged back by Jack Payne’s deflected chip. Elsewhere in pre-season they have beaten Cheltenham Town 4-0 and drew 1-1 with Aston Villa. A Robins XI also lost 2-1 at Weston-super-Mare.

THE STADIUM

Ashton Gate is a 27,000 capacity stadium which they share with Rugby Premiership side Bristol Bears, It has been the club’s home since 1904. It consists of the main Lansdown Stand – the latest addition to the ground – which can hold 11,000 people, as well as the Atyeo Stand, Dolman Stand and South Stand. As well as hosting a number of England under-21 internationals it has also played host to a Rugby World Cup match between New Zealand and Tonga in 1999.

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PREVIOUS ENCOUNTER

Bristol City 1-1 Exeter City | March 14, 2000

It has been over 20 years since the Grecians met Bristol City in competitive action. The match was a 1-1 draw in the Football League Trophy. The match was the second leg after City had been thrashed 4-0 at Ashton Gate and had three players sent off in the first leg!

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Match Reports

📝 Match Report: Bristol City 2️⃣ City 0️⃣

Grecians exit the Carabao Cup at the hands of Bristol City

5 September 2020

Exeter City’s 20/21 season kicked off in a spirited defeat as the Grecians were beaten 2-0 at Ashton Gate by a strong Bristol City side in the Carabao Cup first round

Jamie Paterson put Bristol City ahead in the first half, whilst substitute Antoine Semeyo sealed the win with a late strike from close range.

Matt Taylor named a starting side that was a blend of youth and experience as he handed debuts to new signings Lewis Page and Rory McArdle, as well as starts for Academy products Will Dean, Josh Key and Joel Randall.

Bristol City were quick to set the early tempo, as the side that sit two leagues above the Grecians would forge the first chance of the match as Diédhiou nodded a long ball over City’s backline for Nahki Wells to poke over the bar.

City quickly grew into the match, finding their rhythm with some neat passing which led to Matt Jay turning on the edge of the box and sending a fierce shot towards the Bristol goal which took a slight touch and went just wide.

Jay was proving difficult for the Bristol defence and a few minutes later would turn his defender and send a shot towards the top corner, which Dan Bentley was at full stretch to claw to safety.

The Robins showed a touch of class in the 35th minute as a quick passing move from the back to open the scoring. Taylor Moore found Andi Weimann, the Austrian international sent a first-time ball through to Hunt on the wing who rolled a ball across the six-yard box to find the unmarked Paterson, his first-time shot had enough power to beat Lewis Ward in the Grecians goal.

The Robins would create a couple half chances as they looked to double their lead before half-time, before Josh Key had a decent chance from a Matt Jay corner, which he headed wide. At the other end Lewis Ward got fingertips to a fierce shot that was heading to the top corner from Nahki Wells as Bristol City went into the break with a 1-0 lead.

Bristol City would again set the early tempo of the second half and they almost doubled their lead early as Diédhiou latched onto a Taylor Moore through ball but his shot took a deflection to sail wide. A few minutes later Nahki Wells was guilty of missing a gilt-edged chance as he put a free header for 6-yards wide.

City’s best chance of getting back into the contest came just after the hour as the ball pinged around the Bristol City box, Nigel Atangana got a toe to it to divert it to Ryan Bowman who poked over the bar.

Bristol City would make sure of the win on 83 minutes as City failed to clear their lines and Hunt sent a low ball back across the box and Semenyo was quickest to react to divert the ball past Lewis Ward.

The Grecians are quickly back in action on Tuesday night as they kick-off their EFL Trophy campaign against Forest Green Rovers at St James Park in a 5:30pm kick-off.

Exeter City: Lewis Ward, Josh Key, Rory McArdle, Will Dean, Lewis Page (Sparkes, 74) Randell Williams, Archie Collins, Nigel Atangana (Seymour, 84), Joel Randall, Matt Jay (Taylor, 61), Ryan Bowman

Subs not used: Maxted, Fisher, Kite, Dyer

Booked: Sparkes

Bristol City: Bentley, Hunt, Vyner, Moore, Rowe, DaSilva, Massengo, Paterson, Weimann, Wells, Diedhiou