Match report: Salford City 0 Exeter City 1
Exeter City picked up their third straight win in Sky Bet League Two with a 1-0 win over Salford City.
Ryan Bowman scored the only goal of the game, midway through the first half, and it is a victory that keeps the Grecians in second going into a busy festive fixture period.
Matt Taylor made four changes to his starting line-up from the team that had lost on Tuesday night in an Emirates FA Cup replay at Hartlepool United. Into the side came Alex Fisher, Nigel Atangana, Randell Williams and Dean Moxey, while Nicky Ajose was fit enough again for a place on the bench.
It was the hosts who started the brighter of the two teams though with Luke Armstrong firing one effort wide before having another effort blocked by Aaron Martin after the ball had broken kindly to him in the box. The Grecians grew into the match though with Alex Fisher drawing the first save of the game, when his first-time finish was instinctively blocked by Salford keeper Chris Neal.
Former Plymouth Argyle striker Jake Jervis then had the Grecians worried as he flashed a 25-yard strike just past Jonny Maxted’s right-hand post and then the home side really should have taken the lead when Liam Hogan headed a free-kick against the crossbar only for the ball to fall to Lois Maynard six yards out where he inexplicably scooped a shot over an open net.
Salford were made to pay for that miss as, four minutes later, City had the lead. Following good work by Dean Moxey down the left to win a corner, Randell Williams ball in was cleared to the halfway line where Tom Parkes played an inch-perfect ball out to Pierce Sweeney. That allowed the Irish full-back to take a touch before swinging in an accurate and quick cross into the area where Bowman thumped a header past Neal.
Chances went both sides’ way in the final 15 minutes of the half, as first Craig Conway brought a good save out of Jonny Maxted and then Nigel Atangana guided a shot, from the edge of the box, narrowly wide of the bottom corner.
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