City 1 Ipswich Town 1

Exeter City booked their place in the second round of the Carabao Cup with a 4-2 penalty shootout win following a 1-1 draw at St James Park.

Kayden Jackson's first half goal was cancelled out by Troy Brown's header after the break before Lee Martin netted the decisive penalty to send the Grecians into the next round.

Manager Matt Taylor made four changes to the side that started the victory at Morecambe last weekend, with Craig Woodman, Jordan Tillson, Lee Martin and Matt Jay coming into the side.

It was a cagey opening 10 minutes with both sides having spells on the ball without testing either goalkeeper.

But it was the Grecians who caused the first real scare of the match when Jay did wonderfully to cut inside and deliver a dangerous looking cross towards Jayden Stockley, but the ball was just cut out in time by the Town defence.

The clearance could only find Lee Martin, though, and he did well to cut onto his left foot before shooting towards the far corner, but for Aristote Nsiala who made a vital block as Town eventually cleared their lines.

Moments later Trevor Chalobah almost fired the away side ahead when Jonas Knudsen’s cross was cleared to the edge of the box before the midfielder hit a first-time volley just wide of Christy Pym’s goal.

As the half continued, Paul Hurst’s men began to dominate possession and they almost went ahead when Janoi Donacien got in down the right before shooting from a tight angle.

The onrushing Pym did well to get a hand to it as he punched the ball away with the help of Pierce Sweeney who cleared it out of the City area.

The Grecians then had a wonderful opportunity to go ahead when Sweeney’s ball into the path of Stockley saw the forward set Lee Martin away down the right-hand side. The midfielder then squared it into the path of the sliding Jay, but the striker couldn’t connect cleanly as his effort edged just wide.

Craig Woodman then had another attempt just after the half hour mark when a City free-kick was cleared before the left back volleyed right footed just over Bartosz Bialkowski’s goal.

But it would be the Tractor Boys who would prove more clinical when a City move forward broke down and the away side counter-attacked down the left-hand side.

Jackson then darted into the box before shooting ambitiously towards the near post catching out Pym as the Championship side took a lead into half-time.

For the full report click here

Share this