TT BLOG

Joe Uglow – @Joe_Ugs

Joe discusses a PSF draw at Plainmoor

Paul Wotton rung the changes as expected giving valuable minutes to those players who have been on the peripheral of the side in the last two games.

Sam Dreyer kept his place in a much changed defence which featured Denzel Akyeampong (Trialist A), Ed Palmer & Matt Carson, in front of Matt Wonnacott in goal.

Matt Worthington, another to keep his place, captained the side aided by Dan Hayfield & Callum Dolan in the middle of the park.

Cody Cooke also kept his place up top with Matt Jay & Trialist B (Rumoured to be Yasin Ben El-Mhanni) either side.

Exeter as expected fielded a mixture of U21 players alongside six Senior Pro’s; Joe Whitworth, Jack McMillan, Luca Woodhouse, Kevin Macdonald, Ryan Rydel & Jayden Wareham.

The game started at a fairly quick pace with both sides eager to impress their manager’s. There wasn’t much in the way of chances with the ball turning over to opposition countless times, both sides weren’t afraid to put challenges in resulting in a slightly stop-start first half hour. Callum Dolan looked busy and managed to snatch the ball off a City defender before being dispossessed, a neat back heel though found Matt Jay, who’s shot was deflected wide. The only other memorable chance was a lung busting charge forward from Akyeampong who played a neat one-two with Jay before firing wide when in on goal.

0-0 at half time and a decent workout for both sides whilst lacking any real moments of magic.

Sam Dreyer, after playing 90 minutes on Wednesday, was understandably withdrawn at half time with Jay Foulston brought on in his place.

Exeter started the second half much brighter than United and soon made it 1-0. A cross from the left found the unmarked and potentially offside Jayden Wareham who headed the ball past Wonnacott.

City soon rung the changes and brought on what looked like a very young Bench. United also used the hour mark to enable the return of Munashe Sundire after a couple of games out with injury, Matt Worthington making way.

Jordan Young, Louis Dennis & Sonny-Blu Lo-Everton would soon be introduced allowing Cody Cooke, Dan Hayfield & Callum Dolan a rest after a solid shift.

Trialist B threatened on occasions to get in behind & Dennis looked to have a goal harshly ruled out for a foul in the build up, not that the Youngsters down the Away end side of the Popside seemed to realise for a good 2 minutes, much to the City fan’s delight.

Eventually though we got a deserved equaliser and it came in a move we’ve become quite familiar with. Jordan Young picked the ball up on the right wing and cut in to the edge of the area, surrounded by red & white shirts he stroked the ball home into the bottom corner, reminiscent of his goal against Truro on NYD.

1-1 at Full time, minutes in the bank for players that needed it and seemingly no injuries picked up. Just what we needed to get out of the game.

I expect next week at Weymouth we will see a side much closer to what Paul Wotton’s starting line-up will look like and hopefully a performance similar to the one we saw against Newport last weekend, before we get ready for the real stuff on August the 9th!