Huddersfield Town 2 Exeter City 0 - Grecians suffer tame defeat
Exeter City suffered a second successive defeat as they slumped to a 2-0 loss away to Huddersfield Town.
Matty Pearson headed Huddersfield Town ahead from a corner in a first half that didn’t live long in the memory. The Grecians were way off the pace and failed to create any chances before the break.
Josh Magennis should have levelled seconds after the break but couldn’t convert the golden chance he had. And that was costly when Ben Wiles lashed home a second from distance to secure the victory for the Terriers.
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Huddersfield rose to fifth with their triumph which extended their unbeaten run to five. Exeter dropped down to ninth in the League One table after a second defeat in a row.
Following the 2-1 home defeat to Reading on Tuesday night, Exeter City manager Gary Caldwell made four changes to the side. Out went Mustapaha Carayol, Ed Francis and Sonny Cox, who dropped to the bench, while Johnly Yfeko missed out entirely with injury.
In came Ben Purrington for his first League One start since April, while Kamari Doyle, Millenic Alli and Magennis were restored to the starting eleven. Reece Cole, for the first time in six week, after injury, was on the bench.
It was a cagey opening with both sides struggling to threaten either goal, although City perhaps should have done better when Ilmari Niskanen found space on the left but couldn’t pick out a man with the cross. Callum Marshall had the first shot for the hosts in the 16th minute, which was blocked behind for a corner.
But from that set piece, the Terriers took the lead. The ball was swung in and Pearson was left with too much space and the defender powered his header home despite the best efforts of Joe Whitworth to keep it out. It was a very avoidable goal to have conceded as City had sloppily given the ball away before the corner.
Whitworth was called into action again to deny Mickel Miller as the Grecians hadn’t got going. Danny Ward slotted home what he thought was a second when a gaping hole in the City backline seemed to have opened up, only to be denied by the offside flag. Tristan Crama then had to make a vital interception to deny Wiles, although the midfielder should have finished the chance before the Frenchman could stop him.
Pierce Sweeney sliced a clearance onto the roof of his own net as the Grecians were on the back foot and defensively not looking solid. In attack, they failed to have a single shot in the first half as they went in 1-0 down.
Neither side made a change at the break as Caldwell sent the same eleven back out, hoping for an improved performance, and inside 30 seconds, City should have been level. Sweeney swung in a cross, Magennis met it eight yards out, but his header didn’t have the pace on it as Jacob Chapman kept it out. Jack Aitchison then danced into the box and cut the ball back but no-one could get a touch to it.
City had been the better of the two sides in the second half, but just after the hour, Michael Duff’s men doubled their lead. Wiles was given far too much time and space in the middle of the park, no-one in the red and white closed him down, and he let fly with an effort that shot into the bottom corner.
Two minutes later, City should have pulled one back, and again Magennis had the chance. The ball broke to the striker but on his weaker left foot, he sliced over from close range when it looked easier to score. Cox and Francis then replaced Alli and Doyle with City’s first changes, before Niskanen curled an effort inches wide.
Carayol and Jay Bird replaced Aitchison and Niskanen as Caldwell’s men pushed to try and rescue something from the League One clash, and then Cole replaced Ryan Woods, but time was running out and chances were not forthcoming as the game petered out for the Grecians. Five minutes of stoppage-time were added-on, but it mattered little, as City were beaten.
Exeter City are back in action on Tuesday night when they travel to Bristol Rovers in the Bristol Street Motors Trophy.
Exeter City: (3-4-3) - Joe Whitworth, Pierce Sweeney, Tristan Crama, Ben Purrington, Jack McMillan, Ryan Woods (Reece Cole, 85), Kamari Doyle (Ed Francis, 68), Ilmari Niskanen (Mustapha Carayol, 78), Millenic Alli (Sonny Cox, 68), Jack Aitchison (Jay Bird, 78), Josh Magennis
Subs: Shaun MacDonald, Jack Fitzwater,