Exeter City 3-1 Bristol Rovers
Sky Bet League One, St James Park, Thursday 26 December 2024
Bristol Rovers fell to a 3-1 Sky Bet League One defeat on the road to Exeter City.
The Gas looked set for a hard-fought three points when Promise Omochere tucked in just after the hour to give Rovers the advantage, after Isaac Hutchinson has seen his header ruled out for offside three minutes earlier.
Exeter levelled through Jack Fitzwater’s header on 73 minutes but Rovers saw another goal ruled out for offside, before Scott Sinclair missed a big chance to retake the lead.
But the home side would themselves go in front through Millenic Alli’s finish before Jake Richards added a third for Exeter in the closing moments.
With new Head Coach Iñigo Calderón watching on in the stands, the Gas lined up with Luke Thomas, attacker Omochere and Joel Senior returning to the starting XI after each impressed in the second half of the 1-1 draw with Wrexham at the weekend.
It was the hosts who had the first real opportunity as Ilmari Niskanen put a header wide of the far post, before Ed Francis hit the same piece of woodwork for the Grecians from distance after 20 minutes.
Not that Rovers were without opportunities. Omochere pulled away down the right flank to set up Isaac Hutchinson, who could only see his effort blocked away.
Shaq Forde also tried his luck with a curling effort from the edge of the area after excellent work by Thomas, only to see it bounce wide, while Hutchinson fired a free-kick wide too as the half-time whistle approached.
A relatively quiet first half had offered no insight into the level of attacking football on display in the second, but things started to hit top temperature as Hutchinson saw a fantastic finish, involving a wonderful flowing move by Rovers, eventually ruled out for offside after a chat between the officials.
The Gas would not be denied three minutes later though when Forde did excellently to fashion a chance for himself, forcing a diving save by Joe Whitworth. Omochere was in the right place to slot in his second goal in as many games and send the travelling Rovers supporters wild.
A second seemed close for Rovers when Forde hit a thunderbolt of a strike, which was tipped away, but the hosts levelled on 73 minutes when defender Fitzwater rose highest to head in from a City corner.
The Pirates were denied by the linesman’s flag again just moments later; this time for Forde’s fine finish, while substitute Scott Sinclair should have done better with his close-range effort just moments after entering the fray.
A third goal of the game would come at the end of the frantic few minutes, but it was Exeter who grabbed it. Millenic Alli tucked in a well-taken finish, before Jake Richards wrapped up the win with Exeter’s third, ensuring all three points stayed at St James Park with the hosts.
Exeter City: Whitworth, McMillan, Fitzwater, Woods, Mitchell (Doyle 67), Francis, Alli, Niskanen, Watts (Harper 77), Magennis ©, McDonald (Richards 67)
Subs not used: MacDonald (GK), Purrington, Cox, Bird
Goals: Fitzwater 73, Alli 78, Richards 90+4
Booked: Niskanen, McDonald
Bristol Rovers: Griffiths, Senior (Moore 74), Wilson ©, Mola, Omochere, Thomas (Sinclair 74), Taylor, Hutchinson, Conteh, Forde, Lindsay
Subs not used: Sotiriou, Garrett, Martin, McCormick, O’Donkor
Goals: Omochere 62,
Booked: Conteh, Lindsay
Referee: Tom Reeves
Attendance: 8,192
