Danny Rose capitalised on a mistake at the back to fire the hosts in front 10 minutes before the break, with teenager Louie Cayless making sure of maximum points for the Grecians four minutes from time.
You sensed it was a missed opportunity for our youngsters as both sides struggled to create chances in the Southern Group A clash, with both goals avoidable from our perspective.
Exeter made 10 changes from their weekend draw with Walsall while we gave a debut to goalkeeper Jacob Knightbridge following his recent arrival at the club, but although Tyrese Hall charged down a clearance from Exeter stopper Frankie Phillips in the opening seconds, we couldn’t get fully on the front foot and instead found ourselves defending a number of early set-pieces.
Centre-back Alfie Dorrington stormed through the centre of the pitch but fired just off-target on the quarter-of-an-hour mark but that was about as good as it got for us in the first half with George Birch going close twice before we gifted Exeter the lead on 35 minutes, Knightbridge’s pass out from the back pounced on by Taylor Perry, who played forward for Rose to slide home under pressure.
Knightbridge saved Perry’s shot from distance five minutes after the restart while the hosts again forced a series of corners as the second period went on, Jack Taylor testing Knightbridge with a downward header at the back post from one of them mid-way through the half.
Miracle Adewole provided a spark down the left flank for us after his introduction, the young winger involved as we worked a short corner to Ronny Moncur, whose cross was knocked down to Dorrington at the back post, but his low strike was straight at Phillips. Adewole then cut back for Reiss Elliott-Parris but he could only fire over the top before the hosts killed off the game with a second goal on 86 minutes. Another debutant for us, Maxwell Adedeji, gave away a free-kick which Josh Gordon delivered into the box, we couldn’t deal with it and Cayless ultimately converted from a tight angle on the right to round off a frustrating evening for us in Devon. We’ll have further opportunities to progress in the competition with group stage matches at Cheltenham Town and Oxford United still to come.
Line-ups
Exeter City: Phillips, Taylor, Woodhouse (Alsop 74), Sutherland, Cayless, Perry, Oakes, Harper (Cartwright 74), Birch, Matthews (Cox 27 (Samuel 62)), Rose (c) (Gordon 46). Substitutes (not used): Bycroft, Williams.
Spurs: Knightbridge, Rowswell (c), King, Hardy (Adedeji 83), Dorrington, Tye Hall (Moncur 74), Feeney (Boast 61), Byrne, Elliott-Parris (Sowunmi 83), Tyrese Hall, Lehane (Adewole 61). Substitute (not used): Archer.
Match data
Goals: Exeter City – Rose 35, Cayless 86.
Yellow cards: Exeter City – Rose 37, Cayless 52, Oakes 73; Spurs – Byrne 43, Adedeji 86.
Referee: Alan Young.
Venue: St James Park, Exeter.
Weather: Sunny, moderate breeze, 16 degrees.
Attendance: 1,647.