Wanderers suffered a desperately disappointing first home League One defeat of 2024 to continue their hit-and-miss start to the campaign, writes Pete Oliver.
A goal after 35 minutes and then a killer second just after the break saw Exeter avenge last year’s 7-0 loss at the Toughsheet Community Stadium to record their first away win of the season.
Wanderers’ boss Ian Evatt admits his side is still striving to find top gear as they bed in new players and get everyone up to speed.
But after a forward step in the Carabao Cup in mid-week this was one back as the Whites - who had been unbeaten at home in 13 league games - must now wait a fortnight for their next league action and the chance to make amends.
With Wanderers making two changes to the side that had suffered a first defeat of the season a week ago there was a league debut for Chris Forino and a first league start of the campaign for Kyle Dempsey.
Both had impressed in helping the Whites beat Shrewsbury in the cup but Wanderers needed to back up that result and performance and started brightly enough.
The Whites, with Dempsey playing behind the front two of John McAtee and Dion Charles, buzzed around the City penalty area and McAtee tested goalkeeper Joe Whitworth with an angled drive.
But Wanderers were guilty of not building on their momentum and allowing Exeter to feel their way into the contest.
Jack McMillan saw a shot blocked in front of goal following a corner and as they grew in confidence they scored with their first shot on target, Kamari Doyle curling a free-kick into the top corner from 25 yards out after George Thomason had fouled Jack Aitchison.
Charles and McAtee both had stabs at goal in response but it needed more and their Whites’ task became even harder four minutes into the second half when the Grecians doubled their lead from another set-piece.
This time a corner was flicked to the back post by Josh Magennis for Millenic Alli to force the ball home.
Evatt didn’t wait long to change things with a triple substitution as Wanderers desperately needed to impose themselves on the contest to have any chance of mounting a fightback.
Jordi Osei-Tutu helped liven things up and after Thomason had crashed a shot wide it was a run from the wing-back that created a chance for fellow substitute Aaron Collins, who had also been sent on to try and provide a spark, which he steered against the crossbar.
Had that gone in things might have been different and after Exeter had two players booked for time-wasting Wanderers had another chance to get back into it with a quarter of an hour to go.
Again it was Osei-Tutu who provided the threat as he burst into the box and brought an excellent save out of on-loan Crystal Palace youngster Whitworth.
There was not enough sustained pressure, though, and it was Exeter who went close to adding to their tally when Amani Richards ran through but dragged a shot wide to avoid inflicting further pain.
At the other end Wanderers had plenty sights of goal but couldn’t get it right and when Charles nodded a cross from Josh Dacres-Cogley off target the final chance of an unlikely comeback came and went.
Wanderers: Baxter; Forino, Almeida Santos, Johnston; Sheehan (Matete 54); Cogley, Dempsey (Collins 65), Thomason, Schön (Osei-Tutu 54); McAtee (Adeboyejo 54), Charles. Substitutes: Southwood (GK), Matheson, Sharples-Ahmed.
Booked: Almeida Santos, Johnston, Matete
Exeter City: Whitworth; Sweeney, Crama, Yfeko; McMillan, Woods, Niskanen; Doyle (Cole 60), Aitchison (Purrington 73); Magennis (Richards 73), Alli (Cox 87). Substitutes: MacDonald (GK), Fitzwater, Francis, Cox.
Booked: Sweeney, Niskanen, Whitworth, Cole
Referee: Ben Toner
Attendance: 22,086 (509)