AFC Bournemouth 0-1 Exeter City - Harley goal gives Grecians win

Bournemouth mustered just one shot on target the whole game as Ryan Harley's second half strike was enough to claim three points for Exeter.

Cherries: Pryce, Bradbury, Cummings, Pearce, Guyett (Sappleton 58), Cooper, Bartley, Anderton (Lindfield 70), Hollands, Wagstaff (Igoe 78), Pitman.
Subs: Partington, McQuoid.

Exeter: Jones, Tully, Friend, Gill, Seaborne, Taylor, Harley, Stansfield (McAllister 90), Edwars, Stewart, Logan (Moxey 65).
Subs: Marriott, Panther, Sercombey.

Att: 5,350.

Exeter had the first chance of the game on seven minutes through Adam Stansfield. The striker tussled with Guyett for the ball and the Cherries defender did just enough as Stansfield dragged his shot narrowly wide.

Bournemouth were dictating most of the play, but struggling to put Exeter keeper Jones under any real pressure. At the other end Stansfield was Exeter's most lively player, but he was struggling through lack of support.

Exeter were relying on counter attacks to test the Cherries defence although were lacking any real fluency in the final third. Anderton was controlling the midfield for Bournemouth, but direct shots at goal were at a premium.

Stansfield had an attempt roll wide before Ryan Harley had the first chance on target for either side with ten first half minutes remaining. He drilled a low ball to Pryce's right hand side and the rookie keeper clawed the ball away from the foot of the post.

Half time: AFC Bournemouth 0-0 Exeter City

Bournemouth came out much brighter in the second half and could have scored within two minutes. A superb cross field ball from Danny Hollands released Wagstaff down the right. The Charlton loanee cut inside and shot just past the near top corner.

Ricky Sappleton was brought on to bolster the attack and his shot at goal on sixty-two minutes took a deflection to win Cherries a corner.

Exeter took the lead midway through the second half with Ryan Harley the scorer. He was still the only player to have registered a shot on target ran he ran through unchallenged and buried the pall past Pryce into the far corner.

A ball across the face of goal by Moxey one minute later just need a touch from the onrushing Stansfield to double the advantage, but the striker arrived a fraction of a second late.

The Cherries finally mustered a shot on target with fifteen minutes remaining. Sappleton found Pitman in the area and in space, hiw low shot was palmed round the post by Jones.