Bristol Rovers 2-1 Exeter City
Our reserve side recorded a win in their first match in the Central League, coming from behind to beat their Exeter City counterparts 2-1.The visitors took a first half lead through Joel Randall, but two goals from Billy Bodin after the break saw Rovers seal the win.
Rovers enjoyed a good deal of early possession and Cristian Montano, Bodin and Lee Mansell all went close to opening the scoring in the first 15 minutes and after Alex Byrne had hit a free kick wide of Will Puddy's post his opposite number, Christy Pym, pulled off a fine save from Luke James' angled drive.
Exeter took a 25th minute lead out of the blue when Randall hit a fierce 25 yard drive past Puddy. At the other end Mansell shot wide when well placed, though Rovers were indebted to Puddy who raced off his line to smother the ball at the feet of Matt Jay just as he was about to shoot.
Rovers were level two minutes into the second half when Ryan Broom played in Bodin who twisted and turned in the area before firing a shot past Pym and into the top corner of the net.
The impressive James was denied a goal when his left foot volley was well saved by Pym, while Puddy was called into action at the other end and saved smartly from Archie Collins.
The winning goal arrived in the 71st minute when James collected the ball out on the right and crossed to Bodin who lashed a shot past Pym from 12 yards out.
Broom saw a shot drift wide of the upright before the end of a highly entertaining and keenly contested fixture.
Rovers: Puddy, Lyttle, Kilgour, Greenslade, Moore (Leigh-Gilchrist, 62), Mansell (Hedges, 62), Broom, Montano, James (Russe, 75), Gaffney, Bodin
Substitutes: Hodges, Tucker-Dixon
Exeter City: Pym, Egan, Storey (Seymour, 70), Down, Riley-Lowe, Hargreaves, Byrne, Randall, Collins, Jay, McAlinden
Substitutes: Hamon, Kite, Thomas, Hartridge