Exeter edge Bristol Rovers in a game of seven goals and a half-time kit change

Posted Friday, December 30, 2022 by PA

Sam Nombe scored a dramatic stoppage-time winner in Exeter’s thrilling 4-3 victory over Bristol Rovers at the Memorial Ground.

The visitors let slip a 2-0 half-time lead and trailed 3-2 with five minutes remaining as Joey Barton’s Rovers had come out firing after changing their kit colour during the interval.

But Exeter substitute Timothee Dieng equalised before Nombe netted the winner in the second of seven added minutes.

The Grecians striker set the tone for a humdinger of a contest by putting City ahead after 13 minutes when he curled the ball beyond James Belshaw from 25 yards after good work by Jevani Brown.

Archie Collins doubled the lead in first-half stoppage time when he drilled a low shot beyond Belshaw from 18 yards.

Rovers boss Barton rang the changes at half-time by sending on three substitutes and dispensing with the green away shirts Rovers had sported in support of homeless charity Shelter in favour of traditional blue and white quartered home shirts.

It worked a treat as Aaron Collins kick-started the fightback with a brilliant 20-yard strike after 57 minutes before Josh Coburn headed in Scott Sinclair’s cross seven minutes later.

Sinclair then put the hosts ahead with a penalty after 74 minutes, but the visitors were not to be denied.

Dieng, five minutes after coming on, nodded in from close range before Nombe had the final say when he headed over Gas keeper Belshaw from outside of the box.