The reserves were edged out at Staplewood as Exeter ran out 3-2 winners on Wednesday evening.
Dan Seaborne made his return to action from a knee injury and showed no ill effects from a first half run out against his former employers.
Those who braved a bitterly cold evening at the Club's training ground were rewarded with five goals, only one of which came in the first half when the visitors took the lead. It came just three minutes before the break when Grecians midfielder James Dunne's shot from the edge of the area found the bottom corner of Bartosz Bialkowski's net via a deflection to end an otherwise even opening 45 minutes of action.
Bialkowski had earlier denied Chris Shephard from close range whilst the best chances at the other end came from Tom Dunford and Jamie White, with the latter going desperately close on the half hour mark as he collected Michail Antonio's long throw-in and turned the ball across the face of goal, only to see his effort screw wide.
Ten minutes after the re-start Saints applied the pressure and got an equaliser that they had threatened. White and Antonio had both gone close before Garyn Preen notched from close range by following up Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's initial shot inside the six yard box to stab home.
Oxlade-Chamberlain was industrious throughout the game which came just 24 hours after his first team debut at St. Mary's.
The visitors got themselves back in front however, just three minutes later when Shephard neatly played in striker Craig McAllister who swept home into the top right hand corner.
They went one better on 66 minutes to make it 3-1 as a free-kick from the left was knocked down by Berti Cozic into the path of Stuart Fleetwood who tucked the ball away to put the Grecians two goals clear.
Saints had given themselves a lot to do, but Stewart Henderson freshened up his forward line with Jordan Keegan and Daryl McLean replacing Antonio and Preen inside the last 25 minutes. McLean smashed a volley over on 76 before supplying the assist for the goal which gave the hosts hope.
Midfielder, Dunford collected the ball and crashed a long range shot off the underside of the crossbar, which was adjudged to have crossed the line by the referee's assistant on the near side, making 3-2 with just over five minutes remaining. However, no further chances from either side came.
Reserves manager Stewart Henderson felt that his side which was largely made up with youngsters had played well for the majority of the match, but was disappointed with the manner of the goals that they let in.
"I couldn't fault our effort as I thought that we really had a go," he said. "We had a grip on the game when we made it 1-1 but when we lost the next goal it really gave them a lift and they kicked on a bit from there.
"It was a hard game and both sides competed really well. It was real battle but we're disappointed to lose the goal just before half time.
"We worked very hard in the second half to get back into it, eventually did that but then thought that defensively we should have done a lot better on the two goals that we conceded."
Saints Res: Bialkowski, Argent, Seaborne (Tafazolli 46), Racine, Saville, Antonio (Keegan 75), McNish, Dunford, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Preen (McLean 61), White. Subs (not used): Pernecky, Robinson.
