Accidental elbow that couldn’t possibly have been meant as it wasn’t done by one of our players. In fact I think he cheated by putting fake blood on his face and that’s why he went down the tunnel for a rest before coming back on and having more energy. Cheating again by getting new tactics from robins
do find it fustrating that when Doyle does a block tackle Mr Covnree (Goodman) on Sky keeps harping on about it saying that it will be looked at by the EFL and it could have been Red but Stockley's flailing arm smashes Stokes on the Corner of the eye and Claret is spilling everywhere he says it was an accident! Load of Bollox i slowed it down and Stockley eyes gives it all away he knew exactrly what he was doing if you asked me!. I did not know Stokes went off until I got back home from Wembley and watched it back on TV, I thought that Exeter were starting o get back in the game when to all effects we were playing a full 8 minutes with 10 men. City played well>
Warwickhunt is right: Stokes went off for a while after what looked like a collision of big men with arms up in the air. Didn't see whether it was deliberate. He went down immediately, then off the pitch, and yes, that's exactly when Exeter began their brief period of dominance against ten men in the first half. McDonald was getting stripped to come on in case.
The ref then had words with Stockley ('encouraged' by Doyle) before their man (possibly Stockley himself) bad-temperedly drilled the ball out of play from the 'drop-ball'.
Stokes came back on before a corner and immediately went to mark Stockley, whereupon there was much pulling and jousting. The ref reprimanded them both. Stokes played a couple of wayward balls (perhaps still woozy) then seemed to be fine again all game.
Exeter only had that good spell as we pulled back and covered for Stokes whilst he was getting repaired. After coming back on Stokes seemed a baulk at heading the ball on a couple of occasions. Perhaps his cut had been glued and he didnt want to risk it splitting open. Understandable.