Exeter 1-0 Brentford (AET): Ethan Ampadu, 15, creates history for Exeter

Exeter progressed to the second round of the EFL Trophy with a 1-0 win over Sky Bet Championship Brentford on a night when Ethan Ampadu created history by becoming the club's youngest player.

Ampadu - aged 15 years, 10 months and 26 days and son of former West Brom, Swansea and Exeter midfielder Kwame Ampadu - beat the record set by the great Cliff Bastin, who was 16 years and one month when he made his Grecians debut back in 1928.

It is understood a string of the country's top clubs are watching Ampadu, who starts his last year of high school in September and who spent the end of last season training with Wales prior to their European Championship campaign.

On a night of few chances, Brentford perhaps shaded the first half, but they never really tested Exeter goalkeeper Bobby Olejnik with Ampadu outstanding at the heart of Exeter's defence.

A game lacking in chances headed into extra time and was in the 100th minute when Ollie Watkins brilliantly took down a long ball and laid it to Ryan Harley, who slid a fine shot into the bottom corner from 18 yards for the only goal of the game.

Exeter boss Paul Tisdale paid tribute to Ampadu after the game, describing the teenager as playing "like a 35-year-old".

"Often these 15- or 16-year-old players who come through early tend to be, as a sweeping generalisation, a quick sparky winger where you're not risking too much by playing him," Tisdale told the Express & Echo.

"When it's a centre-back, you have to trust them, and the biggest compliment I could give him is that he plays like a 35-year-old.

"That's not normally the English way; the English way is that we like drama, we like spark and instants, but we don't often encourage and cultivate subtle, class players."