TALISMANIC midfielder Ryan Harley believes Exeter City are showing early signs of their will to improve this season.

The Grecians secured a 3-1 win over Championship outfit Bristol City on Monday night thanks to a first half double from Harley and a clinical Daniel Nardiello strike.

The match provided Harley with a chance to shine against the club who released him in 2006, as he coolly notched a penalty just after the half-hour mark before volleying home his second with real composure 10 minutes later.

It was a deserved win for the Grecians, who outplayed Steve Coppell's side in large parts.

And Harley believes the positive psychological effect of beating a club of the stature of the Robins will be felt over the next few weeks as City ready themselves for the League One kick-off against Colchester United on August 7.

"It's good for the confidence of the players and it's good for the fans to beat teams like Bristol City," said the flame-haired playmaker.

"It does look good when you beat teams from a higher level and to be honest we were pretty comfortable in the end.

"It was nice to get a couple of goals. It's always good. It's good for the confidence and to help you find your feet again.

"I'm enjoying my football at the moment. It's always a bit of an exciting time during the summer when you're back playing again after a break.

"The squad's shaping up well and we're enjoying getting our heads down and getting fit for the season.

"If we can carry on playing well going into the season then obviously we hope we can get off to a decent start.

"We want to get that good start because we want to finish in a better position this year. We know we are good enough to improve."

As for Harley himself, he is ignoring any idle speculation linking him with a move away from St James's Park. Rumours have circulated about a possible transfer since January, when a number of teams, including Plymouth Argyle, were thought to be keen on City's No. 7.

But the 25-year-old insists he is solely concentrating on the season ahead with Exeter.

"I'm just getting on with my football," said Harley.

"It's the first game of the season in two weeks so I'm not really thinking about anything else, I'm just looking forward to that."

One thing bound to aid the midfielder's cause this season is City's new pitch — which saw its first taste of action on Monday evening. And with the new turf faring well throughout the game, Harley is excited about its potential.

He added: "It's a lot smoother. Really it's a proper pitch. Now it feels like we've got a surface that reflects where we want to be with the way we play."