Well, now we know. It's two mouthwatering games against Torquay between City and a return to Wembley. For much of a rollercoaster afternoon it looked like being City versus Cambridge but as Cambridge fashioned a two goal win at already safe Northwich, Torquay suffered a home reverse against Crawley, it was City and Burton who played out an absolute ripsnorter of an incident packed game. It was City's equaliser deep into 7 minutes of added time at the end of the game that finally decided the play off picture. Oh, did I mention that City drew 4 all?

Exeter made 3 changes to the side that had started against Stafford 4 days previously and lined up Jones, Tully, Matt Taylor, Edwards, Friend, Elam, Harley, Gill, Cozic, Moxey, Stansfield. On the bench were Marriott, Sercombe, Andy Taylor, Logan and Watson. The changes showed as compared to tuesday Exeter were slow out of the blocks. It was a full two minutes before they went one up and again it was Moxey scoring his fourth goal of the week. Stansfield made a great run down the right channel and was found with a beautifully weighted pass. He dashed towards the byline, pulled the ball back across the area and Moxey was roaring in at the near post to crash the ball in off the bar to give veteran keeper Kevin Poole little chance.

However, the joy only lasted 6 minutes. Harley was harshly judged to have committed a foul 25 yards out to the left of centre. Burton top scorer Clare stepped up to try and beat Jones at his near post when the ball flicked off Harley in the 4 man wall and nestled in the opposite corner completely wrongfooting the City stopper. But this setback didn't discourage City as they seemingly poured forward and continued to make chances. Stansfield and Gill were at the heart of much of the good play with the formers intelligent running making space for others and letting the latter show us his full array of passing.

In a ten minute spell from the quarter hour mark City had three attempts cleared off the line, forced 4 corners including one from a 20 yard Gill piledriver that was deflected, and forced Poole into a save from a sweeping move that was nearly a carbon copy of City's opener.

Firstly, Stanno's clever lob was scrambled back to him from under the bar, he returned the ball first time with his head but couldn't avoid the same defender on the line. Shortly a scamper down the left saw him feed the ball with a reverse pass to Moxey but the defence cleared for a corner. Elam and Tully then made space on the right but Elam's final ball had too much on it and Poole gathered easily. After Gill's deflected effort a series of corners saw a Cozic header cleared off the line too with no City player able to convert the loose ball. City's best passing move of the match then saw Edwards break up play on the edge of the City area. He fed Cozic who in turn found Harley. As he carried the ball through the centre circle right to left he hit a glorious reverse ball to Elam. Stansfield ran ahead and Elam slipped the ball to him. His cross to the near post was met by Moxey again, but this time his effort was at the keeper.

Aside from picking the ball out of the net Jones had precious little to do in the first half hour but Burton showed their menace towards the end of the half. A floated free kick was flicked narrowly wide as City seemed to switch off a little, then Gilroy swept a cross round Tully, but fortunately right across goal too. The final minutes of the half saw more City chances. Harley should have finished better when centrally placed. His sidefooted attempt was tame and easily saved. Then he was unlucky not to be found by an Elam cross after a quick throw. The final action saw Cozic volley over from the penalty spot under pressure but the build up play had been patient and composed.

As the half time scores came in from the other BSP games it was still City v Cambridge in the play offs. City's only worry was that they could have been a goal or two up but their good play had not been finished off.

Tisdale made a change at half time. Gill, who, had it not been for an early season suspension would have been an ever present with Edwards, was rested for the returning Andy Taylor. It was noticeable that Taylor picked up the pace of the game easily and looked as if he'd never ben out of the side and City as a whole started the second half in the same vein. This time it was just over a minute before they scored. Stansfield eventually bundled the ball in from a yard out but that was after Poole had denied Stansfield and Moxey from close range, then tipped Moxey's delivery back across goal into Stansfield's path. City's reward for their good endeavours had come and the away contingent, amongst Burton's season's best league gate of 2881, were smiling in the early evening sunshine.

City also created the next chance on 53 minutes. Friend won the ball 25 yards from goal and proceeded to dribble through a veritable minefield of home defenders. He skilfully rounded three challenges before finding himself through on goal but Poole was brave and saved at his feet.

Burton were by no means out of the game however and within minutes Jones had to be agile and alert to back pedal and tip over a shot that looped wickedly off Edwards. Andy Taylor then saved City with a goal line clearance as a corner wasn't dealt with effectively. In between times Burton made a defensive substitution and Cozic was replaced by Sercombe on the hour. Clough, with 25 to go, then decided to rest top scorer Daryl Clare and brought on Williams who was to have an almost immediate and significant impact on the game. Jones made a couple of regulation saves as Burton tried to get back on level terms and barely 5 minutes after his arrival Williams succeeded. After Matt Taylor handballed 30 yards out City again failed to clear the dangerous delivery into the box. The ball pinged around before Williams bravely stabbed the ball home at the same time colliding with Jones. The Burton players near the incident immediately called for attention and concern for the player lasted for several minutes before, thankfully, he recovered enough to gingerly walk off the pitch. He was in no condition to continue and was replaced by ex-City player Jake Edwards but his contribution had been telling. So would the added time the referee would then allow.

Whether or not the stoppage upset City's rhythm they were two goals behind within 5 minutes of the restart. Harrad was the deadly assassin on both occasions as he calmly beat Jones low down in a one on one, then crashed a fierce effort from the edge of the box as Jones came to meet him. Jones got a good hand on the second strike but could only palm it up towards the top corner.

Tisdale responded immediately with Logan replacing Elam but Harrad nearly got his hat-trick before Logan had time to touch the ball as he outpaced Friend on the Burton right and shot fiercely across Jones and wide.

That was on 84 minutes but with the lengthy stoppage it still meant there was nearly quarter of an hour to go and City would need all of that to salvage the game. Friend would be a main figure in this period firstly marauding down the wing only to see his cross saved at the near post. Stansfield was then delightfully put through on the edge of the box by Sercombe but as he placed the ball towards the bottom corner Poole again managed to get enough on it to make it squeeze narrowly wide. But the City pressure was mounting and with three minutes of regular time to go got a goal back. Friend stayed at the far post from a Moxey corner and as the ball came across the six yard box bundled home from almost the same spot Stansfield had 40 minutes earlier.

This set up a frantic last few minutes. Friend and Jones just managed to deny Harrad again and then results started filtering through. Cambridge had won by two goals, Torquay were losing by one and, with City losing meant it was still Cambridge in the play offs. Just as Torquay's result came through though, City got the minimum they deserved from a cracking encounter. Lurking beyond the back post, Moxey found the ball bouncing towards him. He cracked a first time effort towards goal and as it struck a defender the ball, seemingly in slow motion, looped towards the far post. It eventually nestled in the corner of the net to complete a exceptional game. The delirium of equalising was met with the realisation this single moment ensured that it would be a Devon Derby play off.

The City fans confidently chanted who they wanted to play next week, and also found time to remind the home fans of the two goal lead they had, all be it briefly, enjoyed. As the referee brought the proceedings to an end the applause rang around the Pirelli stadium and plans began to be made for the double header to follow.

On the game the power City showed going forward was impressive, but the ease with which Burton scored four will cause concern. But City are hitting form at the right time, they have ended the season with Torquay as joint top scorers in the BSP and will not give up fighting when the chips are down. Now unbeaten since defeat at Salisbury and playing with a flow and confidence that was at times oozing higher class there is no-one that Tisdale and the team will feel are their superiors.

It will, no doubt, be a full house at the Park on Thursday when our seaside neighbours roll in town. The added spice of the ex-City connection will only fuel the atmosphere and with ten goals scored in a week there is sure to be plenty of action. So roll up and get the hottest ticket in town and see if the Grecians can go one better than last year.