Exeter City continued their impressive run of form on home soil with a 3-0 win over Stevenage at St James Park.
Exeter City would look to bounce back after their defeat to Manchester City in the FA as they hosted Stevenage at SJP. The Grecians unbeaten at home since September 2025 and the visitors winless in their last five, it was sure to be a hard-fought affair between the two best defensive teams in the division.
Pierce Sweeney returned to the starting lineup after serving suspension at the Etihad Stadium a week prior, with Carlos Mendes Gomes given the nod for the first time since signing in the summer. Timur Tutierov was given a place on the bench after signing for the club a day before, the Ukrainian’s first loan move since joining his parent club Sunderland in 2023.
First Half
It would take almost ten minutes for the first chance of the game to arise after a quiet opening period from both teams. Ethan Brierley found Jayden Wareham inside the area who was unable to cleanly connect, however Reece Cole’s strike upon arrival was just placed just wide of the Stags’ goal.
Stevenage would get a lucky escape minutes later, Ashby-Hammond misjudging Liam Oakes pass and allowing Cole to go around him before Lewis Freestone prevented the ball from rolling into the empty net.
December POTM Ilmari Niskanen worked well to deliver a fine ball into a crowded Stevenage penalty area after some neat play from the Grecians down the right wing, the subsequent cross desperately cleared by the visitors’ back line.
Ashby-Hammond would once again find himself on a wrong end of an almost costly mistake, the keeper far off his line and allowing Cole to play the ball into Wareham who’s shot towards an empty goal was once again bravely cleared by the visiting defence.
Stevenage would see their first chance come in the 33rd minute when Pierce Sweeney passed the ball into the path of Phoenix Patterson, flashing the ball across goal and escaping Jamie Reid waiting at the back post.
With minutes left until the break, a sharp counter attack from the Grecians would see Cole time a through-ball perfectly and find Niskanen on the right, his cross to Wareham in the middle lacking a clean connection and going out for a goal kick.
Shouts for a penalty would come moments later as Cole was felled inside the area, however the referee ignored the pleas much to the dismay of the terraces.
A lack of final product would prevent the Grecians from taking the lead in the first half despite enjoying the majority of chances so far, and so the referee blew for the break.
Second Half
Carlos Mendes Gomes would look to kick start the beginning of the second half, ambitiously trying a bicycle kick in front of the Thatchers Big Bank, however the Bolton Wanderers loanee's effort was just too high.
City wouldn't have to wait much longer for the breakthrough however, Cole fouled once again in the area the referee this time awarding the Grecians a penalty kick. Wareham would be the one to shoot from the spot, calmly slotting into the bottom-right to give the hosts the lead.
Timur Tutierov would be introduced to the pitch for the first time since signing on the hour-mark, the three home stands all rising to cheer on the young Sunderland loanee.
Minutes later he was able to set Wareham through one-on-one against Ashby Hammond, City's number nine probably holding onto the ball for a little bit too long and allowing the Stevenage keeper to close the angle and save the effort.
Gary Caldwell made a clear indication that his side were not done scoring with the introduction of Jack Aitchison in the 71st minute.
This was further solidified moments later when Brierley won the ball on the edge of the box and let fly a perfectly placed shot that appeared to strike both uprights before hitting the back of the net and doubling City's advantage, a first goal for Brierley since joining the club on loan in the summer.
The 90th minute saw the Grecians awarded a free kick on the edge of the box after Tutierov was brought to ground. Substitute Magennis would have the ball rolled to him, his shot deflected wide.
With nine minutes added on after the 90 had been played, City once more looked to add to the tally. Fans around the stadium were bewildered when play was halted for no apparent reason apart from a tussle between the City back line and a swarm of Stags' forward.
Nonetheless, City were still not done. With seconds left on the clock, Aitchison bound forward and found Tutierov at the back post, the Ukrainian calmly rolling the ball in to make it a debut goal and a third for City.
That would be that for what was a superb second half of football from City, securing three points and maintaining an impressive run of home form that has seen Gary Caldwell's team unbeaten in the league since September.
Match Details
Exeter City XI
Whitworth (GK), Fitzwater, Brierley, Mendes Gomes (Tutierov 60'), Wareham (Magennis 82'), Cole (Aitchison 71'), Niskanen, Woodhouse, Sweeney ©, Doyle-Hayes, Oakes (Turns 82')
Exeter City Unused Subs
Bycroft (GK), Cox, Birch
Goalscorers
Wareham (49' pen), Brierley (73'), Tutierov (90+8')
Yellow Cards
Doyle-Hayes (90+2')
Stevenage XI
Ashby-Hammond (GK), James Wildiin, Houghton (White 57'), Piergianni ©, Phillips (Lubala 77'), Kemp (Campbell 77'), Roberts (Cornick 68'), Goode, Freestone, Reid, Patterson
Stevenage Unused Subs
Woodford (GK), Pattenden, Thompson
Yellow Cards
Patterson (88'), Goode (90+3')
Attendance
6,302 (including 187 from Stevenage)