City v Stevenage (Saturday, December 16)

All you need to know about the weekend's clash with Darren Sarll's Boro

14 December 2017

Exeter City will be looking to record their 10th home win of the season on Saturday when they host Stevenage at St James Park.

Manager Paul Tisdale will be without Jordan Tillson for the match but does have other options in midfield with Ryan Harley coming back into the first team line-up recently having been out since the opening day of the season.

“It was a big night for Ryan Harley, having played at Colchester United, to play again on Tuesday night,” said Tis.

“It was an important week for him to get through those two games.”

Watch Paul Tisdale pre-match press conference below.

TICKETS

At the time of writing (Thursday, 3.30pm) there were only a handful of seated tickets left for the game in the IP Office Stand. You can purchase tickets for the match by going tickets.ecfc.co.uk, phoning 01392 411243 or by visiting the club in person. However, if you are after seated tickets the club would advise that you buy your seat as soon as possible.

There are still plenty of standing tickets available for the match in the Thatchers Big Bank. You can also purchase these in advance, at a discounted rate, or on the day of the match – from the ticket booth in Red Square. You can also pay on the gate should you wish.

Hospitality is also available for this and all home fixtures at St James Park from as little as £30 (including the matchday ticket). To enjoy the match in style email commercial@ecfc.co.uk or phone 01392 413957.

WEST BROM TICKETS

Tickets for our Emirates FA Cup third round match against West Bromwich Albion will be available to purchase in person from 5pm to 7.30pm on Saturday for those in the gold or silver members’ category. Please note that the ticket booth in Red Square will not be open for ticket sales for our match against West Brom before kick-off as it will be dealing with matchday sales at that point.

To find out all you need to know about tickets for the Emirates FA Cup match with West Brom, including prices, click on the following link.

MATCHDAY SPONSORS

Thank you to our match sponsors, Deadline Distribution. Deadline connect hundreds of Devon based businesses and people every day. They know how important it is to send packages and goods securely and on time. This is why they offer only the best in collection and delivery services, and are proud to say that their range of mail and parcel services, whether same day, next day or international is just that. You can find out more about Deadline Distribution by clicking on the following link.

We have an extensive range of sponsorship opportunities at the club. For more information contact Jake Wood at Exeter City at jake.wood@ecfc.co.uk.

GROUND INFO

The away terrace and the Stagecoach Family Stand will not be open to supporters for the game due to redevelopment work at the club. All entry for home fans will be via the Stadium Way turnstiles into the IP Office Main Stand or the Thatchers' Big Bank. There will be no entry possible from the Jungle Path/Well Street side to the Thatchers' Big Bank. For more information read the following article.

FAMILY ZONE

The Junior Grecians family zone will be open to its members from 12.30pm on Saturday and then to the general public, including away supporters, from 1.30pm. The zone has video consoles, large TV screens, a refreshments stall and table football. For zone is located in Red Square. For more information on it read the following article.

KIOSKS

Please note that the kiosk in the Junior Grecian family zone is open to fans during half-time. If fans from the IP Office stand wish to use these kiosks it will reduce the queues at the other vending points in the ground.

MATCHDAY PROGRAMME

Exeter City’s on-loan right-back Kane Wilson is the feature interview in Saturday’s matchday programme as he chats about his time at the club, the lessons he has learned and what he thinks of living in the city having come from the bustling metropolis of Birmingham.

There are all the usual features in our 92-page edition. You can pick up a copy of the programme for £3 from the club shop and various points around the ground.

MASCOTS

Dylan Isaac, Ollie Mathieu, Sam Sampson and Jamie Crump are the matchday mascots for Saturday’s game. You can read their profiles in the matchday programmes.

CLUB SHOP

The club shop will be open from 11am to 5pm on matchday, selling a range of good including many good presents for Christmas.

Match Reports

City 2 Stevenage 1

City take all three points with goals from Lloyd James Pierce Sweeney

16 December 2017

Exeter City moved back up into the automatic promotion places as they recorded a 2-1 victory at home to Stevenage.

The Grecians were the better side for the majority of the match and deservedly led 2-0 midway through the second half through goals from Lloyd James and Pierce Sweeney, but the visitors kept battling and set up a nervy finish with a volley from Matt Godden 11 minutes from time.

MATCH REPORT SPONSORED BY SPEEDY FREIGHT

City manager Paul Tisdale made three changes to the side that beat Forest Green Rovers in an FA Cup replay on Tuesday night.

Out went the suspended Jordan Tillson, along with Dean Moxey and Dan Seaborne. In came Troy Archibald-Henville, Craig Woodman and Hiram Boateng.

City started the match the brighter of the two teams and had the first meaningful effort of the game when Boateng swung a free-kick into the box that Jayden Stockley volleyed goalward. Joe Fryer made a good save though and then got up off the floor to block Jake Taylor’s follow up effort.

Then, on 15 minutes, Pierce Sweeney swung a low cross into the box that McAlinden and Stockley were close to getting on the end of before, two minutes later, Ryan Harley hit an effort from 30 yards which Fryer saved.

Fryer continued his impressive game as he tipped a Sweeney shot out of his net and then saved a sweetly-struck volley from Harley.

The visitors then came close to going in front three minutes before the break, but thankfully Chris Whelpdale’s shot was inches wide of Christy Pym’s post.

Stevenage started the second half with some early pressure, but City went close again on 50 minutes as Stockley had a header tipped over and then, from the resultant corner, Sweeney volleyed wide at the back post.

And City took a deserved lead four minutes later as McAlinden cut in from the right and played a perfect ball into the path of James who held off his defender and side-footed the ball into the bottom corner.

Stevenage started to flood men forward at that point and pinned City back into their own half for a while, without really creating any clearcut chances.

Therefore, it came as a very welcome goal when Sweeney added the home side’s second on 71 minutes. The right-back did superbly well to follow up on McAlinden’s saved shot to fire past Fryer from the edge of the six-yard box.

However, eight minutes later Stevenage were back in the game as Matt Godden hit a volley into the far corner of Pym’s net from a cross in from the left and a good knockdown from Danny Newton. Pym was booked in the aftermath of that goal for dissent as he appealed for a push on a City player.

Jake Taylor had a good chance to make it 3-1 on 85 minutes but appeared to be tugged back by a visiting defender as he tried to get on the end of the long ball and chip a shot over Fryer. In the aftermath of that Stockley was booked for dissent as he appealed for a penalty kick.

That meant, in the 89^th minute, Pym had to produce an excellent save from a well-struck shot from Joe Martin.

However, City could have wrapped the game up in stoppage time as substitute Lee Holmes ran at the visiting defence and chipped a cross into the middle for Matt Jay to head against the bar from close range. It did not matter though in terms of the result as City saw the remaining minutes out without any further problems.

Exeter City (4-4-2): Pym; Sweeney, Archibald-Henville, Moore-Taylor, Woodman; Taylor (Jay, 90), Boateng, James, Harley (Edwards, 90); McAlinden (Holmes, 78), Stockley. Subs not used: Hamon, Seaborne, Wilson, Reid.

Booked: McAlinden, Pym, Stockley, Archibald-Henville

Stevenage: Fryer; Smith (Beautyman, 66), Martin, King, Wilkinson, Whelpdale (Kennedy, 66), Pett, Samuel (Newton, 55), Godden, Henry, McKee. Subs: Day, Gorman, Conlon, Van Cooten.

Attendance: 3,448 (119, away)

Exeter City FC

Standings

City v Stevenage (Saturday, December 16)

City 2 Stevenage 1