City v Crewe Alexandra

All you need to know about the Grecians match against Crewe Alexandra on Saturday

15 September 2017

Exeter City will be looking to extend their unbeaten start to the season to eight games when they take on Crewe Alexandra at St James Park on Saturday.

A draw and six wins from their opening seven matches represents the club's best ever start to a League campaign and Paul Tisdale says it has come about by the players focusing on getting the basics right.

Speaking ahead of the match against Crewe , Tis said: “I made a decision that we would start the season again with some good old-fashioned basics. The temptation was, having had a really good season last year, to try and get even more clever.

“However, we built our form and our style over a period of time last year and, in the summer, we lost key personnel and it would have been quite a challenge to make us even more creative or even more pass-orientated.

“So we have just started back with basics again, so let’s just stick with that. It has put us in a really good shape for this first month or two. We are in all the games we are playing. We are competitive in all the games. We are giving ourselves a good chance of winning.

“So, I’ll be asking the players to stick to that and we are going to avoid the temptation to become over pleased, over confident and all those things you can do if you are not focused enough.”

The IP Office Stand is sold out for the match against Crewe Alexandra, meaning there is only standing tickets available in the Thatchers' Big Bank.

Tickets should still be available for purchase, for the Thatchers' Big Bank, on the day of the game but the club is advising supporters to buy tickets in advance to avoid disappointment. You can do this by clicking on the following link and then collecting your ticket from the ticket booth in Red Square on matchday.

Thank you to our match sponsors Bidfoord. Bidfood are one of the largest food wholesalers in the UK. For more information on Bidfood visit the following page.

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

Redevelopment work: The away terrace and the Stagecoach Family Stand will not be open to supporters for Saturday's 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

Lloyd James is the feature interview for Saturday's matchday programme as he talks about the club's good start to the season, competition for places in the squad and a focus from the team to go one better this campaign.

Keith Bowker takes on the football first, best and worst feature, while there is an extensive look at opponents Crewe Alexandra with a profile of their recent form, manager and players. There is also another excellent poem from our Bard of ECFC which takes and Exeter City slant on Rudyard Kipling's popular poem 'If'. The programme is available for £3 from the club shop and around the ground.

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.

Our mascots for today's game are the following: Jack Vernon and Daniel Williams.

Read their profiles on page 13 of the matchday programme. If you would like to be a matchday mascot at one of our games contact our operations manager Andy Gillard via email at andy.gillard@ecfc.co.uk

The club shop will be open from 11am to 5pm on matchdays. The club shop is located in Red Square at the back of the IP Office Stand.

Match Reports

City 3 Crewe Alexandra 0

Double from Jake Taylor and early strike from Jordan Tillson give City victory

16 September 2017

Exeter City ran out 3-0 winners over Crewe Alexandra at St James Park to keep them top of the table in Sky Bet League Two.

First half goals from Jordan Tillson and Jake Taylor gave the Grecians a comfortable advantage going into the break, before Taylor's second of the mach rounded off a strong performance from the Grecians.

City manager, Paul Tisdale, named an unchanged side for the fourth consecutive match as they looked to secure a sixth consecutive league victory.

It was the away team who had the first opportunity of the match just two minutes in, as the ball fell to George Cooper in the City area, but despite being in space he was unable to keep his effort on target.

City’s first chance of the match led to the first goal on six minutes. Lee Holmes’ corner into a crowded penalty box eventually bounced in front of Tillson who tapped in from close range to give the Grecians an early advantage as the midfielder scored his first of the season.

Tisdale’s side then went close to finding their second soon after when, after good play from Holmes on the right which saw him cross well, Jake Taylor’s header at the back post across goal was cleared by the Crewe defence before a City player could get on the end of it.

Liam McAlinden then had a glorious chance to double City’s lead on 20 minutes after a good counter-attack set up by Tillson. The midfielder’s flick saw Holmes drive in towards goal centrally before he played the ball to McAlinden, but his finish was saved low by Ben Garratt.

The away side then had to clear off the line after Holmes, once again, caused panic in the Crewe defence. Another run saw him tee up Reuben Reid, but his shot was again saved by Garratt, who spilled the ball and had to thank his defenders for clearing the ball out of harm’s way.

The visitors then had a good opening which tested the City backline after Brad Walker did well to latch onto a long ball and go past Jordan Moore-Taylor, but the Grecians did well to block the cross on the by-line.

But it was City who were next to find the net, this time through Jake Taylor who rounded off a good move by the Grecians.

After a well worked throw-in by Pierce Sweeney and Lloyd James, the full-back did well to find McAlinden who crossed to the back post for Taylor to fire home and give the Grecians a deserved double in the first half.

Late chances in the first period came and went for McAlinden and Reid, but the Grecians were unable to find their third before the referee’s half-time whistle.

The Grecians were keen to begin the second half in a similar vein to how they finished the first with Moore-Taylor going close with a header and Sweeney seeing his low effort nestle just wide of Garratt’s post.

Just before the hour mark, Holmes was unfortunate not to see his effort creep under the visitor’s crossbar. The winger, who tricked his way inside and onto his preferred left foot, curled towards the far post but was unable to keep his shot on target.

The away side continued to look for a way back into the match, with Cooper often at the heart of the visitor’s attacking play, but City did well to reduce their opponents to half chances as they often looked to shoot from distance.

City then made their first substitute of the afternoon on 73 minutes as Stockley, fresh from sealing all three points against Barnet in midweek, entered the field.

And It took him just three minutes to make his mark as he attempted to head a good cross from the left-hand side from Taylor and as he did so he put off the goalkeeper and the ball flew into the net without him or the Crewe Alexandra shot stopper getting a touch.

Despite being 3-0 up, City were keen to extend their goal advantage with Stockley almost getting a goal himself but for a foul on Garratt.

But the score remained at three goals for a City side who impressed in front of a home crowd to claim another valuable three points in Sky Bet League Two.

Exeter City: Pym, Sweeney, Woodman (Moxey, 79), James, Tillson, Holmes, Moore-Taylor, McAlinden (Boateng, 77), Taylor, Reid (Stockley, 73), Brown

Subs not used: Hamon, Archibald-Henville, Jay, Moxey, Edwards,

Crewe Alexandra: Garratt, Bakayogo, Walker (Stubbs, 64), Raynes, Porter, Dagnall (Bowery, 73), Cooper, Nolan, Ainley (Dale, 73), Wintle, Lowery

Subs not used: Richards, Pickering, Kirk, Reilly

Booked: Nolan, Walker

Attendance: 4,218 (Inc, 159, away)

Exeter City FC

Standings

City v Crewe Alexandra

City 3 Crewe Alexandra 0