📝 Match Preview: Salford City (H)

City back at home this Saturday

11 March 2022

The Grecians are at home on Saturday for the second of three consecutive matches at SJP, as we host Salford City.

Following Tuesday night's 3-1 win over Swindon which saw our highest attendance of the season, we once again need your support as we continue our strong form in Sky Bet League Two. Salford City, or the 'Ammies' as they are known, are unbeaten in five league matches though and it will be another stern test for Matt Taylor's men. They drew 1-1 at home to league leaders Forest Green last weekend, so have had an extra few days rest than the Grecians.

Following Tuesday's win over Swindon Town, the Grecians are buoyant but Matt expects a tough game against an in-from Salford side.

Matt's Thoughts

"They've hit good form and had a really strong January. They have a strong style," he said.

"They're robust and all their results tends to be pretty close. We have to stand up to a physical opposition and be physical ourselves. It's a difficult one to prepare for because we haven;t had much turnaround this week, but we'll be going for this all guns blazing.

"They're a good team with a good manager, but we have to be in a position towards the end of the game where we're not chasing it. But we'll never underestimate the opposition.

"We just have to get our attacking players as close to the opposition goal as possible, and the Salford players have to come off that pitch on Saturday knowing that we've put them under pressure."

Hear more from Matt 👇

Match Tickets

By buying tickets in advance you can save money and avoid the queues on match day.

E-tickets

E-tickets are the easiest and quickest way to buy tickets for City matches. On ordering you can select to receive an e-ticket which will be emailed to your phone for you to show on the turnstile - no need to print!

Admission prices

Big Bank			IP Office/Stagecoach
Ticket Type	Advance	Gate	Ticket Type	Advance	Gate
Adult	£19	£20	Adult	£25	£26
Senior	£16	£17	Senior	£22	£23
Young Adult 18-23	£16	£17	Young Adult 18-23	£22	£23
Under-18	£7	£8	Under-18	£12	£13
Wheelchair Area	£16	£17	Wheelchair Area	£22	£23
Junior Grecians		---	Junior Grecians		---

How to Buy

To purchase tickets online, please click here. Please note that you will need to log in to purchase.

You can also call the club during the normal office hours on 01392 411243 or visit the club shop and reception in person between 10am and 4pm Monday to Friday. We ask that you please buy online where possible.

Junior Grecians Tickets

Junior Grecians members get access to free match tickets when purchased alongside a paying adult. There are three family friendly areas available at St James Park, section E in the IP Office Main Stand, in Block A of the Stagecoach Adam Stansfield Stand, and a section of the Thatchers Big Bank which is identified by the white barriers).

How to buy

To book Junior Grecians tickets, please make sure you are logged in first. Then select an Adult and either one or two Junior Grecian tickets to the basket. The system will validate you and change the Junior Grecians tickets to free.

Please note that this will not work if under-18 tickets are added, or tickets are selected in non-family areas. If you experience any issues, please email tickets@ecfc.co.uk who can help.

Tickets are limited and it is advisable to book early. Click here to find out more about the Junior Grecians.

How to Follow

Live audio commentary of the match is available in the UK on iFollow. Those overseas are able to tune in to a live stream.

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You can keep up to date with all the action by following us on social media. After the match we will bring you reaction from manager Matt Taylor and a player.

To purchase a match pass please click here.

For further details on iFollow, please click here
For a first time guide to iFollow, please click here

Exeter City on social media

Fan Zone Activity

This Saturday the Fan Zone activity will feature the popular return of Lez the Fez with his magic and balloon modelling starting from 1:45 before moving into the stadium.

Also back is the Guard of Honour. For you child to participate please head to the Information Point to register. Alternatively to avoid disappointment book early by email to customerservices@exetercityfc.co.uk.

The Information Point will provide an opportunity for First Time Visitors to pick up a welcome brochure that defines all you need to know about your local club. There are still a few remaining free balloons and posters for younger supporters. The Information Point will have match programmes, old programmes from years gone by and team sheets available.

The player badge available from the Match day Ambassador Team to collect will be Jevani Brown.

The activity showcased will be “Play Your Cards Right” to win a shirt or a football – your choice!

The Trust Office will also be open with Trust Vice-Chair Mark Cordell and Membership Secretary Celia Lowman on hand to answer your questions over a cup of coffee. New members especially welcome to find out about all the work the Trust is engaged in.

Stadium Tours

If you want to join the FREE 11am tour advance booking is required Stadium Tours - Exeter City FC. The tours start at 11.00am, meeting in Fan Zone and provide a wonderful opportunity to go behind the scenes of your club on a match day when the ground is coming alive and visit the museum.

The Key Timings

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Centre Spot Bar

The Centre Spot Bar will be open from 11am and will be showing the day's early and late kick offs on their selection of TV screens. After the match, draft pints of Tribute, Carlsberg and Thatchers are on offer for just £3 per pint.

The Centre Spot is also home to The Famous Exeter City Real Ale and Cider Emporium, offering a great selection of real ales and ciders.

Junior Grecians Zone

The Junior Grecians Zone is open to members from 12.30pm and open to all from 1.30pm, with plenty of activities for all our young Grecian supporters.

In Red Square, the bar and Kenniford Farm's van will also be open for refreshments and hot food.

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Club Shop

The club shop is open from 12pm to 5pm on matchdays and is stocked with all three of City's kits for the 21/22 season as well as a range of training gear and pocket money items.

Don't forget, Supporters' Trust members save 10% on full prices purchases!

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Jungle Path Kiosk

From Saturday, the kiosk on the Jungle Path will be selling pints of Thatchers Big Apple, cans of Thatchers Gold and bottle of Carlsberg, as well as all the usual half time snacks including pies, pasties and beverages.

Food and Drink

One of the most important part of any match day! We have a wide range of hot and cold drinks and snacks available at the kiosk for away fans.

Hot Food

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In the Fan Zone you will find the Kenniford Farm van serving local delicious hot food such as hog roasts and chips.

Salford City's Last Match

Salford City 1 Forest Green Rovers 1 | 05/03/22 | Sky Bet League Two

Salford held stuttering league leaders Forest Green to a draw at the Peninsula Stadium, with Matt Smith scoring for the Ammies.

Previous Encounter

Salford City 1 Exeter City 2 | 30/10/21 | Sky Bet League Two

Jake Caprice's stoppage time strike forced an own goal as the Grecians travelled back from a Halloween encounter in Greater Manchester with three more points on the board.

Match Reports

📝 Match Report: Exeter City 0 Salford City 0

George Barnes reports on Saturday's draw

12 March 2022

A damp afternoon at SJP ended in a goalless draw with City having to settle for the one point in an entertaining encounter.

The first half presented chances for both sides, with the visitors rattling the woodwork twice in the opening fifteen minutes.

The Grecians came into the match after a nervy start, creating chances to threaten the Ammies defence.

The home side took their earlier momentum into the second period, with promising crosses from wing backs Josh Key and Jack Sparkes troubling the Salford defence.

Despite the best efforts of the Grecians, a dominant second half failed to find the back of the net.

Matt Taylor opted for the experienced centre-back Alex Hartridge as a result of Jonathon Grounds injury against Swindon Town on Tuesday night.

The first chance of note came in the 4^th minute for the in-form Jevani Brown following a troubling long ball into the box from Hartridge, firing over from with an awkward half-volley effort.

Both teams applied pressure for the opening ten minutes with Salford having the majority of possession. An early opportunity for the opponents came through Matty Lund, who rattled the crossbar with a towering header following a cross from the left.

After a short stoppage in play, another significant chance fell to Salford. This time it was defender Theo Vassel hitting the right post following a corner from the same side.

A shift in momentum saw the Grecians with a couple of corners of their own. After initially playing the ball short, the ball worked its way to Jack Sparkes just outside the box, whose low driven effort tested the reactions of Salford keeper Tom King.

By the 25^th minute momentum had turned in favour of Matt Taylor’s side with multiple crosses from both sides testing the Salford back line.

The Ammies were able to finally break away on the 27^th minute as some quick feet from Ryan Watson allowed the winger to break free of Josh Key and produce a teasing cross but only finding the empty space, resulting in a goal kick for Cam Dawson.

On the 29^th minute, Sam Nombe went down fell to the ground after picking up a knock. The striker was quickly replaced by the on-loan target man Oz Zanzala.

The following ten minutes saw the hosts stay firmly on top. However, the Salford defence were proving stubborn to break down with continuous corners and crosses proving ineffective.

After a second short stoppage in play, the first minute of added on time saw Sparkes produce a dangerous cross but falling at an awkward height for Jevani as his volley fired wide of the target.

A positive start to the second half saw Josh Key work a low cross into the path of Zanzala, but King once again was able to deal with the danger.

Sparkes’ presence down the left-hand side was starting to produce problems for Salford after ten minutes of the second period, as a ball towards the back post found Brown before finding its way to Tim Dieng in the middle of the box. The midfielders ambitious bicycle kick from close range failed to find the target.

After a quiet spell of possession for the Grecians, some promising play down the right-hand side found Key whose cross found Dieng in acres of space in the centre of the box, unfortunately for City only finding the grateful gloves of King.

A dominant second half display from City was creating multiple chances for the Grecians with Josh Key finding Matt Jay from another dangerous cross, although once again unable to trouble the Salford defence.

As City continued to press for a late winner, Brown was able to break clear of the Salford pressure to produce a low curling effort in the direction of the right post, out frustratingly for City barely testing the Salford shot stopper.

The 89^th minute saw referee Andy Woolmer award a rare free-kick to the Grecians on the left side of the box with Jack Sparkes whipping in a teasing ball to the far post, but some outstretched City legs were unable to connect with the promising delivery.

Exeter City: Dawson, Sparkes, Stubbs, Sweeney, Hartridge, Key, Collins, Dieng, Jay ©, J. Brown (Coley 86’), Nombe (Zanzala 31’)

Subs: S. Brown, Diabate, Caprice, Taylor, Zanzala, Coley, Phillips

Salford City: King, Vassell, Ndaba, Turnball, Shepherd (Bolton 44’), Watson, Smith (Hunter 81’), Lund, Lowe, Kelly, Thomas-Asante

Subs: Torrance, Love, Golden, Bolton, Loughlin, Touray, Hunter

Attendance: 5,775 (90 away)