📝 Match Preview: Leyton Orient

All you need to know ahead of Saturday's match

8 September 2023

This Saturday sees Exeter City celebrate 20 years of Supporters' Trust ownership as we take on Leyton Orient in a 3pm kick-off in EFL Sky Bet League One.

City's match is one of just two matches in League One due to the international break. City will be looking to continue their fine form this season, which sees them top of the League after six matches, winning their last three league matches in a row.

Orient have found life back in League One tough so far, sitting in 20th place having picked up a single win so far this season.

The Grecians will be without Finnish duo Vil Sinisalo and Ilmari Niskanen who are off representing their country - good luck to the pair!

City's newest signings Admiral Muskwe and Jack Fitzwater will be looking to be involved.

Kevin Nicholson's Thoughts

Assistant manager Kevin Nicholson has given his thoughts as City prepare to take on Leyton Orient at SJP on Saturday.

Filing in on press duties for Gary Caldwell, who was in a board meeting, Nicho is looking forward to the match as the Grecians hope to cotinue their good start to the season.

"Our league position means nothing, and Saturday is all about us and how we try and beat a good team," Nicho said.

Hot Weather

It is going to be another hot afternoon at the Park in general and particularly on the Big Bank at 25C so please don’t forget your shades, factor 50 and to drink plenty of fluids!

Please note there are a range of hats available in the Club Shop!

Match Tickets

With both of City's home league matches being sell outs in the home areas so far this season it's worth booking early to gain admission!

As of Friday, September 8 there are the following tickets available:

450 Thatchers Cider Big Bank
8 Seats in Block A of the Optimising IT Adam Stansfield Stand
80 Seats in Block L of the Nevada Construction Main Stand

Admission prices

Big Bank			Nevada Construction/Optimising IT
Ticket Type	Advance	Gate	Ticket Type	Advance	Gate
Adult	£20	£22	Adult	£27	£28
Senior	£17	£19	Senior	£24	£25
Young Adult 18-23	£17	£19	Young Adult 18-23	£24	£25
Under-18	£8	£10	Under-18	£13	£14
Wheelchair Area	£17	£19	Wheelchair Area	£24	£25
Junior Grecians		---	Junior Grecians		---

The Kit

To celebrate 20 years of Supporters' Trust ownership we will be wearing our Trust sponsored third kit against Leyton Orient!

Trust Celebrations

The Trust are sponsors of today's match to celebrate 20 years of ownership of Exeter City.

Tuesday, September 5 2023 marked a special date in the calendar for Exeter City FC and the Supporters' Trust, as it commemorates the twentieth anniversary of the Trust's ownership of the Club.

Over the past twenty years, Trustees, volunteers, community champions, club staff, and supporters have helped save Exeter City from the brink of extinction, and back into League One.

Thriving on and off the pitch work from everybody behind the scenes helped restore the club to its best-ever position and the tireless generosity and love from our supporters and members makes Exeter City the special club we have today.

How to follow

If you can't join us at SJP, you can follow all the action by watching LIVE on iFollow. As it's an international break you can watch LIVE in the UK and overseas for just £10! Click here to grab a pass.

We will also be proving live coverage on our Twitter and Facebook pages and will have reaction from Gary Caldwell and a player after the match!

Exeter City on social media

Key Timings

Check out the key timings for Saturday's match. The players start to arrive from 12:30pm so come along and grab a selfie or autograph!

Matchday Family Fun

Going to the football with your family is the perfect way to make memories you treasure, and at St James Park there is plenty on offer pre-match to keep the whole family entertained, and ensure a special day out.

For full details of all the activities happening at SJP on Saturday, click here.

Sticker book reduced!

The official Exeter City Sticker Album is just £2 this weekend, so no better time to grab a copy from the club shop!

Collect 184 different stickers, ranging from current and past players, club legends, magic moments and more! Buy from the club shop from Saturday. The album includes the first eight stickers!

Each matchday league programme this season will have 8 stickers to collect to fill your book!

sticker book.jpg

Centre Spot Bar

The Centre Spot Bar will be open from 11am and will be showing the early and late kick-offs.

After the match, we will be showing England's match against Ukraine, with draft pints of Tribute, Carlsberg and Thatchers are on offer for just £3.75 a pint.

Post Match Pint.jpg

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 from 12:30pm to members and 1:30pm to everyone, with plenty of activities for all our young Grecian supporters.

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

Family Zone 9.jpg

Club Shop

The club shop is open all day on matchdays and is stocked with all three of City's kits for the 22/24 season as well as a range of training gear and pocket money items.

Don't forget, Supporters' Trust members, Junior Grecians and season ticket holders save 10% on full prices purchases!

Our brand new third kit will be revealed and on sale in the club shop at SJP from 10:30am!

Jungle Path Kiosk

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. CONTACTLESS CARD PAYMENT NOW AVAILABLE!

Kiosk Menu

Kenniford Farm will also be in the Fan Zone with their wide range of local produce including hog roast rolls and chips.

Match Day Programme

The matchday programme the Grecian has a new look for this season, with designers Curtis Sports giving it a refresh!

Saturday's issue is full size and just £3:50 including a set of eight stickers for the new sticker book and contains features on the Supporters' Trust's 20th anniversary of owning Exeter City FC!

Previous Encounter

Exeter City 1 Leyton Orient 0 | February 8, 2022 | EFL Sky Bet League Two

Cheick Diabate’s last gasp winner was all to separate the two sides, with City pushing their bid promotion.

Match Reports

📝 Match Report: Exeter City 1 Leyton Orient 2

Our write up of defeat at SJP

9 September 2023

A depleted Exeter City side suffered their first defeat of the season at SJP, after a late strike from Ruel Sotiriou grabbed all three points for the visitors.

After a first half which saw City on the back foot, Demetri Mitchell popped up with a stunning strike in the 48th minute, before the O’s levelled through Joe Pigott. With the game looking to end all square, Ruel Sotiriou popped up with a long range strike to take all three points back to London.

Manager Gary Caldwell made three changes to the side that beat Burton Albion last Saturday due to injuries and players on international duty. Gary Woods, Sonny Cox and 16-year-old Jake Richards all coming into the side for Vil Sinisalo and Ilmari Niskanen who are representing Finland on international duty, and Dion Rankine who misses out through injury.

City named new signings Jack Fitzwater and Shaun MacDonald on the bench, alongside a return for James Scott.

The Grecians in their black and red Trust sponsored third strip to mark that twenty-year anniversary, got the action under way in sweltering conditions at the Park.

City found themselves under pressure in the first five minutes, with the O’s doing most of the attacking as City’s defence, which had only conceded two league goals so far this season, held firm.

The first real chance of the game came for the visitors after six minutes. A deep cross from Tom James was smashed against the crossbar from close range by Omar Beckles – a real let off for the Grecians.

City found it hard going in the first fifteen and had to deal with Orient’s high press, looking slightly disjointed in trying to spark an attack. Orient's set-pieces were causing City issues. A long throw found Beckles feet in the six-yard area. Luckily for City, he fouled Aimson and proceeded to volley wide.

Twenty minutes in, City had their first effort on the O’s goal. Ryan Trevitt span in midfield and found Demitri Mitchell out wide, he cut inside his marker and his shot from inside the box was deflected for a corner. The resulting corner from Reece Cole was well defended by Orient.

Gary Woods was tested by a long-range free-kick from dead-ball specialist Tom James who hit a flat effort from 25-yards which was palmed away by City’s shot-stopper. The resulting corner found Idris El Mizouni, who hit a fierce shot from the edge of the box which again Woods was able to push away from danger for another corner. The next phase saw yet another effort come close from the visitors.

Strong hold up from Sonny Cox in the 33rd minute saw the forward find an out ball to Demetri Mitchell. Mitchell cut inside and his cross looked comfortable for Sol Brynn in the O’s goal, but the ball slipped from his grasp, thankfully for the O’s they were able to clear the danger.

The final action of the first half saw Reece Cole fire a free-kick well over from twenty-yards. The Grecians were probably the happier of the two sides to go in at half-time.

City came out firing in the second half and took the lead in just the 48th minute in stunning style. Youngster Jake Richards found the ball inside the O’s half, he chipped a perfect ball over the Orient defence for Demetri Mitchell, who hit a thunderous half volley over Sol Brynn from a tight angle, and into the back of the net to send the Big Bank wild!

It wasn’t long until the scores were level. A cross into the box found Joe Pigott, he controlled the ball, bringing it down before firing into the bottom corner, leaving Gary Woods no chance to make it 1-1 on 55.

The second half certainly started more evenly than the first, but the equaliser drove Orient on to try for a second. The Grecians weathered a storm for ten minutes, before Gary Woods made a stunning save at full stretch to keep out a curling effort from the edge of the box as City were desperate to clear their lines.

This chance woke up City, and Sweeney’s searching ball down the channel found Kyle Taylor, Kyle moved forward towards the box, evading a couple challenges before making space in the box, however the ref blew for a ‘foul’ that most in SJP didn’t see…

Goalscorer Demetri Mitchell had a golden chance to give City the lead on 78 minutes. A quick City attack found Jules down the left, he cut inside and his cross found Trevitt on the edge of the box, his quick cross was in-front of the O’s defence and Mitchell challenged Sol Brynn for a header which flashed just wide.

A clever corner routine as we approached 90 minutes almost caught City cold but some strong defending, coupled with safe hands from Gary Woods kept the score level.

A few minutes later Orient would hit City with a sucker punch. Ruel Sotiriou found the ball inside the Grecians half and he drove forward before hitting a fierce low drive from twenty five yards that was out of the reach of Gary Woods and nestled into the corner to make it 2-1 to the visitors and take all three points back to London.

The Grecians are next in action on Saturday, September 16 as they face Cheltenham Town in a 3pm kick-off at St James Park. Click here for ticket information.

Exeter City XI: Woods; Cole, Sweeney, Aimson ©, Hartridge, Jules, Carroll, Richards (Beardmore ‘80), Trevitt, Mitchell (Borges ‘80), Cox (Taylor ’65)

Subs: MacDonald, Fitzwater, O’Connor, Scott

Yellow: Borges, Cole, Beardmore

Leyton Orient XI: Brynn, James, Pigott, Sotiriou, Archibald, Cooper, Moncur, El Mizouni, Pratley, Beckles, Graham

Subs: Howes, Sweeney, Brown, Forde, Galbraith, Sanders, Hunt

Yellow: Archibald, Pratley, Sotiriou

Attendance: 7004 (469 away)

Ticket News

🎟️ Limited tickets remain for Leyton Orient match

Join us at the Park

9 September 2023

Limited tickets remain for today's match against Leyton Orient at SJP, 3pm.

As of Saturday morning there are the following tickets available:

295 Thatchers Cider Big Bank
43 Seats in the Optimising IT Adam Stansfield Stand
66 Seats in Block L of the Nevada Construction Main Stand

You can book tickets online by clicking the button below, or by visitng the ticket booth in the fan zone from 12pm.

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			Nevada Construction/Optimising IT
Ticket Type	Advance	Gate	Ticket Type	Advance	Gate
Adult	£20	£22	Adult	£27	£28
Senior	£17	£19	Senior	£24	£25
Young Adult 18-23	£17	£19	Young Adult 18-23	£24	£25
Under-18	£8	£10	Under-18	£13	£14
Wheelchair Area	£17	£19	Wheelchair Area	£24	£25
Junior Grecians		---	Junior Grecians		---

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 Nevada Construction Main Stand, in Block A of the Optimising IT 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.

Match Hospitality

Why not upgrade your City experience with matchday Hospitality!

The ECFC Supporters Trust Suite

Access the lounge up to 3 hours prior to kick-off
Reserved seat in the main stand
Freshly prepared two course meal
Half-time tea and coffee
Complimentary matchday programme and teamsheet
Dedicated lounge host
Pre-match player interview
MOTM interview
MOTM presentation
Large screens showing Sky Sports and BT Sport
Premium cash bar with table service

How to Buy

Hospitality is available for just £65 per-person

For further information or to book tickets, please call our commercial team on 01392 411 243 Option 5, email commercial@ecfc.co.uk, or online via newtickets.ecfc.co.uk