📝 Match Preview: Northampton Town (H)

All you need to know ahead of Saturday's match

29 September 2023

Exeter City return to League action at the Park this Saturday to take on Northampton Town in a 3pm kick-off.

The Grecians will be looking to build on Tuesday evening's incredible night under the lights in the Carabao Cup as Demetri Mitchell's goal earned a 1-0 win over Premier League side Luton Town, earning the club a place in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup for the first time since 1990!

Visitors Northampton Town have adapted well to life back in League One, currently sitting in 18th place, but are on the back of three straight League defeats.

City will be without Demetri Mitchell, who picked up a red card on Tuesday night, so will sit out Saturday's match.

The atmosphere and scenes at the end were incredible on Tuesday night - more of the same please Grecians!

Kevin Nicholson's thoughts

"We've got to go out and get SJP rocking again."

Kevin Nicholson preview's Saturday's clash with Northampton Town at St James Park.

Match Tickets

With City's home league matches proving popular in the home areas so far this season it's worth booking early to gain admission!

As of Thursday, September 28 there are the following tickets available:

850 Thatchers Cider Big Bank
150 Seats in Block A of the Optimising IT Adam Stansfield Stand
Handful of Seats in 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		---

City supporting 'Play Safe Weekend'

In partnership with Exeter City Supporters' Trust, Exeter City Community Trust, and the Devon FA, we are proud to support the FA's Play Safe Weekend 2023.

This year’s Play Safe weekend focuses on the safeguarding role that EVERYONE has to play.

Whether coach, player, parent/carer, spectator, or volunteer, it is so important to keep children and young people safe, no matter what the football setting.

Everyone, everywhere, every time’ should have an understanding of safeguarding in football.

We ask and encourage you all to ‘watch, listen, talk and act’ if they have any safeguarding concerns.

Together, let’s create an ever-safer culture across the game we all love.

The Kit

City will be in their traditional home kit for this match.

How to follow

If you can't join us at SJP, you can follow all the action on iFollow. Listen LIVE in the UK for £2.50 and watch live overseas for just £10! Click here to grab a pass.

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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!

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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!

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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 Spurs vs Liverpool with draft pints of Tribute, Carlsberg and Thatchers are on offer for just £3.75 a pint.

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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.

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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!

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 just £3:50 including a set of eight stickers for the new sticker book!

Previous Encounter

Northampton Town 1 Exeter City 1 (30 April 2022) EFL League Two

Sam Nombe's second-half goal was enough for the Grecians to earn a point and head top of Sky Bet League Two.

Match Reports

📝 Match Report: City 0 Northampton Town 2

City beaten at SJP

30 September 2023

An uninspiring City display was punished by an early goal from Sam Hoskins and a late dagger from Patrick Brough as Northampton Town ran out 2-0 winners at St James Park.

After the elation of Tuesday night, the Grecians were brought back down to earth with a bump with a goal in each half, as they looked uncharacteristically sluggish in attack.

Manager Gary Caldwell named five changes from City’s midweek triumph over Luton Town with Vincent Harper, Pierce Sweeney, Reece Cole, Yanic Wildschut and Sonny Cox coming into the starting XI. Northampton Town came to St James Park in 18th position in the League One table, following a slow start to the season for The Cobblers.

The match opened with Northampton asking questions of the City defence with both initial attacks being diffused by a composed Alex Hartridge. City quickly retaliated with Zak Jules putting in, what is quickly becoming, one of his trademark runs down the left-wing. Shrugging off all challenging mint-green shirts, Jules drew a foul in a promising position for Cole to whip in one of his well-established trademark free kicks. The dead-ball was struck with venom but was unlucky not to find a City attacker.

20 minutes in Northampton took the lead via Hoskins. Shaun McWilliams slid Hoskins in behind the City defence leaving the Cobbler’s number seven in a one-on-one situation with Vil Sinisalo. Hoskins calmly played the ball through Sinisalo’s legs into the net and City found themselves behind. Not to be disheartened by going behind early, City continued to attack. Following a scramble in the Northampton penalty area, the clearance met Hartridge, who - with some fast-thinking - volleyed the ball to Wildschut. Wildschut was able to wriggle away from challenging defenders and get a low shot off, smothered by Lee Burge in goal.

There was not a lot of action to report on before the teams headed in at half-time. Jules continued to boost his progressive ball carrying stats, muscling his way through the Northampton midfield but to no avail as City struggled to find the final-ball to create a real chance.

The opening 15 minutes of the second-half was a scrappy affair. The ref was being lenient for both sides, allowing the game to flow when on another day it could have been very stop-start. The Cobblers had the best of the chances, generating a couple shots on target, fizzing into the palms of Sinisalo who kept City in the game. A frustrating afternoon for Grecians became a nervy one: As Akin Odimayo was shown a yellow for delaying a throw-in, some moments of individual defensive brilliance were required to keep the deficit to one.

Hartridge found himself faced by a stampede of four Cobblers but like a masterful shepherd, he herded the ball into his path and blocked the shot, ending the counter-attack. Sinisalo continued to put on a goalkeeping masterclass, denying a driven effort with his feet, before catching a powerful shot above his head like a scene from a superhero film. Whilst City were uninspiring going forward, Grecians can find solace in strong individual defensive performances, with the Finn in goal's man of the match showing perhaps a sign of the pressure the Cobblers put Caldwell's men under.

Going into the final ten minutes, City’s overhit passes and heavy touches continued to dampen any kind of attacking momentum they could garner. In the six minutes of given additional time, City continued to commit players forward, stringing together some intricate passes around the edge of the Northampton area without any look in at a final-ball.

City’s commitment to attack left them exposed at the back. Counter-attacking link-up play between Tyreece Simpson, Bowie and Brough left Sinisalo exposed at the back as the latter played the ball into an empty net, putting to bed any hopes of a late City comeback.

City have the chance to put things right on Tuesday when they head to Charlton Athletic, kick-off 7.45.

Exeter City: Sinisalo, Harper (Kite), Sweeney (Fitzwater), Aimson (C), Hartridge, Jules, Carroll, Cole, Taylor, Wildschut (Scott), Cox (Aitchison)

Unused subs: Woods, Borges, Richards

Northampton Town: Burge, Guthrie (C), Sherring, Hoskins (Monthe), Appere (Simpson), Pinnock, McWilliams (Fox), Bowie, Leonard, Odimayo (Lintott), Brough

Unused subs: Thompson (GK), McGowan, Haynes

Referee: Neil Hair

Attendance: 6,541 (365 away)

Ticket News

🎟️ Limited Northampton Town tickets available

Join us at the Park

30 September 2023

Limited tickets are available for today's match against Northampton Town at SJP!

The following is available at 8am:

80 seats in the Optimising IT Adam Stansfield Stand
50 in block K of the Nevada Construction Main Stand
450 Thatchers Cider Big Bank

How to Buy

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.