Exeter City return to action for the first time in four months as they begin 2021with a Devon Women’s Senior Cup tie against Feniton at the Sports Hub.
- Exeter City Women vs Feniton Women
- Devon Women’s Senior Cup Round One
- Sunday, 18 April - 2pm kick-off
- Exwick, Sports Hub, Exeter
- Behind Closed Doors
MATCH PREVIEW
Last season, the Grecians overcame Bideford in Round One, with a comprehensive 5-1 victory in North Devon, before a 9-0 win over Marine Academy Plymouth set up a hotly anticipated Final against Plymouth Argyle. Sadly, due to that season’s premature ending, the fixture never got to be played. The disappointment of not being able to compete in last season’s final will no doubt provide big motivation to reach that stage once again this year.
Feniton made a good start to their season, sitting second in the South West Regional Western Division with three wins, before further restrictions resulted in the League Season being voided. The East Devon side’s last competitive game saw a comfortable victory over Plymouth Argyle Second’s, winning the fixture by three goals to nil. However, like so many grassroots Clubs, it has been a considerable break without football. The Plymouth Argyle fixture was played on October 10th and Mark Ebdon’s team have not played a competitive fixture since, due to a combination of Lockdown restrictions and bad weather, although they did prepare for Sunday’s game with a Friendly victory over Sherborne Town.
Stefanie Churchill-Matthews was the Fenny’s leading scorer in the curtailed campaign and she will certainly pose a threat to the home side’s defence on Sunday. There is also the possibility of a couple of familiar faces in blue, with Louise Ilsley and Kate Finch recently playing for Feniton and both could play against their former Club. Ilsley was part of City’s Title winning side of 2019 and spent three years as a Grecian, making 29 appearances. Finch spent two years with Exeter between 2016 and 2018, an impressive sixteen goals in her 31 appearances in red and white offers a sign of the threat she may pose in this cup tie.
With Abbie Britton and Aaron Wakley beginning their tenure in control of first team matters, City will be looking for a confident start to their Devon Senior Cup campaign. It has been six years since the Grecians last lifted the Trophy, but with the top level of the Counties Teams being as close as it has been for some time, this is a tournament that City will feel they have a chance of winning.
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