For our final League One Rewind, we head back to the final day of the 2010-11 season, when the Grecians travelled to Hillsborough to take on Sheffield Wednesday.
Having already dispatched the Owls 5-1 at St James Park in the return fixture, the Grecians headed to South Yorkshire in scintillating form with six wins from seven matches having just beaten fierce rivals Plymouth Argyle 1-0. The Grecians weren't able to make the play-offs, sitting four points off heading into the final game, but knew victory would secure a memorable eighth place finish in only their second season in the third tier.
Sheffield Wednesday 1-2 Exeter City - Saturday May 7, 2011
The match in front of over 21,000 saw the home side start on the front foot and they took the lead within 13 minutes through Jermaine Johnson's thunderous effort. After a mazy run forward, Johnson shimmied his way past Steve Tully and Ryan Harley before unleashing a rocket from the edge of the box past Artur Krysiak to set the Owls up for a fifth successivwe home win.
It should have been two for the hosts shortly after, but for exceptional goalkeeping from Krysiak and heroics from Richard Duffy. Lewis Buxton was denied by the Polish shot-stopper before Duffy did superbly to head Neil Mellor's follow up off the line.
City kept the Owl at bay and had chances of their own, but the best chance to level came when when Wednesday defender Jon Otsemobor almost spectacularly headed into his own net. Daniel Nardiello was then denied when his deflected effort struck the post, but that was a sign of things to come from Paul Tisdale's side.
Nardiello did find the net with 15 minutes remaining when he excellently received James Dunne's pass after a waltzing run forward and calmly fired past Nicky Weaver.
As the game headed for a 1-1 draw, cue heroics from Troy Archibald-Henville. The centre-half picked up a stray pass from Darren Potter inside his own half before continuing forward with the ball. Expecting him to play it, the Wednesday defence backed off, allowing Troy to find a gap in the back line, march into the space and poke the ball under the goalkeeper for a stunning solo goal.
In stoppage time, Tisdale brought himself on a substitute for his first appearance in over ten years as City held on to do the double over the Owls.
Paul Tisdale told BBC Radio Devon:
"I'm very proud of the team, very proud to be manager of a terrific club and with all that it's just tinged with a little bit of disappointment that we've not finished seventh.
"It's been a great year and we've had to overcome numerous issues, most notably the passing of Adam Stansfield and we've come through it and we've done things in a very respectful way.
"This club is different. It is totally different and part of it is being serious, you don't lose that seriousness, but you have to enjoy every minute you get."
City XI: Krysiak, Tully, Duffy, Archibald-Henville, Golbourne, Dunne, Harley, Cozic (Nicholls) (Tisdale), Sercombe, Nardiello (Taylor), Cureton.
Subs not used: Edwards, Jones, Shephard, Logan.