Exeter City’s unbelievable continues with battling ways

Luke Harris, a Fulham loanee, scored his fourth goal of the season as he guided the Grecians ahead with the match’s opening significant move. However, Ryan Woods was sent off for bad behaviour during the halftime break after colliding violently with Jon Guthrie.

In the second half, the Cobblers controlled the ball but produced little. However, with 20 minutes remaining, Guthrie tied the score when he scored following a long throw that was mishandled. However, Will Aimson’s 83rd-minute winner gave Exeter all three points as the captain arrived late at the back post to bundle the ball home.

With favourable results, the Grecians have moved back into the top half of League One and have a chance to finish in the top ten. However, if Caldwell’s team defeats play-off-chasing Oxford United on the last day of the season, they will have a chance to finish in the top half and extend their unbeaten streak to 10 games.

“After trailing by ten men, it was an incredible demonstration of character and teamwork,” remarked Caldwell. “I believed our game-opening strategy was great. Their squad shocked us by changing formation, treating us with a great deal of respect, locking into our box, and attempting to stop us from playing.

However, I felt that after we made our adjustments, we gave them a lot of trouble, scored at that time, and had the opportunity to score additional goals. Just before halftime, the game got a little loose, and the sending off changed everything, but this squad never gives up and always finds a way to win, and we pulled off another incredible victory with ten men.

Gary Caldwell changed the starting lineup four times after the team’s 4-2 victory over Port Vale on the road on Saturday. Zak Jules, Dion Rankine, Tom Carroll, and Jack Fitzwater entered the game; Fitzwater, a defender plagued by injuries this season, had his first appearance since October.

Reece Cole was well enough to start on the bench, although Cheick Diabate, Ben Purrington, and Caleb Watts were all benched. Yanic Wildschut was among several players sidelined due to injury, along with Vincent Harper.

With the first effort on goal for either team in the 20th minute, City did grab the lead. Aimson recovered the ball with a strong

The Grecians were up, and Ilmari Niskanen’s attempt went over the crossbar, but Northampton had a good chance to tie the score right before halftime. Town had at least five attempts in a thirty-second span, and after Jules and Vil Sinisalo combined to block one on the crossbar, Harris cleared one off the line as City eventually managed to get the ball away. It was an incredible goalmouth melee.

However, Woods’ straight red card meant that City had just ten men at the interval. A struggle broke out between the midfielder and Jon Guthrie, with Woods responding angrily to some provocation by thrusting his chest in the Cobblers player’s direction. Although Guthrie was first booked for a foul, referee Ruebyn Ricardo

On the red card, Caldwell said: “I think it’s really soft. There’s a coming together and he goes down very, very easily and the referee couldn’t wait to get his red card out. It was very soft.” Caldwell made one change at the break, with Diabate replacing Fitzwater, as City moved to a back four as they looked to hold their one goal lead with one man fewer. On 72 minutes, Northampton did draw level, with what was their first real shot in anger. A long throw was launched into the box by Mitch Pinnock, Aimson couldn’t get the ball clear after Sam Sherring flicked it on, and Guthrie poked home from close range to make it 1-1.

In an attempt to hang onto the point, Caldwell substituted new legs for Richards, Harris, and Carroll, bringing on Cole, Watts, and Harry Kite. However, in the last ten minutes, the Grecians seized the lead back. Jules performed a magnificent job down the left side, fizzing in a low cross, and captain Aimson scored the game-winning goal late at the far post to give City the lead back.

“The victor demonstrates the bravery of the group,” Caldwell declared. “We didn’t give up many chances, conceded a really bad goal from our point of view with the long throw, but we still threw men forward at moments when we had to defend deep and withstand pressure.

“It was

No League One team has won more points than the Grecians in the previous six games. In fact, City has fought their way up to the top half of the table and is currently third in the form table after ten games. Now, barely conceivable, Cheltenham Town, who are ranked 21st, are 20 points behind City.

The current nine-game unbeaten streak is the longest since City’s nine-game winning streak during the 2022 League Two promotion season. Exeter went on a club record 20 games in all competitions without losing during that season. However, the Grecians’ latest 10-game winning streak in the third division dates back to December 1932 and January 1933.

“The second half of the season has been outstanding,” Caldwell remarked. “We have one more game left, and we need to be prepared for a big home game against a club hoping to advance to the playoffs on Saturday.

“It is up to us to place in the top half, which is great given where we were at Christmas and our financial constraints, but our goal is to crack the top ten. Players can go thank them when we receive the prizes at the end because they have witnessed many of our successes and we are winning games.