 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "2020–21 Exeter City F.C. season" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(July 2020) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
| 2020–21 season | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chairman | Julian Tagg | |||
| Manager | Matt Taylor | |||
| Stadium | St James Park | |||
| League Two | 9th | |||
| FA Cup | Third round | |||
| EFL Cup | First round | |||
| EFL Trophy | Second round | |||
| Top goalscorer | League:Matt Jay (18) All: Matt Jay (20) | |||
The2020–21Exeter City season was the club's 119th year in existence and their ninth consecutive season inLeague Two.[1] They finished 9th in the league, failing to qualify for the play-offs on the final day.[2] The club reached the third round of the FA Cup, losing to Championship sideSheffield Wednesday.[3] City were eliminated in the first round of theEFL Cup byBristol City,[4] and were knocked out of theEFL Trophy in the second round byNorthampton Town.[5]
The season covers the period from 1 July 2020 to 30 June 2021.
A tough League Cup draw away toBristol City began Exeter's season, and despite a strong showing a young and inexperienced side lost 2–0 to the Championship club.[6] That result was quickly followed up by a 3–2 win againstForest Green Rovers in theEFL Trophy the following Tuesday,[7] before City began their League season on Saturday 12 September.
Exeter'sLeague Two season began in the worst possible fashion as they conceded a goal inside the first two minutes of their opening League game away toSalford City. However, the Grecians galvanised and a strong end to the first half saw them go 2–1 up thanks to goals fromMatt Jay andJoel Randall, the latter's first league goal for the club.Ash Hunter equalised in the second half to deny City the win, but it was still a strong showing against one of the pre-season promotion favourites.[8]
A home loss againstPort Vale[9] was followed by another strong away showing, this time beatingMansfield Town 2–1 with young full-backJosh Key scoring his first league goal for the club.[10]
Unbeaten League Two leadersCambridge United conceded their first league goal of the season atSt James Park on October 3, as Matt Jay rolled home a penalty in the 16th minute. Joel Randall followed this up with another goal 18 minutes later, condemning the U's to their first league defeat of the season.[11]
Harry Kite,Ben Seymour andAlex Hartridge all scored their first professional goals for the club againstLeague One outfitSwindon Town in the EFL Trophy in a thrilling tie that finished 4–3 to City at theCounty Ground,[12] beforeAlex Fisher produced a stunning top-corner curling shot in the last minute to save a point for the Grecians atSouthend United.[13]
After drawing 0–0 atWalsall,[14]Jake Taylor andRyan Bowman scored their first goals of the season againstCrawley Town on 20 October, as their two late goals turned the game on its head to give City a 2–1 win.[15] That was followed by another home win, this time a convincing 3–1 dismantling ofScunthorpe United.[16] Between that Saturday and the following Tuesday both of City's first team goalkeepers,Lewis Ward andJonny Maxted, suffered injuries and Exeter had to bring in Reading keeperJökull Andrésson on a one-week emergency loan deal, ready to play againstLeyton Orient andCarlisle United.
Andrésson only conceded once in his first two games as City drew 1–1 at Leyton Orient[17] and then beat 10-man Carlisle United 1–0,[18] with the 19-year-old keeper instantly winning over the belief and hearts of City fans on social media.
It was also at this time that City captain Jake Taylor got married, an event which coincided with his best run of goal scoring form in his career, as he scored four goals in five appearances in late October.[19]
A frustrating 2–2 atMorecambe began the month, as the Grecians controlled the majority of possession throughout the match but could not find the breakthrough for the winning goal.[20]
However, anFA Cup match at home toNational League North sideAFC Fylde saw the Grecians get back to winning ways as, despite an early scare with Fylde going in front in the 11th minute, goals from academy graduates Matt Jay and Alex Hartridge turned the game around before half time and City held on to this one-goal lead until the end of the match.[21]
Another 2–2 away draw, this time atBradford City,[22] slowed down City's league progress but Exeter were still going strong in the cup, thrashingWest Brom's under-21s 4–0[23] to secure a first-place finish in their EFL Trophy group. That form still couldn't be replicated in the league and an astonishing 40-yardfree-kick fromOldham Athletic strikerDanny Rowe gave the Latics three points at St James Park,[24] and meant that the Grecians still had not won a League match in November, with it now being the 21st of the month.
That was all to change in spectacular style at home toColchester United on Tuesday 24th, as ahattrick from Ryan Bowman, two Matt Jay goals and a strike from Joel Randall dismantled Colchester 6–1 in City's highest scoring win for over 20 years.[25] That match fuelled City with confidence as they headed to League One sideGillingham for the second round of the FA Cup, and a masterclass in the middle of midfield fromNicky Law, who scored once and provided two assists for Joel Randall, helped Exeter to overcome the Gills 3–2 and secure a spot in the third round of the FA Cup for the third time in six seasons and the first time underMatt Taylor as manager.[26] That match was the last ofJökull Andrésson's emergancy loan as Exeter goalkeeperJonny Maxted had fully recovered from his injury, ready to play againstGrimsby Town.
Exeter carried their fantastic goalscoring form into December, ripping apartGrimsby Town 4–1 on the 1st of the month.[27] This goalscoring run continued into the Grecians' first game of the season in front of fans, albeitCheltenham Town fans atThe Jonny-Rocks Stadium as the Government relaxed COVID-19 restrictions to allow home fans back into open-air stadiums in limited numbers.[28] City and Cheltenham did not disappoint the fans, as they played out a thrilling match with the Robins emerging 5–3 victors.[29]
A weakened City team were then knocked out of the EFL Trophy in the second round as they lost 2–1 to League OneNorthampton Town[30] but this loss did not deter the Grecians' startling League form and another high-scoring victory at home, this time againstTranmere Rovers, wowed the St James Park crowd. Ryan Bowman scored another hattrick, Matt Jay netted a penalty, and Jake Taylor added another strike to the best goal-scoring return of his career to wipe away Tranmere 5–0[31] in one of the best attacking performances seen at Exeter City in years.
In the most frustrating of turnarounds, Exeter could not repeat the same level of attacking ability just three days later at home to lowlyHarrogate Town, and the Sulphurites beat the Grecians 2–1 in the shock result of the evening.[32]
With matches atStevenage andNewport County being called off for COVID-19 cases and a waterlogged pitch respectively,[33][34] City only played one more match in December, aboxing day draw at home withForest Green Rovers that featured a stunning goal fromArchie Collins, a drive from outside the box that rebounded off the cross bar before going in.[35]
With City's game atBarrow on 2 January being called off due to a frozen pitch,[36] Exeter had to wait until 9 January to play their first game of 2021, a home match in the third round of the FA Cup to Championship sideSheffield Wednesday. This was City's first game for two weeks but despite the extended break, they could not get the better of higher-league Wednesday and lost 2–0.[37]
Exeter were quickly back in action in the league against formerPremier League sideBolton Wanderers the following Tuesday, drawing 1–1 with the Trotters.[38] Another away match, this time at Harrogate Town, was called off on 16 January due to an unplayable pitch,[39] but the match was quickly rearranged for the 19th, and despite constant heavy rain inNorth Yorkshire the groundsmen at Harrogate managed to keep the rearranged fixture on. City struggled in their first away fixture for 45 days and couldn't break down a resilient Town so had to settle for a 0–0 draw.[40]
Matt Taylor made his first signing of the transfer window on 21 January, announcing that central defenderSam Stubbs had moved to the club fromFleetwood Town on a free transfer. The announcement of Stubbs' signing had been due a few weeks before this date, but he tested positive forCOVID-19 so there had to be some delay in confirming this transfer. Stubbs also moved to the Grecians on the back of a long injury lay-off at Fleetwood and Matt Taylor confirmed that he wouldn't be featuring in the Grecians' first team for a few weeks as he recovered back to full fitness.[41]
A lack of goals in the team that scored so many was beginning to become a concern, but a 3–1 win over relegation-threatened Stevenage on 23 January helped dampen those fears, with Archie Collins opening the scoring with another thunderous shot into the same top corner as the goal he scored against Forest Green Rovers a month before.[42]
The good feeling generated by that win was quickly shot though as the Grecians finished the month with back-to-back defeats to fellow promotion hopefuls Morecambe and Carlisle United, losing 2–0 and 1–0 respectively.[43][44]
Between those two defeats first team goalkeeperLewis Ward left the club on loan, joining League One clubPortsmouth.[45] Ward hadn't been playing since his return from injury for the Grecians and had been on the bench behindJonny Maxted, and so when the opportunity to move to a higher league club had presented itself, he requested that the move go through as soon as possible.Reading stopper Jökull Andrésson was brought back to the club, this time on a six-month loan deal until the end of the season as Ward's replacement,[46] and he made his second debut for the Grecians away at Carlisle.[43]
February 1 was the January transfer window deadline day,[47] and City made a single signing, bringing in experiencedNewport County wingerRobbie Willmott on loan until the end of the season.[48] Willmott made his debut the following day as a substitute away atStevenage, with City facing theHertfordshire club for the second time in just ten days due to games having to be rearranged because of COVID-19 cases at various clubs.Rory McArdle's first goal for the club, a glancing header from a freekick, secured a 1–0 win for City against the relegation-threatened club.[49]
An in-formBradford City visitedSt James Park on 6 February and despite Exeter's early dominance, the Bantams went into the half-time break 2–1 up due to defensive mistakes by the Grecians. This was turned around in the second half though, and thanks to Bowman's stooping header and Jay's slow penalty, the game was turned on its head and City won the three points.[50]
Two more back-to-back away games atBarrow andOldham Athletic were postponed as a cold spell hit most of the UK, with the Exeter squad actually arriving at Barrow's ground before the game was called off.[51]
These postponed games gave City a rest before they played fellow promotion challengers Newport County atRodney Parade for the rearranged fixture on Tuesday 16. Exeter made a poor start to the game with defenderAlex Hartridge sent off after nine minutes for denying an obvious goal scoring opportunity. Despite having one man less than their opponents, Exeter still opened the scoring through Ryan Bowman. Just before half-time, the situation went from bad to worse, as Exeter were reduced to nine men with Bowman also receiving a straight red for elbowing an opponent. Against all the odds, nine man Exeter managed to hold Newport back until the 88th minute, and even then County could only score once and City escaped with a point.[52]
Exeter's squad were given another rest after their match at Newport as the following Saturday's game againstGrimsby Town was called off due to a waterlogged pitch, the first home game of the season to fall foul of the weather.[53]
Then, Robbie Willmott scored his first City goal andBen Seymour scored his first league goal in a 2–1 win againstColchester United,[54] before City ended the month on a less positive note, losing atCrawley Town, with former City strikerTom Nichols scoring against the Grecians andTom Parkes being shown City's third straight red card of the month.[55]
City began the month with an uninspiring 0–0 draw withWalsall at home.[56] After two drab games againstCrawley andWalsall, City returned to winning ways againstLeyton Orient on Saturday 6th, with first half goals fromJoel Randall andMatt Jay (twice) putting the Grecians in a comfortable 3–0 lead at half-time. It tookJay just five minutes into the second half to complete his first ever professionalhattrick, coolly slotting home a penalty to secure a 4–0 win for Exeter.[57]Jay continued this form into the following Tuesday when he scored a superb free-kick atScunthorpe United, withJack Sparkes netting his first league goal for the club to confirm City's first back-to-back wins since early February.[58]
However, the Grecians couldn't turn this form into their first three consecutive league wins of the season when table-toppingCheltenham Town visitedSt James Park as, despite a strong performance from the Grecians, a last-minute headed goal fromAndy Williams stole the three points for the Robins at the death.[59] A trip to high-flyingTranmere Rovers followed the next weekend, and another defeat was compounded by the fact both ofTranmere's goals were scored from the penalty spot andJoel Randall suffered a season-ending injury while scoring City's equaliser.[60]
Exeter dominated in their next game atOldham Athletic, having the majority of the ball and three times as many shots as their opponents, but two opportunistic goals and a lack of luck on City's behalf condemned the Grecians to three defeats in a row for the first time this season.[61]
Thankfully, this barren run was ended with a hint of luck on Saturday 27th againstSalford City, in theManchester club's first ever visit toSt James Park. Exeter City had just one shot on target but that was all the Grecians needed to grind out a hard-fought 1–0 win against their fellow play-off rivals thanks toMatt Jay's 16th goal of the season.[62]
| Date | Position | Nationality | Name | From | Fee | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 August 2020 | RB |  | Jake Caprice | Tranmere Rovers | Free transfer | [63] |
| 6 August 2020 | CB |  | Rory McArdle | Scunthorpe United | Free transfer | [64] |
| 1 September 2020 | LB | | Lewis Page | Charlton Athletic | Free transfer | [65] |
| 21 January 2021 | CB | | Sam Stubbs | Fleetwood Town | Free transfer | [66] |
| Date from | Position | Nationality | Name | From | Date until | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 October 2020 | GK |  | Jökull Andrésson | Reading | 28 November 2020 | [67][68] |
| 29 January 2021 | GK | | Jökull Andrésson | Reading | End of season | [69] |
| 1 February 2021 | RM | | Robbie Willmott |  Newport County | End of season | [70] |
| Date from | Position | Nationality | Name | To | Date until | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 August 2020 | CB | | Cheick Diabate | Bideford | 7 October 2020[a] | [72] |
| 4 August 2020 | CF | | Lewis Wilson | Bideford | 1 January 2021 | [72] |
| 18 September 2020 | CM | | Louis Morison | Tiverton Town | 1 January 2021 | [73] |
| 7 October 2020 | CB | | Cheick Diabate | Tiverton Town | 1 January 2021 | [71] |
| 8 October 2020 | CB | | Jordan Dyer | Chippenham Town | November 2020 | [74] |
| 8 October 2020 | LB | | Noah Smerdon | Chippenham Town | November 2020 | [74] |
| 20 November 2020 | CB | | Will Dean | Bath City | December 2020 | [75] |
| 28 January 2021 | GK | | Lewis Ward | Portsmouth | End of season | [76] |
| Date | Position | Nationality | Name | To | Fee | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 July 2020 | MF | | Brennan Dickenson | Carlisle United | Released | [77][78] |
| 1 July 2020 | MF | | Lee Holmes |  Unattached | Released | [77] |
| 1 July 2020 | DF | | Aaron Martin |  Hamilton Academical | Released | [77][79] |
| 1 July 2020 | MF | | Lee Martin | Ebbsfleet United | Released | [77][80] |
| 1 July 2020 | DF | | Dean Moxey | Torquay United | Released | [77][81] |
| 1 July 2020 | GK | | Jared Thompson | Brentford | Released | [77][82] |
| 1 July 2020 | DF | | Gary Warren | Torquay United | Released | [77][83] |
| 1 July 2020 | DF | | Craig Woodman | Tiverton Town | Released | [77][84] |
| 19 August 2020 | CM | | Ben Chrisene | Aston Villa | Undisclosed | [85] |
| 31 January 2021 | CM | | Nicky Law |  Indy Eleven | Undisclosed | [86] |
TheGrecians announced they would play four pre-season friendlies againstBristol Rovers,Taunton Town,Tiverton Town andTruro City.[87] Fans were only permitted to attend the Tiverton Town match.[88]
| 15 August 2020Friendly | Bristol Rovers | 2–1 | Exeter City | Horfield |
| 14:00BST | Mitchell-Lawson 1'Hargreaves 46' | Report | Parkes 49' | Stadium:Memorial Stadium Attendance: 0 |
| 21 August 2020Friendly | Exeter City | 1–1 | Taunton Town | Clyst St Mary |
| 18:00BST | Fisher 75' | Report | Holmes 11' | Stadium:Cliff Hill Training Ground Attendance: 0 |
| 25 August 2020Friendly | Tiverton Town | 1–2 | Exeter City | Tiverton |
| 19:30BST | Lewington | Report | Jay Dean | Stadium:Ladysmead Attendance: 300 |
| 28 August 2020Friendly | Exeter City | 3−2 | Truro City | Clyst St Mary |
| 18:00BST | Jay 18' Bowman 50',89' | Harvey 33',77' | Stadium:Cliff Hill Training Ground Attendance: 0 |
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion, qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | Newport County | 46 | 20 | 13 | 13 | 57 | 42 | +15 | 73 | Qualification forLeague Two play-offs |
| 6 | Forest Green Rovers | 46 | 20 | 13 | 13 | 59 | 51 | +8 | 73 | |
| 7 | Tranmere Rovers | 46 | 20 | 13 | 13 | 55 | 50 | +5 | 73 | |
| 8 | Salford City | 46 | 19 | 14 | 13 | 54 | 34 | +20 | 71 | |
| 9 | Exeter City | 46 | 18 | 16 | 12 | 71 | 50 | +21 | 70 | |
| 10 | Carlisle United | 46 | 18 | 12 | 16 | 60 | 51 | +9 | 66 | |
| 11 | Leyton Orient | 46 | 17 | 10 | 19 | 53 | 55 | −2 | 61 | |
| 12 | Crawley Town | 46 | 16 | 13 | 17 | 56 | 62 | −6 | 61 | |
| 13 | Port Vale | 46 | 17 | 9 | 20 | 57 | 57 | 0 | 60 |
| Overall | Home | Away | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
| 46 | 18 | 16 | 12 | 71 | 50 | +21 | 70 | 11 | 7 | 5 | 38 | 20 | +18 | 7 | 9 | 7 | 33 | 30 | +3 |
Last updated: 8 May 2021.
Source:BBC
| Matchday | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 | 41 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 45 | 46 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ground | A | H | A | H | A | A | H | H | A | H | A | A | H | H | A | A | H | H | H | H | A | H | H | A | A | H | A | A | A | H | H | A | H | A | A | H | A | H | A | A | H | A | H | H | A | H |
| Result | D | L | W | W | D | D | W | W | D | W | D | D | L | W | W | L | W | L | D | D | D | W | L | L | W | W | D | W | L | D | W | W | L | L | L | W | L | D | W | L | D | D | D | W | W | D |
| Position | 8 | 19 | 15 | 6 | 8 | 12 | 9 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 5 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 9 |
Win Draw Loss Postponed
The 2020–21 season fixtures were released on 21 August 2020.[90]
| 12 September 20201 | Salford City | 2–2 | Exeter City | Salford |
| 15:00BST | Henderson 2' Hunter 69' | Report | Jay 22' Randall 34' | Stadium:The Peninsula Stadium Attendance: 0 Referee: Samuel Barrott |
| 19 September 20202 | Exeter City | 0–2 | Port Vale | Exeter |
| 15:00BST | Report | Conlon 21' Rodney 72' | Stadium:St James Park Attendance: 0 Referee: Sam Burkiss |
| 26 September 20203 | Mansfield Town | 1–2 | Exeter City | Mansfield |
| 15:00BST | Menayese 20' | Report | Rawson 40' (o.g.) Key 76' | Stadium:Field Mill Attendance: 0 Referee: Christopher Pollard |
| 3 October 20204 | Exeter City | 2–0 | Cambridge United | Exeter |
| 15:00BST | Jay 16' (pen.) Randall 34' | Report | Stadium:St James Park Attendance: 0 Referee: Neil Hair |
| 10 October 20205 | Southend United | 2–2 | Exeter City | Southend-on-sea |
| 15:00BST | Goodship 26' Demetriou 65' (pen.) | Report | Randall 40' Fisher 90+5' | Stadium:Roots Hall Attendance: 0 Referee: Kevin Johnson |
| 17 October 20206 | Walsall | 0–0 | Exeter City | Bescot |
| 15:00BST | Report | Stadium:Banks's Stadium Attendance: 0 Referee: Ben Speedie |
| 20 October 20207 | Exeter City | 2–1 | Crawley Town | Exeter |
| 19:00BST | Taylor 77' Bowman 84' | Report | Watters 40' | Stadium:St James Park Attendance: 0 Referee: Will Finnie |
| 24 October 20208 | Exeter City | 3–1 | Scunthorpe United | Exeter |
| 13:00BST | Randall 36' Jay 39'Taylor 89' | Report | Rowe 48' | Stadium:St James Park Attendance: 0 Referee: David Rock |
| 27 October 20209 | Leyton Orient | 1–1 | Exeter City | Leyton |
| 19:00GMT | Wilkinson 4' | Report | Taylor 47' | Stadium:Brisbane Road Attendance: 0 Referee: Robert Lewis |
| 31 October 202010 | Exeter City | 1–0 | Carlisle United | Exeter |
| 13:00GMT | Parkes 48' | Report | Stadium:St James Park Attendance: 0 Referee: James Adcock |
| 3 November 202011 | Morecambe | 2–2 | Exeter City | Morecambe |
| 18:30GMT | Mendes Gomes 41' Hendrie 45+1' | Report | Randall 33' Taylor 72' | Stadium:Globe Arena Attendance: 0 Referee: Ollie Yates |
| 14 November 202012 | Bradford City | 2–2 | Exeter City | Bradford |
| 15:00GMT | Clarke 10' Staunton 45+1' | Report | Jay 20' Bowman 27' | Stadium:Valley Parade Attendance: 0 Referee: James Bell |
| 21 November 202013 | Exeter City | 1–2 | Oldham Athletic | Exeter |
| 15:00GMT | Williams 12' | Report | Blackwood 21' Rowe 32' | Stadium:St James Park Attendance: 0 Referee: Steve Martin |
| 24 November 202014 | Exeter City | 6–1 | Colchester United | Exeter |
| 19:00GMT | Jay 20',90+5' Randall 53'Bowman 57',71',90+3' | Report | Folivi 73' | Stadium:St James Park Attendance: 0 Referee: Trevor Kettle |
| 1 December 202015 | Grimsby Town | 1–4 | Exeter City | Cleethorpes |
| 19:00GMT | Hendrie 31' | Report | Bowman 20' Williams 40',44'Jay 68' | Stadium:Blundell Park Attendance: 0 Referee: Andy Haines |
| 5 December 202016 | Cheltenham Town | 5–3 | Exeter City | Cheltenham |
| 15:00GMT | Lloyd 7' May 13'Sercombe 45+3' (pen.)A. Williams 77'Boyle 90+1' | Report | Collins 4' Jay 56'Law 88' | Stadium:Whaddon Road Attendance: 2,000 Referee: Robert Madley |
| 12 December 202017 | Exeter City | 5–0 | Tranmere Rovers | Exeter |
| 15:00GMT | Bowman 8',27',77' Jay 18' (pen.)Taylor 73' | Report | Stadium:St James Park Attendance: 1,630 Referee: Kevin Johnson |
| 15 December 202018 | Exeter City | 1–2 | Harrogate Town | Exeter |
| 19:45GMT | Taylor 46' | Report | Kiernan 31' Muldoon 75' | Stadium:St James Park Attendance: 1,559 Referee: Lee Swabey |
| 19 December 2020Postponed[91] | Stevenage | P–P | Exeter City | Stevenage |
| 15:00GMT | Stadium:Broadhall Way |
| 26 December 202019 | Exeter City | 1–1 | Forest Green Rovers | Exeter |
| 13:00GMT | Archie Collins 37' | Report | Aaron Collins 16' | Stadium:St James Park Attendance: 1,767 Referee: Brett Huxtable |
| 29 December 2020Postponed[92] | Newport County | P–P | Exeter City | Newport, Wales |
| 19:00GMT | Stadium:Rodney Parade Referee: John Busby |
| 2 January 2021Postponed[93] | Barrow | P–P | Exeter City | Barrow-in-Furness |
| 15:00GMT | Stadium:Holker Street |
| 12 January 202120 | Exeter City | 1–1 | Bolton Wanderers | Exeter |
| 17:00GMT | Almeida Santos 62' (o.g.) | Report | Ghahoua 73' | Stadium:St James Park Attendance: 0 Referee: Sam Allison |
| 16 January 2021Postponed[94] | Harrogate Town | P–P | Exeter City | Harrogate |
| 15:00GMT | Stadium:Wetherby Road |
| 19 January 202121 | Harrogate Town | 0–0 | Exeter City | Harrogate |
| 19:00GMT | Report | Stadium:Wetherby Road Attendance: 0 Referee: Thomas Bramall |
| 23 January 202122 | Exeter City | 3–1 | Stevenage | Exeter |
| 13:00GMT | Collins 10' Jay 79'Bowman 85' | Report | List 81' | Stadium:St James Park Attendance: 0 Referee: Matt Donohue |
| 26 January 202123 | Exeter City | 0–2 | Morecambe | Exeter |
| 18:00GMT | Report | Phillips 9' (pen.) Stockton 66' | Stadium:St James Park Attendance: 0 Referee: Craig Hicks |
| 30 January 202124 | Carlisle United | 1–0 | Exeter City | Carlisle |
| 13:00GMT | Alessandra 9' | Report | Stadium:Brunton Park Attendance: 0 Referee: Martin Coy |
| 2 February 202125 | Stevenage | 0–1 | Exeter City | Stevenage |
| 19:00GMT | Report | McArdle 28' | Stadium:Broadhall Way Attendance: 0 Referee: Graham Salisbury |
| 6 February 202126 | Exeter City | 3–2 | Bradford City | Exeter |
| 13:00GMT | Sweeney 42' Bowman 61'Jay 79' (pen.) | Report | Vernam 17' Crankshaw 45' | Stadium:St James Park Attendance: 0 Referee: Ben Speedie |
| 9 February 2021Postponed[95] | Barrow | P–P | Exeter City | Barrow-in-Furness |
| 18:30GMT | Stadium:Holker Street |
| 13 February 2021Postponed[96] | Oldham Athletic | P–P | Exeter City | Oldham |
| 15:00GMT | Stadium:Boundary Park |
| 16 February 202127 | Newport County | 1–1 | Exeter City | Newport, Wales |
| 19:00GMT | Telford 88' | Report | Bowman 22' | Stadium:Rodney Parade Attendance: 0 Referee: Tom Nield |
| 20 February 2021Postponed[97] | Exeter City | P–P | Grimsby Town | Exeter |
| 13:00GMT | Stadium:St James Park |
| 23 February 202128 | Colchester United | 1–2 | Exeter City | Colchester |
| 19:00GMT | Oteh 66' | Report | Willmott 27' Seymour 64' | Stadium:Colchester Community Stadium Attendance: 0 Referee: Will Finnie |
| 27 February 202129 | Crawley Town | 2–0 | Exeter City | Crawley |
| 13:00GMT | Nichols 62' (pen.) Nadesan 83' | Report | Stadium:The People's Pension Stadium Attendance: 0 Referee: Declan Bourne |
| 2 March 202130 | Exeter City | 0–0 | Walsall | Exeter |
| 19:00GMT | Report | Stadium:St James Park Attendance: 0 Referee: John Busby |
| 6 March 202131 | Exeter City | 4–0 | Leyton Orient | Exeter |
| 13:00GMT | Randall 11' Jay 13',42',50' (pen.) | Report | Stadium:St James Park Attendance: 0 Referee: Charles Breakspear |
| 9 March 202132 | Scunthorpe United | 0–2 | Exeter City | Scunthorpe |
| 19:00GMT | Report | Jay 11' Sparkes 89' | Stadium:Glanford Park Attendance: 0 Referee: Seb Stockbridge |
| 13 March 202133 | Exeter City | 0–1 | Cheltenham Town | Exeter |
| 15:00GMT | Report | A. Williams 90+1' | Stadium:St James Park Attendance: 0 Referee: Josh Smith |
| 20 March 202134 | Tranmere Rovers | 2–1 | Exeter City | Birkenhead |
| 15:00GMT | Nugent 18' (pen.) Lloyd 68' (pen.) | Report | Randall 20' | Stadium:Prenton Park Attendance: 0 Referee: Paul Howard |
| 23 March 202135 | Oldham Athletic | 2–1 | Exeter City | Oldham |
| 19:00GMT | Jameson 35' McCalmont 55' | Report | Sparkes 67' | Stadium:Boundary Park Attendance: 0 Referee: Sam Purkiss |
| 27 March 202136 | Exeter City | 1–0 | Salford City | Exeter |
| 13:00GMT | Jay 34' | Report | Stadium:St James Park Attendance: 0 Referee: Antony Coggins |
| 2 April 202137 | Port Vale | 1–0 | Exeter City | Burslem |
| 15:00BST | Robinson 2' | Report | Stadium:Vale Park Attendance: 0 Referee: Leigh Doughty |
| 5 April 202138 | Exeter City | 0–0 | Mansfield Town | Exeter |
| 13:00BST | Report | Stadium:St James Park Attendance: 0 Referee: Carl Brook |
| 10 April 202139 | Cambridge United | 1–4 | Exeter City | Cambridge |
| 15:00BST | Ironside 55' | Report | Bowman 3' Sparkes 15'Collins 67'Jay 80' | Stadium:Abbey Stadium Attendance: 0 Referee: Kevin Johnson |
| 13 April 202140 | Barrow | 2–1 | Exeter City | Barrow-in-Furness |
| 19:00BST | Brough 45+2' Quigley 90+1' | Report | Sweeney 90+4' | Stadium:Holker Street Attendance: 0 Referee: Ross Joyce |
| 17 April 202141 | Exeter City | 0–0 | Southend United | Exeter |
| 12:30BST | Report | Stadium:St James Park Attendance: 0 Referee: Darren Drysdale |
| 20 April 202142 | Forest Green Rovers | 0–0 | Exeter City | Nailsworth |
| 19:00BST | Report | Stadium:The New Lawn Attendance: 0 Referee:Bobby Madley |
| 24 April 202143 | Exeter City | 0–0 | Newport County | Exeter |
| 15:00BST | Report | Stadium:St James Park Attendance: 0 Referee: Robert Lewis |
| 27 April 202144 | Exeter City | 3–2 | Grimsby Town | Exeter |
| 19:00BST | Waterfall 33' (o.g.) Fisher 83'Bowman 89' | Report | John-Lewis 41' (pen.) Matete 58' | Stadium:St James Park Attendance: 0 Referee: David Rock |
| 1 May 202145 | Bolton Wanderers | 1–2 | Exeter City | Horwich |
| 19:00BST | Jones 15' | Report | R. Williams 49' Sweeney 90+6' | Stadium:University of Bolton Stadium Attendance: 0 Referee: Anthony Backhouse |
| 8 May 202146 | Exeter City | 1–1 | Barrow | Exeter |
| 15:00BST | Jay 25' | Report | Beadling 56' | Stadium:St James Park Attendance: 0 Referee: Ben Toner |
The draw for the first round was made on Monday 26, October.[98] The second round draw was revealed on Monday, 9 November byDanny Cowley.[99] The draw for the third round was made byRobbie Savage.[100]
Win Draw Loss
| 7 November 2020First round | Exeter City | 2–1 | AFC Fylde | Exeter |
| 13:00GMT | Jay 26' Hartridge 33' | Report | Hulme 11' | Stadium:St James Park Attendance: 0 Referee: Tom Reeves |
| 28 November 2020Second round | Gillingham | 2–3 | Exeter City | Gillingham |
| 13:00GMT | Oliver 21' Samuel 80' | Report | Law 29' Randall 35',40' | Stadium:Priestfield Stadium Attendance: 0 Referee: Alan Young |
| 9 January 2021Third round | Exeter City | 0–2 | Sheffield Wednesday | Exeter |
| 15:00GMT | Report | Reach 27' Paterson 90' | Stadium:St James Park Attendance: 0 Referee: Dean Whitestone |
Win Draw Loss
The first round draw was made on 18 August, live onSky Sports, byPaul Merson.[101]
| 5 September 2020First round | Bristol City | 2–0 | Exeter City | Ashton Gate |
| 14:00BST | Paterson 35' Semenyo 83' | Report | Stadium:Ashton Gate Stadium Attendance: 0 Referee: Chris Sarginson |
Win Draw Loss
The regional group stage draw was confirmed on 18 August.[102] The second round draw was made byMatt Murray on 20 November, atSt Andrew's.[103]
| Pos | Div | Team | Pld | W | PW | PL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | L2 | Exeter City | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 5 | +6 | 9 | Advance toRound 2 |
| 2 | L2 | Forest Green Rovers | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 4 | +1 | 3 | |
| 3 | L1 | Swindon Town | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 7 | −1 | 3 | |
| 4 | ACA | West Bromwich Albion U21 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 9 | −6 | 3 |
| 8 September 2020First round | Exeter City | 3–2 | Forest Green Rovers | Exeter |
| 17:30BST | Ajose 45' Jay 57'Key 67' | Report | Stevens 5',51' | Stadium:St James Park Attendance: 0 Referee: Sam Allison |
| 6 October 2020First round | Swindon Town | 3–4 | Exeter City | Swindon |
| 19:00BST | Smith 61',85' Palmer 90+3' | Report | Kite 4' Seymour 7' (pen.)Atangana 63'Hartridge 68' | Stadium:County Ground Attendance: 0 Referee: Craig Hicks |
| 17 November 2020Group stage | Exeter City | 4–0 | West Bromwich Albion U21 | Exeter |
| 19:00GMT | Kite 27' Seymour 48'Sparkes 60'Law 84' | Report | Stadium:St James Park Attendance: 0 Referee: Paul Howard |
| 8 December 2020Second round | Exeter City | 1–2 | Northampton Town | Exeter |
| 19:00GMT | Atangana 51' | Report | Rose 22' Ashley-Seal 82' | Stadium:St James Park Attendance: 714 Referee: Carl Brook |
| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Total | League Two | FA Cup | League Cup | League Trophy | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||||
| 2 | DF | ENG | Jake Caprice | 39 | 0 | 13+21 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 3+0 | 0 |
| 3 | MF | ENG | Jack Sparkes | 50 | 4 | 28+14 | 3 | 2+1 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 4+0 | 1 |
| 4 | MF |  FRA | Nigel Atangana | 33 | 2 | 11+17 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 2 |
| 6 | DF | NIR | Rory McArdle | 27 | 1 | 18+3 | 1 | 3+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 |
| 8 | MF | WAL | Jake Taylor | 50 | 6 | 40+4 | 6 | 1+2 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 |
| 9 | FW | ENG | Ben Seymour | 39 | 3 | 8+25 | 1 | 1+1 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 3+0 | 2 |
| 10 | MF | ENG | Archie Collins | 49 | 4 | 46+0 | 4 | 2+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 11 | MF | ENG | Randell Williams | 31 | 4 | 24+5 | 4 | 1+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 12 | FW | ENG | Ryan Bowman | 47 | 14 | 39+3 | 14 | 3+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 |
| 14 | MF | ENG | Joel Randall | 36 | 10 | 26+4 | 8 | 2+1 | 2 | 1+0 | 0 | 0+2 | 0 |
| 15 | DF | ENG | Tom Parkes | 33 | 1 | 28+3 | 1 | 1+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 |
| 16 | MF | ENG | Robbie Willmott | 17 | 1 | 13+4 | 1 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 17 | FW | ENG | Matt Jay | 48 | 20 | 43+1 | 18 | 2+0 | 1 | 1+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 1 |
| 18 | FW | ENG | Alex Fisher | 20 | 2 | 3+15 | 2 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 |
| 20 | DF | ENG | Lewis Page | 35 | 0 | 26+6 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 23 | GK | ENG | Jonny Maxted | 12 | 0 | 9+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 3+0 | 0 |
| 24 | GK | ISL | Jökull Andrésson | 32 | 0 | 29+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 |
| 25 | FW | ENG | Nicky Ajose | 9 | 1 | 0+4 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 3+1 | 1 |
| 26 | DF |  IRL | Pierce Sweeney | 42 | 3 | 32+6 | 3 | 1+1 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 |
| 29 | MF | ENG | Harry Kite | 9 | 2 | 1+3 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 4+0 | 2 |
| 30 | DF | ENG | Joshua Key | 48 | 2 | 36+7 | 1 | 2+1 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 1 |
| 31 | DF | ENG | Jordan Dyer | 4 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 2+1 | 0 |
| 32 | MF | ENG | Nelson Iseguan | 1 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 |
| 33 | MF | ENG | Louis Morison | 1 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 |
| 34 | DF | ENG | Alex Hartridge | 34 | 2 | 20+9 | 0 | 2+0 | 1 | 0+0 | 0 | 3+0 | 1 |
| 39 | DF | ENG | Cheick Diabate | 1 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 |
| 40 | FW | ENG | Lewis Wilson | 1 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 |
| 41 | DF | ENG | Will Dean | 6 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | 3+0 | 0 |
| Players who left on loan during the season: | |||||||||||||
| 1 | GK | ENG | Lewis Ward | 10 | 0 | 8+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| Players who left during the season: | |||||||||||||
| 7 | MF | ENG | Nicky Law | 23 | 3 | 4+14 | 1 | 2+1 | 1 | 0+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 1 |
| Rank | No. | Nat. | Po. | Name | League Two | FA Cup | League Cup | League Trophy | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 17 | | AM | Matt Jay | 18 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 20 |
| 2 | 12 | | CF | Ryan Bowman | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
| 3 | 14 | | LW | Joel Randall | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 4 | 8 | | CM | Jake Taylor | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| 5 | 3 | | LB | Jack Sparkes | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| 10 | | CM | Archie Collins | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | |
| 11 | | RW | Randell Williams | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | |
| 8 | 7 | | CM | Nicky Law | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| 9 | | CF | Ben Seymour | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | |
| 26 | | CB | Pierce Sweeney | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | |
| 11 | 4 | | DM | Nigel Atangana | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 18 | | CF | Alex Fisher | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
| 29 | | CM | Harry Kite | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | |
| 30 | | RB | Joshua Key | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | |
| 34 | | CB | Alex Hartridge | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | |
| 16 | 6 | | CB | Rory McArdle | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 15 | | CB | Tom Parkes | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| 16 | | RW | Robbie Willmott | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| 25 | | CF | Nicky Ajose | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| Own Goals | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | ||||
| Total | 71 | 5 | 0 | 12 | 88 | ||||
| No. | Nat. | Po. | Name | League Two | FA Cup | League Cup | League Trophy | Total | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |  |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | ||||
| 3 | | LB | Jack Sparkes | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | | DM | Nigel Atangana | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 6 | | CB | Rory McArdle | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 7 | | CM | Nicky Law | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 8 | | CM | Jake Taylor | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 10 | | CM | Archie Collins | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 12 | | CF | Ryan Bowman | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 |
| 14 | | LW | Joel Randall | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 15 | | CB | Tom Parkes | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 |
| 16 | | LM | Robbie Willmott | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 17 | | AM | Matt Jay | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 20 | | LB | Lewis Page | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 23 | | GK | Jonny Maxted | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 26 | | CB | Pierce Sweeney | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| 30 | | RB | Joshua Key | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 34 | | CB | Alex Hartridge | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| Total | 46 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 51 | 0 | 3 | |||
