Northampton Town 1 Exeter City 2 - ten-man Grecians unbeaten in nine after another win

Exeter City made it nine unbeaten after a battling performance to claim victory at Northampton Town and move into the top ten. The Grecians played the whole of the second half a man light, but grabbed a late winner at Sixfields.

Luke Harris fired the Grecians ahead with 20 minutes on the clock with an expertly taken low finish which beat the goalkeeper and went in off the post. City were cruising, but their hopes suffered a blow when Ryan Woods was given a straight red card for violent conduct just before half-time.

City held firm, but with less than 20 minutes to go, Jon Guthrie fired home after Exeter couldn’t clear a long throw to get an equalizer. But the Grecians retook the lead shortly afterwards as Will Aimson bundled the ball home at the back post as the ten man went 2-1 ahead.

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And Exeter held on to claim the three points which took them into the top ten of the League One table, if only for an hour with City’s game kicking off at 2pm. But victory next weekend on the final day of the season will be enough for a top half finish at the very least.

Following the 4-2 win away to Port Vale last Saturday, Exeter City manager Gary Caldwell made four changes to the starting line-up. In came Zak Jules, Dion Rankine, Tom Carroll and Jack Fitzwater – the latter appearing for the first time since October in what has been an injury hit season for the defender.

Cheick Diabate, Ben Purrington and Caleb Watts all dropped to the bench, while Yanic Wildschut was one of a number of players not fit to feature with injury, with Vincent Harper also not in the squad, but Reece Cole was fit enough for a spot on the bench.

It was a slow start with neither side creating much in the opening ten minutes, but the Grecians felt they should have had a penalty on 12 minutes when Harris was bundled over right on the edge, if not inside the box. But the referee waved the appeals away as the Cobblers got away with one.

But in the 20^th minute, with the first shot on goal for either side, City did take the lead. Aimson won the ball back with a good tackle, before Harris and Rankine combined brilliantly down the right hand side. The Chelsea loanee slotted the ball through to the Fulham loanee perfectly, and the teenager fired the finish home low across the goalkeeper and in off the post for a fourth goal of the season and to make it 1-0.

The Grecians were on-top, as 16-year-old Jake Richards fashioned a great chance for City to make it 2-0. The midfielder found Harris in the area, but his effort was brilliantly blocked by a defender as it was heading for the back of the net. Ilmari Niskanen then had an equally good chance, but his finish was weak and kept out.

Just before half-time, Northampton really should have levelled. There was an almighty goalmouth scramble with Town having at least five shots in a 30 second period, one of which saw Jules and Sinisalo combine to block an effort on the bar, before Harris cleared one off the line, as City finally got the ball away.

But City went into half-time down to ten men after Woods was given a straight red card. The midfielder and Jon Guthrie got into a tussle, with Woods reacting, violently reacting to some provocation but thrusting his chest towards the Cobblers man. Guthrie was booked for the initial foul, but referee Ruebyn Ricardo brandished the red card to Woods.

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. Purrington then replaced Rankine as Jon Brady’s men hadn’t really made their extra man count in the early stages of the second half, Marc Leonard seeing a shot deflected over as close as they came.

But 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.

Cole, Watts and Harry Kite came on to replace Richards, Harris and Carroll as Caldwell threw on fresh legs to try and hold onto the point. But instead, the Grecians retook the lead inside the final ten minutes. Jules did brilliantly down the left-hand side, he fizzed in a low cross, and captain Aimson was at the far post to tap home from close range to restore City’s lead.

Eight minutes of stoppage-time were added-on. And in the last of them, Sam Hoskins had a great chance to level, but he blazed over, as City were victorious.

Exeter City finish the season next Saturday when they host Oxford United at St James Park.

Exeter City: Vil Sinisalo, Jack Fitzwater (Cheick Diabate, 45), Will Aimson, Zak Jules, Ilmari Niskanen, Ryan Woods, Jake Richards (Reece Cole, 63), Tom Carroll (Harry Kite, 79), Dion Rankine (Ben Purrington, 57), Luke Harris (Caleb Watts, 79), Millenic Alli.

Subs: Shaun McDonald, Pedro Borges

Red card: Woods

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