Final push for the Grecians
We are getting to the business end of the season. A sudden bad run of results now will derail all the hard work of the previous eight months. Likewise, a well-timed run between now and May, like a 1500-metre runner sitting on the shoulder of his or her rival on the final bend before kicking on for the finishing line, can make all the difference. So which will it be for The Grecians?
Increased Expectations
At the beginning of the season, Exeter City, their fans and players were hoping for, and indeed expecting nothing less than a play-off spot. Signs were certainly good as the season started to play out, and expectations rose that Matt Taylor’s side could go one better than in the three previous seasons, where they just fell short. Since then inconsistency has cost them, and coupled with a bad recent run of form, where they have picked up just two points from a possible twelve, fans are casting as many nervous glances down to eighth place as they are up to third.
At the time of writing, Exeter find themselves in fourth place, three points behind third placed Plymouth, and eight clear of Port Vale in eighth. Don’t forget, the top three get promoted to league 1, with teams in fourth to seventh entering the lottery that is the play-offs. Bookies have them in fourth place in terms of the football betting odds for promotion. The season could very well hinge on four games, all of which are coming up in the next three weeks.
This season no one has broken away from the pack, and no one has managed to accumulate more than two points per game, so everything – even the title - is still up for grabs, but Exeter need to turn their form around now.
A Four Game Season
If it is to be the play-offs, then you do not want to be the side that is scratching around for form in the final games of the season. However, the Grecians’ season could very well be all but decided before that. Their next two games (at the time of writing) are eminently winnable. Not only are they winnable, they are just the games that the side needs to get them back in winning ways and to get them playing with the confidence they showed previously. Then, they have two six-pointers, and to throw in an extra bit of spice, they are against in-form teams, one of them against their biggest rivals.
There are no easy games in the league, and Matt Taylor will certainly not be taking any points for granted, nor will he allow his players to. The fact is though, that if they do have hopes for automatic promotion, or even to secure a play-off spot, they need to be taking six points from their next two games. Salford come to St James’ on the 14th. The Greater Manchester club are most notable for their owners, and though they will have ambitions to sneak into the playoffs themselves have more than likely left themselves with too much to do. The Grecians came away with all three points in December and will settle for nothing less in the return leg.
That game is followed by another home match, this time against Scunthorpe on Tuesday, with The Iron still not safe from the drop. Exeter suffered one of their worst results of the season in Lincolnshire, but cannot afford to slip up at home.
Then comes the big one. Away to Plymouth. The game is being shown on Sky which means, to the frustration of many fans, it has been moved to 7.45 on the Monday evening. Regardless of the time, there is little doubt this fixture has even more significance than usual, with Argyle currently sitting in the final automatic spot, and still smarting from their 4-0 drubbing in October. Then on the 4th April Exeter travel to Cheltenham, probably the form side in the division, and currently sat one point and one place behind Exeter, with a game in hand.
The season looks like once again, it will go to the wire. The good thing is, Exeter’s fate is in their own hands. They have got themselves into this strong position, they just need to make sure that, to use a boxing expression, they leave nothing in the ring.
