Torquay Utd 1 Exeter City 3

Exeter City got back to winning ways with a 3-1 win against Torquay United at Plainmoor, and in doing so keeping up the perfect record in West County derbies this season.

It felt like a must-win fixture for the Grecians and that’s precisely what happened – leaving their neighbours from Torquay in the relegation zone going into 2014 and allowing the Grecians to put the play-off spots back into the crosshairs again for the New Year.

The Grecians, however, were let off early on as Karl Hawley saw his spot-kick saved by Artur Krysiak after Billy Bodin drew a foul just inside the area. And instead the deadlock was broken at the other end by a ripping strike by Tom Nichols towards the end of the first period.

David Wheeler doubled the lead on the hour mark with a fine solo run and finish, but Karl Hawley set up a nervy final 15 minutes with a close-range finish for Torquay to make it 2-1.

But Alan Gow’s persistence gave City a third and the win with five minutes to go, as Exeter tasted more derby-day delight.

Pat Baldwin once again took the captain’s armband in the continued absence of Danny Coles after his knee surgery. Matt Oakley’s long-term ankle injury made him the only other Grecian absentee, with Liam Sercombe claiming his 200th appearance as a professional City player.

The only City change from the Boxing Day clash against Cheltenham was the reintroduction of Sam Parkin in place of Matt Grimes, while John Marquis, the Gulls’ Millwall loanee, missed out completely for the hosts.