Exeter City safe at last!

Report: Exeter City 2 Scunthorpe Utd 0

Exeter City secured their status as a Football League team in some style, beating the league leaders Scunthorpe United 2-0 at St James Park.

When the pressure was on, City turned in one of their most complete performances of the season to dominate the game in almost its entirety – and the Grecians also ended Scunthorpe’s remarkable 28-game unbeaten run.

In the end, everyone went home happy – Fleetwood could only manage a draw in their game against Southend, meaning that Scunthorpe confirmed promotion.

It was a stunning goal from Craig Woodman on the stroke of half-time that got City rolling, and Jimmy Keohane poked in a second just after the interval to seal the deal and secure a fine win against the table-topping side.

Keohane was making his first start for the Grecians since the beginning of March,
starting just behind his countryman John O’Flynn. Captain Danny Coles also returned to the starting XI after injury ruled him out of starting against Torquay on Easter Monday.

The Grecians started in a very positive manner and were the first to register a shot of note – Craig Woodman cut in on his right foot and tested Iron stopper Sam Slocombe with a drive from 30 yards, but the ‘keeper held well in the slippy conditions.

Exeter were playing plenty of progressive, passing football in the opposition half, but a stubborn and organised defence weren’t giving an inch. At the other end, Jordan Moore-Taylor had to block well from a David Syers half-volley.

City continued to look the more threatening, and the party mood of the travelling support was turning into anxiety and tension as the Grecians forced passes to go awry.

Exeter were looking every bit as capable as the league-leaders and kept up the pressure throughout the first half. Liam Sercombe hit an effort from outside the area which Niall Canavan deflected into the grateful arms of Sam Slocombe, before Eliot Richards hit a powerful effort which was straight at the Iron stopper.

The crowd in the Big Bank were seeing plenty of the ball as Exeter continued to attack that end, and Matt Oakley and Sercombe both went close as Slocombe looked the busier goalkeeper.

The Scunthorpe goalkeeper was almost picked the ball out of his net when Woodman cut back for Richards – Eddie Nolan’s block took the ball a matter of inches over the crossbar.

But it was Woodman that opened the scoring in first-half stoppage time with an absolute ripper. After Richards won a free-kick 25 yards out, Danny Butterfield deceived everyone with a short free-kick to tee up his fellow full-back, who lashed in a 25-yard screamer to give Exeter the lead at the interval.

Half-time: Exeter City 1 Scunthorpe United 0