Exeter City 3 Stockport County 3 ( Football League 1 ) Saturday 18 April 2026

 

 

 

 

 

County put their travelling supporters through a range of emotions at sun lit St James` Park today against relegation threatened Exeter City-  as they swept into a first half lead via a Malik Mothersille goal……Josh Stokes doubling the blues advantage from a Mothersille assist 20 minutes later.

If we had maintained the 2-0 lead until half time things might have turned out differently, but Exeter took advantage of slack work at the back to nick one back as Reece Cole fired home from the edge of the box.

I still found myself thinking County could build from this position, but we needed decisive defending and Exeter were quick to punish them for failing to clear their lines- we faced the final 20 minutes therefore with the scores level at 2—2.

Just 7 minutes later and I thought County had sorted matters as Odin Bailey capped a decent showing as substitute with a smartly taken goal.

Surely…at 3-2 , with less than 15 minutes left, the match was won, but I am sure that County did not fall into the trap of thinking that way- it was more likely that the blues succumbed to the affect of tired legs at the end of a busy week of crucial matches- Exeter sending the home specs home happy with the equalising goal   in the 96^th minute.

Not the result we wanted, but we`ll take the point and look to do better in the raft of home games in the next 2 weeks.

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Alarm bells rang for County in the first couple of minutes as Adama Sidibeh took what looked to be a heavy knock necessitating that Tanto Olaofe started preparations to come on. But County`s number 29 recovered and Tanto stayed our side of the touchline for now- the game switching ends for the first 5 minutes with little in the way of moves that would embarrass either keeper.

Then County began to get their act together as Stokes played Diamond clear down the right, taking the ball to the by-line before slipping a cross low and hard across the box to Mothersille who finished with the plomb of a seasoned striker– County had the lead and the ex-Posh star could listen with satisfaction no doubt hearing his name sung by the County faithful!z

That was a good start, but Exeter were looking to reply through Mendes -Gomes and his break down the right produced a chance for sure, until Sidibeh tracked back and stopped the rot for County-  blocking Mendes- Gomes` pass to City top scorer Jayden Wareham.

Exeter did a fair bit of attacking for 15-20 minutes thereafter- without really getting close to equalising- Wareham fluffing the half chance that came his way ,22 minutes in, by scuffing a hurried effort wide of goal with Addai beaten.

We needed something back from County, but Sidibeh`s header, 4 minutes later, narrowly missed out.

County were beginning to respond though, as half time neared, but their final ball lacked something- Diamond making nothing of Norwood`s neat pass on 27 minutes.

Then County made a mockery of my last para with as incisive a move as ever could be imagined- Mothersille working wonders down the left to keep an improbable ball in play- adding a neat assist to his earlier goal by picking Stokes out with a neat ball- Stokes made no mistake……it was 2-0 – the away end awash with smiling faces!

It took City just 1 minute to reply, but Wakeham toe poked a half chance away to keep it 2-0.

Exeter kept working at reducing the arears, but without really convincing me anyway, that they would….

Hmmm…..I was only 100 % wrong as, within 5 minutes, Matt Taylor`s side had nicked a goal back as Reece Cole took advantage of indecisive defending by County to drill City`s first goal home.

This seemed to fire County up, at least for a while- a flowing move involving Stokes, Diamond and Mothersille narrowly coming to grief…..Stokes massively unlucky to see a terrific shot from him clawed to safety by the Exeter keeper almost smack on half time.

And Bycroft was a busy lad in what remained of the half- Stokes seeing a shot deflected for a corner with the keeper looking to be toast….Mothersille and Diamond both going close without reward.

It stayed 2-1 no bad position for County to be in as the teams went in at the break!

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Bailey was on for Edun when the game resumed after half time, and he was in the mix straight off- darting down the left to ping a cross over that fizzed across goal centimetres from the advancing Sidibeh.

Bailey was looking very much the part now- running the home back line ragged- joined by Stokes and Mothersille who very nearly walked the ball home on 48 minutes at one point….whilst at another the referee Kirsty Dowie came to the Grecians aid by stopping play with County attacking with some verve, severely discomforting home keeper Bycroft who sank to the deck in apparent distress- convincing the ref to stop play. He must have also convinced the official to give a bounce up in favour of Exeter, which I found incomprehensible-it saved City for sure.

The next action of note again came at Bycroft`s end, as he bravely beat a fierce effort by Sidibeh- out – a vital save in the circumstances of the game!

We then saw Tanto and Barry on for Sidibeh and Mothersille on the hour- but it was County who were immediately under the cosh- Addai saving County`s bacon with a series of instinctive saves to deny Exeter.

Tanto offered hope – dashing clear 2 minutes later, only to hesitate and fluff the chance.

County were upping the revs now- Norwood seeing Bycroft keep his shot out with an excellent save- pushing the ball out to Tanto who then found his route to goal blocked frustratingly!

And the frustration continued as a screamer from Louis Barry missed out narrowly.

Then, midst all the attacking…calamity at the other end where County`s inability to clear their lines got punished again as Timary Niskanen  picked out Timur Tutierov  who volley home from close in.

It was 2-2 – anything could happen from here, but we took heart pretty soon  as the 77^th minute saw County claw their way back into the lead again – Fiorini reaching Barry with a neat pass…Barry `s shot thundering into the woodwork before coming out again to Bailey who slammed the ball home to send the away end delirious with delight- surely the match was won now!

Well, it was naive in the extreme to think so, particularly as much of what remained of the match saw County defending with increasing degrees of anxiety .

Fortunately, Exeter could not take advantage of their late possession- but neither could County turn deep defence into meaningful attacking moves… we were back to frustration again…

 

We were into added time and County were still under the cosh- Addai doing well to deny Tutierove on 94 minutes….

Exeter piled it on- Addai scrambling across his line to somehow keep a third City goal from going in(95 minutes)

But another minute and County were undone as another Exeter corner soared over to be headed home by home keeper Bycroft- the home specs went AS and why would they not?

The point that that goal brought Exeter might not save them from the drop, but just might act as a litmus paper for a return to form for them – for County a point is disappointing but still a point- we still have games in which to secure our play-off position!  

Exeter City line up :-

Bycroft , McMillan, Sweeney , James (Woodhouse 75), Andrew, McDonald (Brierley 55), Cummins (Aitchison 75) Cole (Magennis 75), Niskanen, Mendes Gomes (Tutierov, 62, Wareham.

Subs not used

Phillips Higgins.

Stockport County lined up :-

Addai , Diamond (Bate 92), Mothersille (Barry 60), Dixon, Edun (Bailey 45), Pye, Wootton, Osborn, Norwood , Stokes( Fiorini 71), Sidibeh (Olaofe 60)

Subs not used

Hinchcliffe, Grogan.

Attendance 6,653 (491).

hedgegrower