The 2017–18 season was Exeter City's 116th year in existence and their sixth consecutive season in League Two, where they finished in fourth place. The Grecians progressed to and lost their second consecutive promotion play-off final City progressed to the third round of the FA Cup after beating 8th-tier Heybridge Swifts in the first round, and fellow League Two side Forest Green Rovers in a second round replay. Exeter were knocked out in the third round by Premier League side West Bromwich Albion. The Grecians were knocked out of the EFL Cup in the first round, losing at home to Charlton Athletic, and were also eliminated in the regionalised first round (group stage) of the EFL Trophy, finishing bottom of Southern Group D.
The season covers the period from 1 July 2017 to 30 June 2018.
Transfers
Transfers in Date from Position Nationality Name From Fee Ref. 1 July 2017 CB Luke Croll Crystal Palace Free transfer 1 July 2017 LB Dean Moxey Bolton Wanderers Free transfer 1 August 2017 CF Ryan Brunt Free agent Free transfer 31 August 2017 CF Jayden Stockley Aberdeen Undisclosed 31 August 2017 DM Hiram Boateng Crystal Palace Free transfer 1 December 2017 CB Danny Seaborne Free agent Free transfer
Transfers out Date from Position Nationality Name To Fee Ref. 1 July 2017 CM Tom McCready AFC Fylde Released 1 July 2017 CF Joel Grant Plymouth Argyle Free transfer 1 July 2017 DM Matt Oakley Retired as player, became assistant manager 1 July 2017 GK Bobby Olejnik Mansfield Town Released 1 July 2017 RB Connor Riley-Lowe Truro City Released 1 July 2017 CF Ryan Swan Cabinteely Released 1 July 2017 DM Ethan Ampadu Chelsea Fee to be agreed 18 July 2017 CF Ollie Watkins Brentford Undisclosed 31 August 2017 RM David Wheeler Queens Park Rangers Undisclosed 20 October 2017 CF Jamie Reid Torquay United Free transfer 1 January 2018 CB Toby Down Taunton Town Free transfer 5 January 2018 CF Reuben Reid Forest Green Rovers Undisclosed
Loans in Start date Position Nationality Name From End date Ref. 31 August 2017 RB Kane Wilson West Bromwich Albion January 2018 31 August 2017 CF Kyle Edwards West Bromwich Albion January 2018 4 January 2018 GK Paul Jones Norwich City 30 June 2018 22 January 2018 CF Ryan Loft Tottenham Hotspur 30 June 2018
Loans out Note: this section may be inaccurate, due to incomplete information released by the club about loans out. Start date Position Nationality Name To End date Ref. 1 July 2017 CF Jamie Reid Torquay United 20 October 2017 4 July 2017 CB Toby Down Weymouth 31 December 2017 10 July 2017 CB Kyle Egan Dorchester Town Unknown 10 July 2017 CM Jordan Storey Dorchester Town October 2017 14 July 2017 LB Alex Hartridge Truro City 30 June 2018 18 July 2017 FW Ben Seymour Weston-super-Mare 28 September 2017 7 August 2017 FW Archie Collins Weston-super-Mare 7 October 2017 August 2017 FW Max Smallcombe Bideford Unknown October 2017 FW Ben Seymour Bideford January 2018 18 December 2017 FW Archie Collins Dorchester Town 18 February 2018 4 January 2018 GK James Hamon Gloucester City April 2018 19 January 2018 RB Sam Haynes Barnstaple Town 19 February 2018 22 January 2018 FW Joel Randall Taunton Town Unknown 31 January 2018 CM Josh Key Bideford Unknown
Pre-season Exeter City played five pre-season fixtures in July 2017, all away from home at teams based in Somerset and Dorset. The club's pre-season schedule began with a trip to Twerton Park, where they faced off against Bath City for the Brian Lomax SD Cup – an annual fixture held between two supporter-owned clubs.
There were no pre-season friendlies at St James Park due to redevelopment work taking place over the summer.
Brian Lomax SD Cup
Friendlies
Competitions
League Two
League table
Matches The fixtures for the 2017–18 season were announced on 21 June 2017.
August
September
October
November
December
January
February
March
April
May
League Two play-offs
FA Cup On 16 October 2017, the Grecians were drawn at home to Heybridge Swifts in the first round of the FA Cup.
City eventually overcame the Swifts 3–1 with all the goals being scored in the final 45 minutes after an uneventful first half. Jayden Stockley scored a quick brace before Heybridges' Sam Bantick scored a consolation. Liam McAlinden then sealed the win for Exeter in the 86th minute. The following day, the Grecians were drawn away to Forest Green Rovers for the second round.
Prolific goalscorer Christian Doidge netted for Rovers after 26 minutes, the only goal in the first half. Grecians skipper Jordan Moore-Taylor equalised in the 58th minute and Jayden Stockley scored not long after to give City a 2–1 lead. However, Forest Green equalised through Scott Laird in the 88th minute and Doidge scored again in the 92nd to turn the game on its head. To make the game's conclusion even more dramatic, Stockley scored his second goal in the 94th minute as the match finished 3–3.
The Grecians achieved an incredible comeback from a goal and a man down to triumph 2–1 in the replay to set a Third Round tie against Premier League side West Bromwich Albion. Forest Green had opened the scoring with a 30th-minute penalty scored by Christian Doidge. City were down to ten men after 63 minutes due to Jordan Tillson's second yellow card. However, Rovers conceded a penalty only ten minutes later and Pierce Sweeney converted. The score was 1–1 at the end of 90 minutes, and the next significant event was a second sending off, this time the culprit being Rovers defender Manny Monthé, leaving both teams with ten men. Jayden Stockley scored the winner in the 115th minute, netting his 11th goal of the season.
City's third round tie against West Bromwich Albion started very poorly, conceding after only 75 seconds after Christy Pym failed to keep Salomón Rondón's long-distance shot out. The Baggies scored again in the 25th minute through Jay Rodriguez. The BBC match report attributed both goals to mistakes by Danny Seaborne.
EFL Cup On 16 June 2017, Exeter City were drawn at home to Charlton Athletic in the first round of the EFL Cup. Lee Holmes opened the scoring for the Grecians after 54 minutes by netting a free kick. However, goals by Billy Clarke and Regan Charles-Cook saw the Reds eliminated in the first round for the first time since 2014.
EFL Trophy City were placed in the Southern Group D, alongside the other two southwesternmost EFL League One and Two teams Plymouth Argyle and Yeovil Town. The Chelsea F.C. Academy was announced to be the other side in the group. On 13 July 2017, it was revealed that the Grecians would play Chelsea and Yeovil Town at home and Plymouth Argyle away.
City began with a 3–1 loss at home to Yeovil Town, when City failed to repeat the heroics of the previous season against the same opposition by coming back from 3–0 down, with just the consolation goal from Jack Sparkes, his first in professional football. The Grecians' second match of the group stage took place at Plymouth's Home Park, where they lost 5–3 on penalties to the Pilgrims after a 2–2 draw. City's elimination was confirmed after a 3–1 loss at home to Chelsea under-21s.
Table
Results
References