Next Up: Away to Mansfield Town
Following a creditable performance in the Capital One Cup against QPR in midweek, City look to extend their 100% start to the League Two season to two matches with a visit to a side that has regained its place in the 92 following a five-year 
hiatus in non-league. Paul Tisdale shuffled his pack on Tuesday night, and it looks like he might be returning to a system of pairs up front with Parkin and O’Flynn on the bench and Reid and Gow up front against QPR. The former combination may therefore be in line to return, while Matt Oakley continues to miss the start of the season, hopefully he’ll be back in action before long. New signing David Wheeler has started both matches so far and taken the two division jump in his stride, so he will hope to continue, while Arron Davies’ energetic display on Tuesday could see him enter the fray, possibly in place of Scot Bennett.
It took them five years, as it did City, but finally Mansfield are back where they belong, in the Football League. Under the 
stewardship of Paul Cox, the Stags embarked on a phenomenal run of 20 wins and just 3 defeats in the second half of the season, including a run of 12 straight wins, to pip Kidderminster by two points in a nail-biting finish to the season. There was a tinge of frustration for supporters, however, in that their on-pitch success appears to have been overshadowed by the story of their chairman, John Radford, and his now wife Carolyn, who have grabbed more headlines in recent times than the team. Key to their success was diminuitive ex-Torquay striker Matt Green, who scored 25 goals before being snapped up by Birmingham, and without him Mansfield may struggle for goals (they have yet to find the net this season in two matches). The player to watch will be Sam Clucas, who has earned rave reviews since signing from Hereford in the summer.
With City and Mansfield having swapped places in 2008, the last time the sides met was way back in the 01/02 season, one which saw Mansfield promoted. Just before Christmas that season, and only 48 hours after City were humiliated live on TV by Dagenham and Redbridge in the FA Cup, John Cornforth’s weary side pulled off a shock in winning 1-0 at Field Mill 
through a penalty from the Whimple Whippet, Barry McConnell. A month later the Stags got their revenge with a 1-0 of their own through Liam Lawrence. City haven’t actually lost at Mansfield since 1998 when a brace from 83 year old Tony Ford ensured a 3-2 win (after City had led 2-1). Overall the head-to-head in Football League fixtures sees City have the slight edge, 19 wins to 17 (16 draws).
Match Officials – http://www.exeweb.com/2013/08/08/match-officials-exeter-city-away-to-mansfield-town/
Exeweb’s Ground Guide – http://www.exeweb.com/2013/08/05/the-things-you-need-to-know-field-mill/