Preview: Harrogate Town vs Exeter City

Last Tuesday night saw an improvement but with City’s poor run now extended to one win in their last seven in all competitions, Matt Taylor will be hoping to gain revenge in the rearranged Tuesday evening game, almost exactly a month after a shock home defeat to new boys Harrogate. Pierce Sweeney returned from injury against Bolton, while Lewis Page continued his return to the side with a slightly longer run out than he had last Saturday. With Randell Williams still out Josh Key is likely to continue on the wing with Jake Caprice at right back. Taylor confirmed this week that he had a new signing lined up, only for the transfer to be delayed due to the player contracting Covid – Taylor suggested he wouldn’t have been ready for the first team in any case, so it’s pretty much as you were for Saturday aside from any changes Taylor may make for rotation purposes, as City look to play an away fixture for the first time since December 5th.

Like City, Harrogate have only played three fixtures since the sides met in mid-December – they were due to play against high-flying Carlisle on Tuesday night but, in a season blighted by postponements due to either Covid or the weather, instead it was a power failure that prevented the match taking place. Those three fixtures have seen Simon Weaver’s side win at Oldham but lose at home to Salford and, most recently, away to Cambridge last Saturday. Home form has been a particular concern, with their last home league win taking place in mid-October against fellow newbies Barrow. Jack Muldoon is once again the player to watch, the striker whose goals went a long way to securing their promotion last season has reached double figures this time around.

It was Muldoon who scored the winner on that Tuesday night a month ago in the first ever meeting between the sides. Harrogate led 1-0 at half time through Kiernan. With a rocket up their backside City equalised practically from the kick-off in the second half through Jake Taylor before Muldoon secured a shock win. City will have felt aggrieved at that point having had what looked a certain penalty shout turned down, plus a little unease at some of the tactics employed by the away side, meaning the desire for revenge may be all the sharper.

Match officials for the game will be:-

Referee: Scott Oldham
Assistant Referees: David Avent and Ollie Williams
Fourth Official : Paul Newhouse

Scott Oldham has taken charge of three Exeter games, see https://www.grecians.co.uk/wordpress/?s=%22scott+oldham%22