Next Up: Exeter City vs Stevenage
While it’s still not mathematically a certainty, City are all but safe now following the last gasp penalty win at relegation-threatened Cheltenham on Easter Monday, although Gary Caldwell will aim to keep his side’s foot on the accelerator in order to register a top half finish. Caldwell faces a selection headache ahead of the final multi-game week of the season – Ben Purrington, City’s scorer on Good Friday, missed the Cheltenham match due to concussion protocols, but he will be available again this weekend. His replacement was forgotten man Alex Hartridge, whose first game since January saw him put in a near faultless performance and it would be harsh to drop him following this. One option for Caldwell could be to move Purrington back out to the left as Zak Jules sits out the last match of his suspension, although that would be harsh on Yanic Wildschut while Vincent Harper also returned at Cheltenham.
Stevenage have had a fantastic season on their return to the third tier under colourful manager Steve Evans, but there is a feeling that their playoff push is beginning to peter out having failed to win any of their last seven matches (five have finished in draws, four of them 0-0). Five goals in their last ten games shows where the issues lie, with Jamie Reid (now an international goal scorer for Northern Ireland) having failed to hit the net since mid-February. He in particular will be anxious to add to his 21 goal tally against the club that released him as a youngster, but it’s in defence where Boro’s strengths mainly lie with the likes of Carl Piergianni and Terence VanCouten having been colossal at the back.
If anything epitomised the fighting spirit in the squad to end their dismal run earlier in the season it was the 1-1 draw at Stevenage a week before Christmas, a result which was treated with Evans’ usual generosity of spirit in his post-match interview. City lost Jack Aitchison to a second yellow card just before half time, which was compounded by Piergianni scoring in added time. 10-man City shocked the hosts by bursting out of the traps at the start of the second half with Wildschut equalising. It was then a case of attack vs defence although City arguably created the better chances, Cheick Diabate in particular impressing against the side that rejected him as a trainee.
Stevenage have been down to SJP earlier this season in the EFL Cup, going down 5-3 on penalties to earn City a place in the 3rd round for the first time since 1989. The last time Stevenage travelled down to Devon in the league City won 2-1 with all the goals in the first half, a Sam Stubbs double sandwiching an equaliser from Luke Norris. City have a strong league head to head lead with 13 wins to Stevenage’s five, 11 matches finishing level.
The match officials for this game will be:-
Referee: Lewis Smith
Assistant Referees: Grant Taylor and Samuel Fudge
Fourth Official : Elliott Swallow
Lewis Smith has recently returned from Japan where he refereed three games, and he’s also refereed in the Premier League this season taking charge of Fulham against Aston Villa and also Palace against Burnley. He officiated 44 games so far this season, issuing 162 yellow cards, six sendings off and awarded 11 penalties. The last time we saw him take charge of an Exeter game was in March 2023 when City drew 2-2 away to Fleetwood Town.
Assistant Manager Kevin Nicholson’s pre-match thoughts
Ryan Woods pre-match interview