Exeter City prepare for Saturday's away trip to Colchester United with confidence after securing back-to-back league wins for the first time since January. The Grecians head to the JobServe Community Stadium sitting 14th in League Two with 12 points from their opening 10 matches, their recent form reading two wins, two draws and a loss.
Their last outing was a 1-0 victory at Shrewsbury Town, sealed by an 86th-minute strike from Sonny Cox. That result, coupled with a 1-0 home win over Rotherham United, has given Matt Taylor's side a platform ahead of a 269-mile journey to Essex. The head coach, who returned to St James Park in March, has overseen an upturn in form. The team's recent resilience is highlighted by the fact they have scored 5 of their 6 league goals this season in the final 15 minutes of matches.
"Exeter City manager Matt Taylor has given his preview as City prepare for Saturday's trip to the JobServe Community Stadium," he said.
Match details and history
This will be the first meeting between the sides since April 2022, when Exeter ran out 2-0 winners at St James Park. Jack Sparkes opened the scoring that day with an assist from Jevani Brown, a result that preceded the club's promotion to League One. Colchester United, managed by Danny Cowley, currently occupy 19th place in the table and were beaten 1-0 at Newport County last weekend. They are, however, unbeaten at home in the league this season, having taken points from Oldham Athletic, Rochdale, Crewe Alexandra and Cheltenham Town.
Exeter's own standings show they are seven points behind leaders Salford City, with a balanced record of six goals scored and six conceded. The upcoming fixtures present an opportunity to climb the table, starting with this weekend's game.
Travel and ticket information
Over 300 Exeter City supporters are expected to travel, with the club having been allocated an initial 400 unallocated seats in the North Stand. Tickets can be purchased on the day via QR codes at the Away End or from a self-serve machine in the Club Shop. The stadium operates on a cashless basis. Tickets are also available online via ticketing accounts or at the ticket office during its opening hours. Official Grecian travel is available for the match at a cost of £45.
The JobServe Community Stadium, which opened in 2008 and holds 10,105 spectators, is located at United Way, Colchester, CO4 5UP. It is approximately a 40-minute walk from the nearest train station, with the rail journey from Exeter St David's taking around four to four and a half hours.
Matchday experience
Exeter City will mark the occasion by wearing their anniversary shirt for the match. Saturday is also Colchester United's dedicated Together Against Racism matchday, part of a league-wide campaign running from 16th to 26th October. Supporters are encouraged to report any incidents of racism to a steward or via email. EFL data shows that 63% of live racism incidents reported directly to clubs last season led to identification and action, with almost nine in ten successful identifications coming from matchday reports.
The Grecians will be looking to key figures like captain Jack Fitzwater, the team's top league scorer this season, and recent signings including Anthony Scully, who joined on a free transfer from Shrewsbury Town earlier this month. The team will wear their anniversary shirt for the 3pm kick-off at the JobServe Community Stadium on Saturday, 17th October.
Background and full detail: exetercityfc.co.uk
