Sonny Cox's late goal earns Exeter City first away win

Sonny Cox's late strike secured Exeter City's first away win of the League Two season. The 1-0 victory at Shrewsbury Town on Saturday ended a 15-game drought without a win on the road.

Cox finished calmly in the 86th minute after a break involving Ethan Sutherland and George Birch. The goal was his first for the club in 14 months and moved Exeter up to 14th in the table on 12 points. Matt Taylor's side now have back-to-back league wins after beating Rotherham United last weekend.

Team selection

Taylor named an unchanged starting eleven from the side that defeated Rotherham. Jack Taylor kept his place in central defence despite Ed James returning from international duty with Wales to take a spot on the bench. Vincent Harper also featured after winning a second cap for Kenya, while Cox was among the substitutes having recovered from a midweek allergic reaction.

How the win unfolded

Shrewsbury had the better chances for much of the contest. George Lloyd had a first-half goal ruled out for offside, and Isaac Fletcher was denied by a brilliant block from Lakyle Samuel just before the break. Goalkeeper Jack Bycroft then made a superb save to stop Fletcher again seconds into the second half.

Exeter's defence, which has conceded only six goals in ten games, held firm. "We deserved the win, we were the better team," said manager Matt Taylor, who praised his players for defending their box 'like our lives depended on it'.

The decisive moment came late on. Substitute Sutherland found Birch, who played in Cox to score. "It’s a massive goal for us, the lads kept believing," said the match-winner.

Taylor highlighted the importance of the victory for the team's mentality.

The result lifts Exeter to within three points of the play-off places. Taylor said the win takes a 'big monkey off our back' regarding away form.

Exeter City travel to face 19th-placed Colchester United next Saturday. Check the full schedule on our fixtures page.