Football Season Review

Exeter entered the season looking for mid-table safety following the up and down 2009/10 campaign in which they even flirted with relegation at some points. They had to go through a horrible tragedy early in the season as their striker Adam Stansfield passed away after losing his battle with bowel cancer. Exeter started the season strongly despite this, with the players showing respect to their fallen team-mate after every goal and every win, and the slick passing brand of football they played turned them into a formidable force, especially in away matches, in which they ripped sides apart with their fantastic counter-attacking football. Ryan Harley, who pulled the strings in midfield for the Grecians, made a name for himself as the team's undisputed leader, with his fantastic form resulting in interest for Swansea, who bought him midway through the season, but loaned him back to Exeter until the end of the season. Unfortunately for the Grecians' faithful, their side was clearly affected by the saga that took place before Harley's move was completed, as the brilliant midfielder was dropped during some games and played below-par during others. This resulted in a very poor run of form that saw the Grecians drop down the table, never again managing to break into the top six, despite a strong run of form they had late in the season. Paul Tisdale switched into a 3-5-2 formation this season, shuffling his pack whenever he could, mostly in attack, where the likes of Richard Logan, John O'Flynn and Daniel Nardiello all had moments of brilliance. But the outstanding performer in the attacking department was certainly Jamie Cureton, who was scoring goals for fun, especially after the Christmas break, and ended the season with 17 league goals. The Grecians eventually finished the season only a point below the top six, but the table was a bit misleading as they lost any chances of making the Play-Offs with two games to spare. However, this doesn't change the fact that they came very close. Sadly, with Harley leaving the club and big transfers always looking unlikely, it is hard to see Exeter repeating the same kind of success next season.

Player of the Season: Ryan Harley