Football Season Review

After punching well above their weight last season and getting many plaudits for their passing and attacking style, Exeter were always going to struggle to reach such heights this campaign. Losing star performers Ryan Harley and Jamie Cureton was another big blow, and life didn't get any easier for Paul Tisdale at the beginning of the season, as his side struggled with injuries, and managed to win only one of their opening ten matches of the season. With players starting to return from injuries, the side's fortunes steadily started to improve; the leaky defence was never good enough to make Exeter a decent away side, but points were collected at home on a consistent basis, and the Grecians looked good value for survival. However, that was only the case until the final third of the season, as Exeter had an abysmal run of form between the 33rd and the 39th round, collecting only one point in seven games they played during this period. With their relegation rivals improving their form during this period, the abysmal run left the Grecians deep into the relegation zone, and Paul Tisdale didn't manage to change his side's fortunes on time despite his persistent attempts both with the free agent market and the loan market. Eventually, the Grecians ended up being relegated to League Two, but everyone in the club are realistic regarding the fact that they are simply not a big enough club to compete in League One year after year, and there is no doubt Tisdale will be given a chance to plot a return into the third tier next season.

Player of the Season: Troy Archibald-Henville