League Two
ExeterExeter City3YeovilYeovil Town3

Exeter City 3-3 Yeovil Town

Exeter City fans
Exeter City fans celebrate their dramatic draw against Yeovil Town

Exeter City astonishingly battled back from 3-0 down in the 88th minute to earn an unlikely draw at home to West Country rivals Yeovil Town.

After a relatively quiet, goalless first hour, Yeovil stormed into a three-goal lead as Francois Zoko slotted home before Shaylon Harrison and Alex Lacey both headed in.

At that stage, Exeter were set to slip out of the League Two play-off places, while Yeovil looked certain to win for only the second time in 11 league games.

Anything but a Glovers win still seemed unlikely even when David Wheeler drilled in off the post with less than two minutes of normal time remaining.

However, in stoppage time, first Troy Brown headed in to make it 3-2 before Reuben Reid smashed in Jack Stacey's cross at the far post to equalise amid delirium at St James Park.

Exeter remain seventh but are level on points with eighth-placed Carlisle, while Yeovil slipped to 18th, 13 points clear of the relegation zone.

The Grecians' fight back - minute by minute

Shaylon Harrison
Yeovil Town looked on course to win even when Shaylon Harrison put them 2-0 up
  • 62': Francois Zoko rolls in, Exeter 0-1 Yeovil
  • 70': Shaylon Harrison nods in, Exeter 0-2 Yeovil
  • 78': Header from Alex Lacey, Exeter 0-3 Yeovil
  • 88': David Wheeler fires in, Exeter 1-3 Yeovil
  • 90+1': Header from Troy Brown, Exeter 2-3 Yeovil
  • 90+2': Reuben Reid smashes home, Exeter 3-3 Yeovil

'I'd have have made six subs if I could'

Reuben Reid's goal made it 3-3
Yeovil could hardly believe it when Exeter levelled at 3-3

After the game, Yeovil boss Darren Way said his players needed to take responsibility, telling BBC Somerset: "When the first [Exeter] goal went in, I looked at the body language - it took us long to get up and we looked deflated.

"If I could have made six changes just by looking at their body language, I probably would have.

"With the goals going in in quick succession I think the players have got to take responsibility. We should have managed that game better.

"The players are very disappointed. You have got to be strong enough and resilient enough. As a manager, I have to go over those goals and make sure we do our best to make sure that doesn't happen again."

Exeter manager Paul Tisdale told BBC Radio Devon: "It is a lesson to our team as well that you can never count your chickens.

"Don't celebrate early. Don't think you are there.

"I want the players to leave today feeling good about themselves because they showed so much character and belief."

A lucky charm?

Rick Grimes takes time out from killing zombies to watch Exeter City!
Rick Grimes takes time out from killing zombies to watch Exeter City!

There was a surprise onlooker in the stands at St James Park - The Walking Dead and Love Actually actor Andrew Lincoln.

Lincoln, who plays Rick Grimes in The Walking Dead, told Devon Live:external-link "One of my oldest and dearest friends happens to be Paul Tisdale. So I've been watching him very avidly throughout his whole career and I've been very proud of him."

Line-ups

Exeter

Formation 4-4-2

  • 30Pym
  • 31Sweeney
  • 39Brown
  • 15Moore-Taylor
  • 3WoodmanSubstituted forReidat 69'minutes
  • 25TaylorSubstituted forWheelerat 45'minutes
  • 4JamesBooked at 77mins
  • 6Tillson
  • 7Harley
  • 14Watkins
  • 19McAlindenSubstituted forStaceyat 57'minutes

Substitutes

  • 1Olejnik
  • 11Wheeler
  • 12Grant
  • 16Oakley
  • 28Stacey
  • 29Croll
  • 33Reid

Yeovil

Formation 4-4-2

  • 1KrysiakBooked at 73mins
  • 2Shephard
  • 5Mugabi
  • 6Lacey
  • 11Dickson
  • 7Dawson
  • 16Butcher
  • 4DolanBooked at 45mins
  • 28WhitfieldSubstituted forGoodshipat 90+3'minutes
  • 13ZokoSubstituted forEavesat 89'minutes
  • 39HarrisonSubstituted forAkpa-Akproat 77'minutes

Substitutes

  • 9Eaves
  • 12Maddison
  • 17Sowunmi
  • 19Goodship
  • 22Bassett
  • 31Akpa-Akpro
  • 32James
Referee:
Darren Drysdale
Attendance:
5,492

Match Stats

Home TeamExeterAway TeamYeovil
Possession
Home53%
Away47%
Shots
Home16
Away12
Shots on Target
Home8
Away9
Corners
Home5
Away5
Fouls
Home10
Away14

Live Text

  1. Post update

    Match ends, Exeter City 3, Yeovil Town 3.

  2. Full Time

    Second Half ends, Exeter City 3, Yeovil Town 3.

  3. Post update

    Lloyd James (Exeter City) wins a free kick on the right wing.

  4. Post update

    Foul by Liam Shephard (Yeovil Town).

  5. Post update

    Foul by Reuben Reid (Exeter City).

  6. Post update

    Jean-Louis Akpa-Akpro (Yeovil Town) wins a free kick on the left wing.

  7. Substitution

    Substitution, Yeovil Town. Brandon Goodship replaces Ben Whitfield.

  8. Goal!

    Goal! Exeter City 3, Yeovil Town 3. Reuben Reid (Exeter City) right footed shot from the left side of the six yard box to the high centre of the goal. Assisted by David Wheeler with a cross.

  9. Goal!

    Goal! Exeter City 2, Yeovil Town 3. Troy Brown (Exeter City) header from the centre of the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Lloyd James following a corner.

  10. Post update

    Corner, Exeter City. Conceded by Alex Lacey.

  11. Substitution

    Substitution, Yeovil Town. Tom Eaves replaces Francois Zoko.

  12. Goal!

    Goal! Exeter City 1, Yeovil Town 3. David Wheeler (Exeter City) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the top left corner. Assisted by Ryan Harley.

  13. Post update

    Attempt blocked. Ollie Watkins (Exeter City) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.

  14. Post update

    Corner, Exeter City. Conceded by Alex Lacey.

  15. Post update

    Attempt blocked. Ben Whitfield (Yeovil Town) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked.

  16. Post update

    Delay in match Alex Lacey (Yeovil Town) because of an injury.

  17. Post update

    Attempt saved. Francois Zoko (Yeovil Town) header from the centre of the box is saved in the top centre of the goal.

  18. Post update

    Corner, Yeovil Town. Conceded by Troy Brown.

  19. Post update

    Attempt missed. Jean-Louis Akpa-Akpro (Yeovil Town) right footed shot from the right side of the box misses to the right.

  20. Post update

    Attempt saved. Jean-Louis Akpa-Akpro (Yeovil Town) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal.

Comments

Join the conversation

These comments are now closed.

41 comments

As It Stood

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Doncaster38239675443178
2Plymouth382261058401872
3Portsmouth392081161352668
4Stevenage391951564521262
5Blackpool391515961402160
6Luton391515956371960
7Exeter391781463471659
8Carlisle391514105658-259
9Mansfield391513114843558
10Colchester39169145551457
11Wycombe391510144747055
12Cambridge38159144842654
13Grimsby391410154648-252
14Barnet391215125053-351
15Accrington381213134849-149
16Crewe391212154554-948
17Crawley39139174760-1348
18Yeovil391016134251-946
19Morecambe39137194661-1546
20Notts County39137194365-2246
21Hartlepool391011184965-1641
22Cheltenham39912183955-1639
23Newport39712204364-2133
24Leyton Orient3995254170-2932
View full League Two table