City made it through to the Second Round of the FA Cup in the most dramatic fashion, as they came from behind twice to beat Barnet 5-3.
Josh Magennis, not content with just getting his first SJP goal, netted a hat-trick, while Jay Bird and Kamari Doyle scored late into stoppage time to put the Grecians through.
After a dominant start to the game, City opened the scoring with Magennis' first home goal when he was released on the edge of the box in the 13th minute. However, National League Barnet never seemed too far out of the tie and equalised six minutes before the break.
The Bees then edged ahead with a low strike just before the hour mark, only for Demetri Mitchell to be brought down in the box upon his SJP return, allowing Magennis to double his tally from the penalty spot.
Just minutes later, Nicke Kabamba restored Barnet’s lead, but Magennis answered yet again from the spot for his hat-trick, setting up a thrilling finish.
In nine minutes of added time, the Big Bank erupted as Bird scored his first goal at SJP to give City the lead, before Doyle capped off the evening with a goal into an empty net in the 101st minute, sealing an unforgettable FA Cup victory.
Gary Caldwell fielded a strong lineup for Exeter City's FA Cup first-round tie against Barnet, making only one change from last week's League One defeat against Huddersfield. Reece Cole returned to the starting eleven for the first time since August following his recovery from a blood clot, while Demetri Mitchell, who scored midweek against Bristol Rovers in the EFL Trophy, was once again named on the bench.
First half
The Grecians almost had the lead just five minutes in, with Millenic Alli inches away from tapping the ball into an empty net. Jack Aitchison released Ilmari Niskanen into space down the left, and as he raced towards the byline, the Finnish wing-back cut the ball into the box. With Barnet’s goalkeeper stranded, it took a fantastic tackle from Myles Kenlock to narrowly divert the ball just out of Alli’s path and keep the game level.
However, the game only stayed level for another eight minutes before the Grecians got the opener. Aitchison turned and charged at the Bees defence, who were forced to retreat with red and white runs either side of the Scot creating space. Seizing that opportunity, Aitchison played Josh Magennis through the middle, and he finished clinically to put City 1-0 up.
Exeter kept pressing forward, and Niskanen almost had his second goal in as many home games just minutes after the restart. Aitchison once again threaded an inch-perfect pass through the lines, allowing Niskanen to burst into the box, cut the ball back onto his stronger right foot. His curling shot looked destined for the top corner, but a Barnet defender managed to block it. The deflection fell to Alli in a promising position, but he was flagged offside.
Space kept opening behind the visitor’s backline on the wings, where Alli was consistently a threat. A quick free-kick released the winger down the right, and he sent a low cross into the box. Cole couldn’t quite settle it under pressure, though, and Barnet cleared it only as far as Ryan Woods. His fiercely-struck shot from 30 yards out went just over the bar.
Alli came even closer on 35 minutes, with three consecutive chances in quick succession. From Cole’s corner on the right, he initially couldn’t reach the cross, but the ball bounced back to him. After an awkward first attempt, he struck again, only for Barnet’s defense to block it on the line.
City would come to regret that missed opportunity when Barnet equalised on their first effort on target, six minutes before the break. With space down the left, Ryan Glover advanced toward the box and curled a shot into the far corner, levelling the score at 1-1.
Exeter nearly regained the lead just two minutes after conceding. Alli once again found space behind the backline on the right and cut the ball back to Cole, but the midfielder's shot flew well over the bar.
Second half
The Grecians started the second half slower than their opponents and were punished 15 minutes after the restart. After losing possession in midfield, City allowed Barnet to break forward quickly, and Zak Brunt controlled the ball before firing a hard, low shot into the bottom corner, putting the Bees ahead.
City almost responded immediately when the ball found Jack McMillan in a one-on-one with the goalkeeper. Following a pass from the left, McMillan was played through, but Nick Hayes denied him with an excellent starfish-style save.
Caldwell sought to re-energize his team, bringing Ed Francis and Kamari Doyle off the bench before introducing Jay Bird and Demetri Mitchell. The latter changes quickly paid off; with his first touch at SJP in over a year, Mitchell drove into the box and was brought down by Danny Collinge, leaving the referee no choice but to point to the spot.
Magennis stepped up and smashed the penalty to the keeper’s right, pulling City level.
But the National League side responded swiftly, reclaiming the lead less than two minutes later. Staying just onside, Nicke Kabamba broke free, going one-on-one with Whitworth and finishing calmly to put Barnet back on top.
City refused to relent, with Mitchell again sparking the next attack. He beat his marker and crossed to the back post, where Magennis’ header was denied by a brilliant point-blank save. Doyle came even closer in the 82nd minute when Bird found him in the box; aiming low to the far corner, the Brighton loanee’s shot beat the keeper but was heroically cleared off the line.
City’s chances kept piling up as Bird met yet another Mitchell cross, but his header narrowly missed the target.
Persistence finally paid off, and Magennis completed his FA Cup hat-trick to add to his 2019 FA Cup memory against Walsall. Sweeney threaded a ball through a defender's legs to find Niskanen in the box, and, just minutes after winning their first penalty of the season, City earned a second when the Fin was brought down.
Magennis confidently put it to the same right-hand side, equalising yet again for City and sealing the match ball for himself.
There was no let-up in this FA Cup thriller, as Hayes pulled off a stunning save to deny Bird his first goal at SJP. Magennis turned provider, firing a ball from the right into the box that Bird met squarely in the middle, only for Hayes to react in a split second, diving low to keep the game level.
With nine minutes of added time, City remained on the attack and found their breakthrough in the 96th minute. Barnet had committed forward, leaving space behind, and when the ball was cleared to Doyle just shy of the halfway line, he spotted Bird breaking the offside trap. Doyle slipped the ball through, and Bird, even as he stumbled, managed to slot it past the keeper to put City ahead.
The FA Cup’s magic wasn’t done, and Kamari Doyle had the final say as the clock hit 100 minutes. With Barnet’s keeper still up from their last wave of attacks, a City clearance landed at Doyle’s feet. Sprinting forward and forced wide by a defender, he still managed an audacious finish from at least 40 yards out, sealing an unforgettable cup tie with Exeter’s fifth goal.
What. A. Game.
The magic of the FA Cup is alive and kicking in Devon, and with a bit of drama on the side, the Grecians are through to the next round!
Exeter City: Whitworth, McMillan, Sweeney (C), Crama, Purrington, Niskanen, Woods, Cole (Francis, 62'), Aitchison (Doyle, 62'), Alli, Magennis.
Substitutes not used: MacDonald (GK), Fitzwater, Mitchell, Cox, Carayol, Bird, Richards.
Goals: Magennis 13', 75' (pen), 85' (pen), Bird 96', Doyle 101'.
Yellow card: Woods 49'.
Barnet: Hayes, Coker, Rye (Collinge, 46'), Kabamba, Kanu, Glover, Brunt, Hartigan (C), Oluwo, Kenlock, Hobson.
Substitutes not used: Bellagambi (GK), Okimo, Grimwood, Kizzi, Cropper.
Goals: Glover 39, Brunt 59', Kabamba 79'.
Yellow cards: Kanu 67', Coker, 85', Glover, Hobson 94'.
Attendance: 4244 (212 away)