City couldn’t find a response to a goal in each half, as the Grecians fell to a 2-0 defeat against Huddersfield in their second loss this week.
In the autumnal Yorkshire sunshine, Huddersfield started brightly and took the lead 16 minutes in. A deflected clearance from City gave the hosts a corner, which defender Matty Pearson headed home to open the scoring.
City struggled to create meaningful chances, and Huddersfield struck again just past the hour. With space 30 yards from goal, Ben Wiles fired a low, firm shot past Joe Whitworth to double the lead.
Gary Caldwell’s substitutions gave Exeter some attacking momentum, but they couldn’t find a way back into the game and headed back to Devon empty handed.
The headline team news was Ben Purrington’s inclusion in the starting eleven for his first league appearance this season, following Caldwell’s confirmation earlier this week that Johnly Yfeko had picked up a hamstring injury. Three other changes were made from Tuesday's defeat to Reading, with Josh Magennis, Millenic Alli, and Kamari Doyle also returning to the team.
First half
After conceding inside the first minute on Tuesday, City nearly suffered the same fate during the opening 60 seconds at the John Smith’s Stadium. This time though, Ilmari Niskanen lunched to block Broadie Spencer’s shot inside the box, and City got over an early scare.
That was the only notable chance of a cagey opening 10 minutes, as the hosts held most of the ball, but City’s 5-3-2 formation stood firm, keeping them well away from Joe Whitworth’s goal.
However, a minor slip up at the back for City ultimately led to the game’s first goal just after the quarter-hour mark. Pierce Sweeney’s clearance rebounded back towards him off a teammate, allowing the Terriers to counter, winning a corner after Callum Marshall’s low effort from the left was deflected behind.
Ben Wiles swung in the set-piece into the six yard box, where Matty Pearson rose highest to head the ball down and into the net to put the home side one up.
Three minutes later, Whitworth had to be at his best to prevent a second goal. The Palace loanee punched away a cross from the right, but it fell to Herbie Kane 30 yards out. The Huddersfield midfielder attempted a first-time shot, but Whitworth reacted well to catch the ball.
The game then quietened down, with both sides having spells of possession in the midfield but Huddersfield having the better of the half-chances. Their next closest opportunity came eight minutes before the break from another set-piece.
This time it was a free-kick wide on the right, whipped into the box but hit narrowly wide first time by Town’s skipper, Tom Lees.
City’s tactic of going over the top of Town’s defence got them forward at times, but couldn’t produce any chances of note, as the Grecians went into the break without a shot.
Second half
Though the Grecians struggled to create chances in the first half, they nearly equalised just 30 seconds into the second.
Alli defended well on the right in front of a vocal away end, then played the ball back to Sweeney, who delivered a first-time cross to the back post. Magennis rose to meet it with a header, but Town’s keeper Jacob Chapman got down well to make the save.
Huddersfield soon countered with a chance of their own. Tristan Crama reacted quickly to intercept Mickel Miller’s cross with forwards waiting behind. The resulting corner led to a throw, and Town won another corner off Alli, launching the ball into a crowded six-yard box where City’s defense ultimately cleared.
The Terriers doubled their lead in the 63rd minute through a long-range strike. Ben Wiles found space about 30 yards out, and with no immediate pressure, drove a hard, low shot past Whitworth to make it 2-0.
Magennis should’ve pulled one back almost immediately when he broke through Huddersfield’s offside trap, finding himself one-on-one with Chapman, but he couldn’t control the bouncing ball, and his shot flew over the crossbar.
Caldwell then looked to re-energize his side with a double substitution. Sonny Cox, one of the fresh additions, made an impact by driving into Huddersfield’s half and feeding Niskanen on the wing. The Finnish winger cut inside and aimed a curling shot that seemed destined for the net, only for a deflection to send it out for an inconsequential corner.
City grew more assertive as the half progressed, aided by additional changes, but they couldn’t find a way through Huddersfield’s organized defense, which was content to protect their 2-0 lead until the final whistle.
City hit the road again this Tuesday, stepping out of league action to face Bristol Rovers in the Bristol Street Motors Trophy. Get your tickets here.
Huddersfield Town: Chapman, Pearson, Marshall (Ladapo, 87'), Wiles (Hogg, 80'), Miller, Kane (Evans, 80'), Spencer, Kasumu, Lonwijk, Ward (Healey, 67'), Lees (C).
Substitutes not used: Maxwell (GK), Headley, Turton.
Goal: Pearson 16', Wiles 63',
Exeter City: Whitworth, McMillan, Sweeney (C), Crama, Purrington, Niskanen (Carayol, 80'), Woods, Doyle (Francis, 69'), Aitchison (Bird, 80'), Alli (Cox, 69'), Magennis.
Substitutes not used: MacDonald (GK), Fitzwater, Cole.
Attendance: TBC