We are all but certain to be playing in League One again next season

PIERCE SWEENEY IS THE CLUB CAPTAIN OF EXETER CITY FC

After back-to-back wins away at Shrewsbury Town and at home to Fleetwood Town, we’re looking all but certain to be playing League One football again next season. Indeed, with seven games to go we’ve got 47 points, so it’s not inconceivable we could yet improve on our 56-point haul last season.

That won’t be easy, but it would be a great achievement if we could do it – all the more so when you consider the sticky patch we endured pre-Christmas. While I never doubted we would come through that, I think we’ve done extremely well to all but secure our safety with seven or eight games to go.

After that horrible run of 13 league games without a win, we’ve picked up a very respectable 27 points since facing Wycombe Wanderers on Boxing Day. That said, we hadn’t won for five games before we played Shrewsbury last Tuesday, so it was great to get back to winning ways at the New Meadow.

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Admittedly, our task was made that bit easier when midfielder Jordan Shipley was sent off after just six minutes for a foul on Ryan Woods. At the same time, playing against 10 men often prompts teams to shut up shop and isn’t always easy but I thought we dealt with the challenge well.

With regard to the sending-off, it seemed to me that while both players were stretching for the ball, it was the Shrews’ player who left the ground and can, therefore, have few complaints. Certainly, Ryan had a nasty gash on his knee after the game, which I believe required a few stitches.

Admittedly, it took us a little while to understand how best to take advantage of our extra man, but once Will Aimson had fired us ahead with a cute little flick from a 33rd-minute corner, the outcome was never in serious doubt. Luke Harris doubled our advantage with his first goal for the club eight minutes later and Jack Aitchison made it 3-0 just before half-time.

Having described himself as ‘a goalscorer’ in his first interview on arrival at the club, a few of us at the Cliff Hill Training Ground had been giving Luke a bit of stick for his failure to deliver so, while it’s been a long time coming, it was great to see him break his duck. Touch wood he can go on to score a few more between now and the end of the season.

Notwithstanding he’s found it less straightforward than he’d have hoped to find the back of the net, Luke has been fantastic for us. Prior to his arrival, I’d rather assumed he’d be a technically adept No 10 who would look to others to do the hard yards but not a bit of it. Luke’s work rate and willingness to get stuck in are clear for all to see. What’s more, he may have only just turned 19 but he plays with a great deal of maturity, and I think he has a huge future ahead of him.

Beating Shrewsbury set us up perfectly for Saturday’s game at home to Burton Albion, so I was a bit disappointed we didn’t begin the game better. I thought it took us longer than it should have done to get going, albeit I was no help to anybody in the 30-odd minutes I was on the pitch.

I was absolutely fine in the build-up to the game but no sooner had we kicked off than I began to feel weak and unwell. Our physio, Michael McBride, gave me some energy gel but it didn’t seem to make any difference, so when he was called upon for a second time the decision that I should come off was an easy one.

In any case, things took a turn for the better just before half-time when Reece Cole fired us ahead after some great work down the right by Ilmari Niskanen. Unfortunately, our spirits were dampened when Zak Jules was sent off for an incident in the tunnel at half-time. I didn’t see what happened but am led to believe that in the face of not-insignificant provocation Zak reacted.

Having not seen the incident, I can’t really say whether or not it merited a red card. However, what I do know is that it’s not uncommon for there to be some ‘handbags’ in the tunnel and it rarely, if ever, results in a sending-off. In fact, I can’t remember it happening in all the time I’ve been at the club.

In any case, I thought we did fantastically down to 10 men for the entirety of the second half; restricting the visitors to one chance of any real note – when the ball hit the underside of the crossbar – and continuing to go close ourselves. For sure, it seemed those in attendance appreciated our efforts as they really got behind us in the last 20 or so minutes; this was remarked upon in the changing room after the game and there’s no doubt whatsoever it helped us get over the line.

Away from football, I was honoured to open the refurbished library at Morchard Bishop Church of England Primary School recently. We love living in the village and our daughter Myla goes to the pre-school so when I was asked if I would do the honours I was only too happy to help out.

I’m really looking forward to watching Finland take on Wales in the Euro 24 play-off on Thursday evening. Hopefully Ilmari will get to start and, while it’s been great to see Ethan Ampadu doing so well for Wales, it would be great were him and Vil Sinisalo to make it to this summer’s tournament in Germany. A few of the players, as well as one or two of the staff, are going up to the Cardiff City Stadium to cheer on Ilmari and Vil and, while family commitments mean I’m unable to join them, I’ll have everything crossed for our Finnish friends.

Looking a little further ahead, while the international break means we’re without a game this weekend, we can’t wait to play Charlton Athletic at SJP on Good Friday. It’s one of those games you look out for when the fixtures are announced and, given our recent form and it being on a bank holiday, you’d like to think that it will be close to a sell-out.

As the manager likes to remind us, we haven’t won three games on the bounce since the start of the season when we beat Carlisle, Reading, and Burton. It would be great if we could put that right against Nathan Jones’ side and get the Easter weekend, which concludes with our trip to Cheltenham Town on the bank holiday Monday, off to the best-possible start.