Six more games. Three more wins. We don’t need to tell you how important this game is in the race for promotion.
Exeter have been in pretty poor form of late, with just one win in their last six matches. United on the other hand are unbeaten in their last five and sit proudly at the top of the League Two table.
With a basically full-strength squad to pick from we don’t envisage too many surprises, Wes should return to the midfield at the expense of Luke Hannant, but other than that the team pretty much picks itself.
That means Callum Burton in goal, who has been impressive since deputising for the injured Dimi Mitov, making some important saves in the process, with Kyle Knoyle, Jubril Okedina, Greg Taylor and Jack Iredale ahead of him.
Midfield we expect to see a return to the diamond, with Digby at the base, Liam O’Neil and Hiram Boateng doing the dirty work in the middle, and Wes at the tip. Up front, Paul Mullin will be looking to add to his totals in the race for the golden boot alongside the tireless Joe Ironside
Expected U’s Line-Up: Burton, Knoyle, Okedina, Taylor, Iredale, Digby, Boateng, O’Neil, Hoolahan, Mullin, Ironside
On the bench it looks like Aji Alese might miss out, but there’s midfield options all capable of adding something to the game in the form of Harrison Dunk, Adam May and Luke Hannant.
Who’s Their Player To Watch? On his day Randell Williams is one of the best players in the League. Exeter will be hoping he returns to form after injury for their run-in.
Who’s In The Dugout? Two of the youngest managers in the League face up to each other tomorrow as Mark Bonner (35) plays Matt Taylor (39). Taylor has been in charge at St James Park since 2018 after playing over 100 games for the club in the early 2010’s.
What’s Their Recent Form Like? P5, W1, D1, L3, For 4, Against 6
Any Ex-United Players? Robbie Willmott has a checkered history with U’s fans, having been a youth product and part of the late 00’s teams that got to two Wembley play-off finals before moving to rivals Luton for a £50,000 fee. He returned to the Abbey two years later before joining Newport a year later. He then knocked around non-League for a bit before returning to Newport in 2017, before finally being loaned to Exeter this year.
Last Time Out: Exeter 2-0 U’s, October 3rd 2020
United fell to their first defeat of the season in the reverse of this fixture back in October.
From The Archive: U’s 2-1 Exeter, April 29th 1978
Goals from Tom Finney and Steve Fallon saw United turn out 2-1 winners at a packed Abbey Stadium to secure second place and promotion to the Second Division. Over 8,500 fans were in the ground and on the pitch, how we’d love to see scenes like this again.
UTAS Moosenet Tip: Always 2-1 United, Always Mullin.
Under The Abbey Stand 
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