Image: Ceri Vaughan-Jones
Exeter City Women are building a community of women’s football fans in Exeter – and given their performances and their playstyle, how could they not be? The Women Grecians, denied promotion by one-point last season into the third tier of the football pyramid, are unstoppable this season – and have the bit between their teeth.
City are second in the Women’s National League South West Division, picking up 24 points from 8 games, scoring 42 goals at an average of more than 5 a game to a flawless record. City are only beaten in the table by AFC Bournemouth of Premier League fame on the men’s side of the game, City’s rivals to promotion having played one game more themselves on a flawless record as well. Whilst the Men’s team toil in the relegation scrap, the Women are forging ahead at the top of the table.
City this season have been even more dominant than last season – which is saying something.
City this season have been even more dominant than last season – which is saying something. City have easily passed their lower-placed opponents, and have enforced their attacking threat over these fixtures: 7-0 against Torquay United and 5-0 against Portishead Town. However, the squad has faced challenges along the way, solving these stumbling blocks with, you guessed it, more goals. The attacking threat of the side is impossible to deny – top goalscorer Jenna Markham and second-top goalscorer Sarah Stacey are second and third in the entire league in the race for the Golden Boot of the South West division.
Not only league form has proven their strength this season, but so has a stellar year for the Cup campaigns. Defending champions of the County Cup, defeating third-tier Plymouth Argyle last summer in a dramatic penalty shootout, and likely to be lined up against Argyle in the final this year as well. Silverware could be returning to Exeter. A strong run in the League Cup has led to a quarter-final against stronger opponents in the third tier after getting past a strong London Seaward side at home. And to close it off, an agonising collapse to league leaders of the third-tier Cheltenham Town closed the door on a strong FA Cup run that could’ve led to a draw against WSL and Championship giants Reading. Exeter City are a third-tier squad, playing in the fourth-tier.
All well and good being a third-tier level squad, means nothing if you’re not in the third tier. A two game series to decide the only team to play in the Premier South league next season is shaping up versus AFC Bournemouth – two games will likely decide whether the other 20 were useful. There’s only room for one team.
A community is building around City Women, and one thing that strikes me whenever I watch a game is the number of young boys and girls in attendance.
1,550 people came to St James Park in October to watch the Grecians fightback against a resurgent Moneyfields side in victory 5 goals to 3. A community is building around City Women, and one thing that strikes me whenever I watch a game is the number of young boys and girls in attendance. These players are role models.
Catch the Grecians at Exwick Sports Hub – and mark your calendar to pack the park on March the 10th to support them at SJP against Maidenhead United. The Women Grecians deserve your support.
