Goals from Caleb Watts and Demetri Mitchell were enough for Exeter City to claim their first league win at home since Boxing Day, as they beat Shrewsbury Town 2-0 at St James Park.
Exeter took control early on, and were awarded a penalty at the twenty-eight-minute mark after Pat Jones was brought down in the box. But unfortunately for the Grecians, captain Josh Magennis saw his effort saved by former Exeter goalkeeper Jamal Blackman.
But the miss didn’t dampen Exeter’s sprits, as Watts opened the scoring just a minute later with a scrappy header; a fortunate bounce off the post giving him his first goal since the opening day of the season.
Gary Caldwell’s side continued their control of the game from the get-go in the second half, as a well-timed volley from Demetri Mitchell doubled Exeter’s lead. They could have even added a third late on in the game, as Magennis mistimed what should’ve been an easy tap-in, although it didn’t prove to be too costly.
Speaking after the game, Caldwell called the result ‘huge,’ and was keen to praise the back three of Ed Turns, Angus MacDonald and Alex Hartridge, describing them and their clean sheet as ‘outstanding.’
The result could end up a crucial one for the Grecians, as they’ve now moved up to 18th in League One, sitting seven points clear of the relegation zone with two games in hand. Should they win their two games in hand, they could shoot to as high as 13th
Shrewsbury however now look doomed to go down, as they find themselves occupying the bottom position in the table. It was a fact that Exeter’s fans clearly found joy in, chanting ‘you’re going down’ towards Gareth Ainsworth’s side.
Exeter won’t have to wait too long for another chance to further ensure their survival in League One, as they’re back at St James Park on Tuesday night, playing host to Mansfield Town. Should they win, the Grecians could overtake Mansfield themselves in the table and move up to 16th.
