Skip to main content Skip to site footer
Match Previews

PREVIEW: Coventry City v Exeter City - The Sky Blues battle the Grecians for Promotion at Wembley

City head to Wembley...

27 May 2018

Match Previews

PREVIEW: Coventry City v Exeter City - The Sky Blues battle the Grecians for Promotion at Wembley

City head to Wembley...

27 May 2018

Venue: Wembley Stadium

Competition: SkyBet League Two Play-Off Final

Date: Saturday, 28th May 2018

Kick-off: 3pm (Live on SkySports Football)

The Sky Blues face Exeter City at Wembley Stadium as the two sides compete for promotion to SkyBet League One.

The Grecians secured their place at Wembley with a slender victory over initial play-off favourites Lincoln City ten days ago, while the Mark Robins' side blew Notts County away with a stunning 5-2 aggregate victory.

Exeter boss, Paul Tisdale looks set to take charge of his side for the final time after an incredible twelve years at the helm and he will be without winger Lee Holmes (ankle) who remains on the sideline.

Robins has no fresh injury concerns for the final. He will be without Tom Davies (suspension), Jodi Jones (ACL), Tony Andreu (ACL) and Peter Vincenti.

 

THE OPPONENTS

Sky Blues fans will remember Exeter striker Robbie Simpson from his time at the Ricoh Arena. The 32-year-old scored four goals in 62 games for City after joining from Cambridge United where he managed an impressive 17 goals in his first 33 games in professional football.

Lloyd James is a key player in Tisdale's side. The former Southampton man made 41 appearances in the Championship as a 21-year-old before going on to make over 100 starts for Leyton Orient.

Exeter fans will be hoping Jayden Stockley stays with them for next season. The 24-year-old has scored 19 goals this season for the Grecians since joining from Aberdeen in the summer.

 

MANAGER QUOTES

Robins: "It does all come down to this, it is as simple as that, but it is exciting isn't it?"

Tisdale: "We face a very difficult opponent in Coventry. You can see that in how they played in their second leg against Notts County. Yes, we played well but they did too."

Robins: "The big thing for me is that we have managed to give ourselves a really good chance to get promoted. We are playing against a good opponent with a really experienced manager, who could well be heading into his last ever game with the club."

Tisdale: "That is what it will boil down to. It is a lot of preparation, a lot of thinking, a lot of strategy but then getting to a point with the players of ‘just play’ and asking them to play their best. That is what we want to get the team to do, play their best."

Robins: "The supporters are coming out in big numbers again to support us and we want to respond. It is a very special occasion when you get to play at Wembley during your career and they should not take it for granted."

 

LAST TIME WE MET

The Sky Blues were been beaten 1-0 by Exeter City at St James Park thanks to Ryan Harley's first-half strike.

The Grecians took the lead within the first seven minutes after a mistake from Lee Burge presented Harley with the chance to curl the ball in from outside the area.

Jordan Ponticelli came close in stoppage time to salvaging City a point but saw his effort pushed onto the woodwork.

The result meant that Mark Robins' side fell from third to eighth in SkyBet League Two after 27 games of their season

 

THE SKY BLUES AT WEMBLEY

W - 3-2 v Tottenham Hotspur - 1987 FA Cup Final
L - 0-1 v Everton - 1987 FA Charity Shield
W - 2-1 v Oxford United - 2017 Checkatrade Trophy Final


Advertisement block

iFollow Next Match Tickets Account