Exeter City vs Swindon Town: League Two Match Preview 2019
The pick of the matches in England’s 4th tier (EFL League Two) this weekend is the clash between two of the early frontrunners. Exeter City F.C. start the day in 3rd position with visiting Swindon Town F.C. one place above, albeit only on goal difference. Both teams have won their first two league games of the season. and the parallels don’t stop there, as each exited the League Cup in midweek after suffering heavy defeats. The Grecians (Exeter) have been victorious in this fixture on three of the last four occasions so The Robins (Swindon) will be out to put things right come Saturday afternoon.
Exeter City What To Watch
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With no goals conceded in the league thus far, Exeter fans have a lot to thank their defence for. A huge part of the backline is veteran defender Dean Moxey. The full-back started his professional career with the club before leaving for Derby County F.C. in 2009. However, Moxey finally found his way back to his hometown club in 2017 and has been a regular in the team ever since.
The Grecians have a wealth of experience across the pitch and will be counting on the efforts of Nicky Law in the middle to keep the team ticking over. Originally from nearby Plymouth, Law began his career with spells at many lower league English clubs before spending a few years in Scotland. He did return to England with a move to Bradford City F.C. in 2016. Two years later, he left to join Exeter, playing a significant portion of games last season as the team finished in 9th position. City’s fans will certainly hope his knowhow of the lower divisions can help them at least finish in the play-offs come May.
If you were looking for the definition of journeyman striker, a picture of Nicky Ajose would surely appear. The Bury born forward has turned out for 12 different clubs in his professional career so far, having three different spells with Exeter’s opposition on Saturday. Always a promising player wherever he has been, for one reason or another Ajose has never felt comfortable staying put with a team for a long period. With his tenure at the club likely to be brief, Exeter City will be hoping he can leave a lasting impression upon League Two.
Swindon Town What To Watch
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It’s fair to say a lot of people were surprised when Swindon Town announced the signing of Zeki Fryers in the summer. The defender has a seriously impressive pedigree previously having spells with Manchester United F.C. and Tottenham Hotspur F.C. in the Premier League. Although he wasn’t quite able to regularly break into the first team at either of these clubs, The Robins will be hoping they can bring out the best of him and help him rise back up the English football pyramid.
One of the best pieces of news to come out of the summer for Swindon Town fans was Michael Doughty signing a new 3-year contract with the club. The midfielder added 14 goals from midfield last season and was one of the standout performers in a somewhat disappointing campaign last year. If Doughty can replicate his form this year, Swindon have a real chance of promotion.
Earlier today, Swindon Town announced the loan signing of Bradford City striker Eoin Doyle. The Irishman has joined the club for the full season and while it is a somewhat questionable decision for Bradford to allow Doyle to join one of their league rivals, it is a very shrewd signing on the part of Swindon. Doyle has a promotion to League One on his CV after leading the line at Chesterfield in the 2013-13 season. Will Bradford’s loss be Swindon’s gain? We shall soon see.
Exeter City vs Swindon Town Prediction
Exeter City may not have conceded a lot of goals in the league this season, but they have also not scored too many either. The loss in the League Cup to Coventry City F.C. on Tuesday night showed that The Grecians are far from the finished article and while Swindon Town also have questions to answer, I feel they may turn the tables on their League Two rivals and leave the south-west with a victory.
Prediction: Exeter City - 1 Swindon Town - 2
