# 2022–23 Exeter City F.C. season

The 2022–23 season was the 121st season in the existence of Exeter City Football Club and the club's first season in the League One since the 2011–12 season following their promotion in the previous season. In addition to the league, they also competed in the 2022–23 EFL Cup, being eliminated in the second round by Gillingham, and the 2022–23 EFL Trophy, failing to qualify from the group stage. The team also competed in the 2022–23 FA Cup, being eliminated in the second round by Oxford United.

## First team squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

### Statistics

    As of match played on 7 May 2023
| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Total | Total | League One | League One | FA Cup | FA Cup | EFL Cup | EFL Cup | EFL Trophy | EFL Trophy |
| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| 2 | DF | ENG | Jake Caprice | 42 | 1 | 29+8 | 1 | 2+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 |
| 3 | DF | ENG | Jack Sparkes | 40 | 2 | 25+10 | 1 | 1+0 | 0 | 1+1 | 1 | 2+0 | 0 |
| 5 | DF | ENG | Alex Hartridge | 47 | 0 | 42+1 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 |
| 6 | MF | ENG | Rekeem Harper* | 23 | 1 | 13+7 | 1 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 3+0 | 0 |
| 7 | DF | ENG | Demetri Mitchell | 16 | 2 | 12+4 | 2 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 8 | MF | ENG | Archie Collins | 49 | 6 | 44+1 | 4 | 2+0 | 1 | 1+1 | 1 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 9 | FW | ENG | Jay Stansfield* | 39 | 9 | 28+8 | 9 | 1+1 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 |
| 10 | FW | ENG | Sam Nombe | 47 | 17 | 34+9 | 15 | 2+0 | 0 | 1+1 | 2 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 11 | MF | ENG | Joe White* | 16 | 0 | 6+10 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 12 | DF | ENG | Joshua Key | 48 | 4 | 38+4 | 4 | 2+0 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 | 0+2 | 0 |
| 14 | DF | ENG | Will Aimson | 18 | 0 | 18+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 15 | MF | RSA | Kegs Chauke* | 26 | 2 | 10+10 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0+2 | 0 | 3+0 | 2 |
| 16 | MF | ENG | Harry Kite | 44 | 4 | 32+8 | 3 | 0+1 | 0 | 2+0 | 1 | 1+0 | 0 |
| 17 | MF | ENG | Kyle Taylor | 0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 18 | GK | ENG | Jamal Blackman | 41 | 0 | 37+1 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 |
| 19 | FW | ENG | Sonny Cox | 17 | 1 | 2+10 | 1 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+2 | 0 | 3+0 | 0 |
| 20 | FW | JAM | Jevani Brown | 32 | 14 | 24+3 | 12 | 2+0 | 2 | 1+0 | 0 | 0+2 | 0 |
| 21 | MF | ENG | Josh Coley | 12 | 1 | 3+6 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 1 | 1+0 | 0 |
| 22 | GK | ENG | Harry Lee | 2 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 |
| 23 | FW | SCO | James Scott | 15 | 1 | 4+11 | 1 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 26 | DF | IRL | Pierce Sweeney | 49 | 2 | 40+3 | 2 | 2+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 |
| 27 | DF | ENG | Jonathan Grounds | 22 | 1 | 8+10 | 1 | 0+1 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 |
| 29 | MF | SCO | Kevin McDonald | 11 | 3 | 8+3 | 3 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 33 | GK | ENG | Gary Woods | 7 | 0 | 7+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 39 | DF | ENG | Cheick Diabate | 23 | 1 | 18+2 | 1 | 1+0 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 |
| 41 | MF | POR | Pedro Borges | 7 | 0 | 2+3 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+2 | 0 |
| 42 | MF | ENG | Harrison King | 2 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 |
| 44 | MF | ENG | Gabriel Billington | 2 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 |
| 45 | DF | WAL | Ed James | 3 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 |
| 46 | MF | ENG | Joe Wragg | 1 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 |
| 48 | MF | ENG | Alfie Clark | 1 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 |
| 49 | MF | ENG | Mitch Beardmore | 1 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 |
| 51 | DF | ENG | Joe O'Connor | 1 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 |
| Players who left the club during the season: ||||||||||||||
| 4 | DF | ENG | Sam Stubbs | 4 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 7 | FW | ENG | Matt Jay | 25 | 4 | 6+12 | 0 | 0+2 | 1 | 2+0 | 1 | 3+0 | 2 |
| 11 | FW | ENG | Harry Smith* | 5 | 0 | 0+5 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 14 | MF | FRA | Timothée Dieng | 21 | 3 | 12+5 | 3 | 2+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 |
| 24 | GK | ISL | Jökull Andrésson* | 1 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 34 | DF | ENG | Alfie Pond | 1 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 40 | GK | ENG | Scott Brown | 4 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 |

## Transfers
### In

| Date | Pos | Player | Transferred from | Fee |
| 26 July 2022 | GK | Jamal Blackman | Huddersfield Town | Free Transfer |
| 26 January 2023 | LWB | Demetri Mitchell | Hibernian | Undisclosed |
| 27 January 2023 | CB | Will Aimson | Bolton Wanderers | Undisclosed |
| 31 January 2023 | DM | Kevin McDonald | Unattached | Free Transfer |
| 31 January 2023 | CF | James Scott | Hull City | Free Transfer |
| 1 February 2023 | GK | Gary Woods | Kilmarnock | Free Transfer |

### Out

| Date | Pos | Player | Transferred to | Fee |
| 27 June 2022 | CB | George Ray | Barrow | Mutual consent |
| 30 June 2022 | DM | Nigel Atangana | Eastleigh | Released |
| 30 June 2022 | LB | Colin Daniel | Scunthorpe United | Released |
| 30 June 2022 | AM | James Dodd | Weston-super-Mare | Released |
| 30 June 2022 | CB | Jordan Dyer | Bath City | Released |
| 30 June 2022 | RB | Ellis Johnson | Unattached | Released |
| 30 June 2022 | LB | Callum Rowe | Yeovil Town | Released |
| 30 June 2022 | CF | Ben Seymour | Plymouth Parkway | Released |
| 30 June 2022 | AM | Jack Veale | Unattached | Released |
| 2 September 2022 | CB | Alfie Pond | Wolverhampton Wanderers | Undisclosed |
| 9 January 2023 | SS | Matt Jay | Colchester United | Undisclosed |
| 11 January 2023 | DM | Timothée Dieng | Gillingham | Undisclosed |
| 31 January 2023 | CB | Sam Stubbs | Bradford City | Free Transfer |
| 24 March 2023 | LW | Nelson Iseguan | Tiverton Town | Mutual consent |

### Loans in

| Date | Pos | Player | Loaned from | On loan until |
| 26 July 2022 | CM | Kegs Chauke | Southampton | End of Season |
| 24 August 2022 | CM | Rekeem Harper | Ipswich Town | End of Season |
| 1 September 2022 | CF | Harry Smith | Leyton Orient | 22 October 2022 |
| 2 September 2022 | CF | Jay Stansfield | Fulham | End of Season |
| 6 January 2023 | AM | Joe White | Newcastle United | End of Season |
| 24 January 2023 | GK | Jökull Andrésson | Reading | 31 January 2023 |
* ↑ Originally a season-long loan, Smiths's loan at Exeter City was cut short for personal reasons.

### Loans out

| Date | Pos | Player | Loaned to | On loan until |
| 5 July 2022 | FB | Aamir Daniels | Tavistock | End of Season |
| 5 July 2022 | DF | Joe O’Connor | Tavistock | End of Season |
| 12 July 2022 | GK | Jack Arthur | Larkhall Athletic | End of Season |
| 12 August 2022 | CB | Alfie Pond | Yeovil Town | 2 September 2022 |
| 13 August 2022 | FW | Nelson Iseguan | Torquay United | 1 January 2023 |
| 16 August 2022 | GK | Harry Lee | Dorchester Town | 18 October 2022 |
| 1 September 2022 | AM | Josh Coley | Harrogate Town | 10 January 2023 |
| 28 September 2022 | MF | Pedro Borges | Plymouth Parkway | 28 October 2022 |
| 28 September 2022 | DF | Harrison King | Plymouth Parkway | 28 October 2022 |
| 30 October 2022 | MF | Ed James | Weymouth | 1 January 2023 |
| 26 December 2022 | CF | Sonny Cox | Bath City | 26 January 2023 |
| 3 January 2023 | MF | Gabe Billington | Poole Town | 3 February 2023 |
| 3 January 2023 | MF | Ed James | Tiverton Town | 3 February 2023 |
| 28 January 2023 | CF | Sonny Cox | Bath City | 7 April 2023 |
| 3 February 2023 | GK | Harry Lee | Plymouth Parkway | 15 March 2023 |
| 5 February 2023 | LW | Nelson Iseguan | Tiverton Town | 24 March 2023 |
| 7 March 2023 | AM | Pedro Borges | Tiverton Town | 7 April 2023 |
* ↑ On 2 September, Alfie Pond's loan at Yeovil was cut-short to materlise a permanent move to Wolverhampton Wanderers.
* ↑ On 16 September, Harry Lee's loan at Dorchester was extended until the end of the season.
* ↑ On 18 October, Harry Lee was recalled back from his loan at Dorchester Town.
* ↑ On 10 January, Coley was recalled back from his loan at Harrogate.
* 1 2 Loan has been extended for an unspecified duration.
* 1 2 On 7 April 2023, Sonny Cox and Pedro Borges were recalled from their loans at Bath City and Tiverton Town respectively.
* ↑ Originally a loan until the end of the season, Harry Lee was recalled from Plymouth Parkway on the 15 March due to a long-term hamstring injury to Gary Woods.

## Pre-season and friendlies

Southern League side Tiverton Town announced a pre-season friendly with Exeter City on 11 May 2022. Two days later, the club revealed a friendly away to Taunton Town; also of the Southern League. A behind closed doors friendly at the club's training ground against Truro City was also confirmed. On 24 May, the club confirmed a friendly fixture against Yeovil Town. A day later, Torquay United away was added to the schedule. A sixth friendly against Weston-super-Mare was also confirmed. A seventh pre-season fixture, against Bristol City was also added to the schedule.
Win  Draw  Loss  Fixtures

## Competitions
### Overall record

| Competition | First match | Last match | Starting round | Final position | Record | Record | Record | Record | Record | Record | Record | Record |
| Competition | First match | Last match | Starting round | Final position | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Win % |
| League One | 30 July 2022 | 7 May 2023 | Matchday 1 | 14th place | 46 | 15 | 11 | 20 | 64 | 68 | −4 | 032.61 |
| FA Cup | 5 November 2022 | 26 November 2022 | First round | Second round | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 6 | −2 | 050.00 |
| EFL Cup | 9 August 2022 | 23 August 2022 | First round | Second round | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0 | +7 | 050.00 |
| EFL Trophy | 30 August 2022 | 18 October 2022 | Group stage | Group stage | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 7 | −3 | 033.33 |
| Total | Total | Total | Total | Total | 53 | 18 | 12 | 23 | 79 | 81 | −2 | 033.96 |
Last updated: 7 May 2023 Source: Soccerway

### League One
#### League table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| 11 | Lincoln City | 46 | 14 | 20 | 12 | 47 | 47 | 0 | 62 |
| 12 | Shrewsbury Town | 46 | 17 | 8 | 21 | 52 | 61 | −9 | 59 |
| 13 | Fleetwood Town | 46 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 53 | 51 | +2 | 58 |
| 14 | Exeter City | 46 | 15 | 11 | 20 | 64 | 68 | −4 | 56 |
| 15 | Burton Albion | 46 | 15 | 11 | 20 | 57 | 79 | −22 | 56 |
| 16 | Cheltenham Town | 46 | 14 | 12 | 20 | 45 | 61 | −16 | 54 |
| 17 | Bristol Rovers | 46 | 14 | 11 | 21 | 58 | 73 | −15 | 53 |

#### Results summary

| Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Home | Home | Home | Home | Home | Home | Away | Away | Away | Away | Away | Away |
Last updated: 7 May 2023. Source: Soccerway

#### Results by round

| Round | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 | 41 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 45 | 46 |
| Ground | A | H | A | H | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | A | H | H | A | A | H | H | A | H | A | H | A | A | H | A | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | H | A | H | A | H | H | A | A | H |
| Result | D | W | L | W | L | D | W | L | L | W | D | W | L | L | W | D | L | W | L | D | D | L | D | W | W | D | L | W | L | L | D | L | W | D | W | L | W | W | D | L | L | L | L | L | L | W |
| Position | 13 | 2 | 11 | 5 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 9 | 15 | 10 | 11 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 8 | 7 | 10 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 13 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 |

#### Matches

Win  Draw  Loss  Fixtures
On 23 June, the league fixtures were announced.

### FA Cup

Exeter were drawn away to Port Vale in the first round and to the winners off Woking versus Oxford United in the second round.
Win  Draw  Loss  Fixtures

### EFL Cup

Win  Draw  Loss  Fixtures
The Grecians were drawn away to Cheltenham Town in the first round, who they went on to beat 7–0 in a multi-club-record-breaking victory. Exeter City were then drawn away at League Two side Gillingham in the second round.

### EFL Trophy

On 20 June, the initial Group stage draw was made, grouping Exeter City with Forest Green Rovers and Newport County. Three days later, Southampton U21s joined Southern Group F.
| Pos | Div | Teamvte | Pld | W | PW | PL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | L1 | Forest Green Rovers | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 3 | +6 | 9 | Advance to Round 2 |
| 2 | L2 | Newport County | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 4 | +1 | 6 | Advance to Round 2 |
| 3 | L1 | Exeter City | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 7 | −3 | 3 | |
| 4 | ACA | Southampton U21 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 7 | −4 | 0 | |
Win  Draw  Loss  Fixtures