Exeter City experience FA Cup magic with dramatic late win

There was magic in the FA Cup for Exeter City’s strikers as they snatched a dramatic stoppage-time win over Barnet at St James Park. The Grecians were twice behind but battled back in style to snatch a 5-3 victory.

A Josh Magennis hat-trick, which included two penalties, had got them level at 3-3, as the Bees had scored from all three of their shots on goal. Extra-time was beckoning, before Jay Bird in the 96 ^th minute grabbed the winner, and then Kamari Doyle added gloss even deeper into stoppage-time.

The Grecians were nowhere near their best and very nearly found themselves on the end of the cupset, but just did enough to get the win. They will find out their opponents in round two later tonight in Sunday’s draw.

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“What a game it was, they say magic in the FA Cup,” Bird said, after scoring his second goal in a week. “The main thing is we won and are into the next round.

“Credit to Barnet, they did come out and played very well. As a team we know the quality we have for the starters and the finishers who come on have belief whoever comes on has the quality and we have managed to bring it back.”

For Magennis, it takes his tally to the season to four. It has a second FA Cup hat-trick for the Northern Ireland international, but he said that this one topped the previous one he scored for Bolton Wanderers.

“That was brilliant,” he said. “That wasn’t for a lack of trying and it was an end to end game but one we managed to win. They took their chances, but important thing for us is we didn’t cave in and kept going to the death. Gary was honest, intense, a lot of home truths and it was up to show why we were the better team.”

On his scores, he added: “I have been blessed and hit a lot and a lot gone in. I had to distance myself from the moment, now just about a good connection and if goes in happy days.

“There were more chances at the end and that gets the fans off the seat that chances to be had. Up to us as forwards to keep the repetition as we know chances will come and will be created for you. For the pace and power, we can cause any team problems.

“The FA Cup is magical but we have to take the momentum. We need to keep improving on stuff, and looking to get three points and wanting to win.”

Magennis – who scored a hat-trick – put City ahead in the early stages as the League One side were in complete control. But they allowed a 1-0 lead slip and Barnet to go 2-1 ahead.

When Magennis made it 2-2, there appeared to be one winner, but Barnet went in front again – remarkably scoring a third goal from only their third spot - before the Northern Irishman scored the second of two penalties to set up a grand finale and earn the matchball.

To extra-time it seemed set to go, but in the sixth minute of added-on time, Bird bundled home the winner to the delight of the St James Park crowd. Doyle finished things off even deeper into stoppage-time to seal the victory and a spot in tonight’s draw.