Exeter City hoping returns from injuries will see best of the team

MANAGER Gary Caldwell hopes that by having a full complement if players at his disposal, we will see the very best of his Exeter City team.

The first six months of the campaign have again been hit with injuries to key players at St James Park, but as we approach Christmas, Caldwell is confident that he will have most - if not all – of his squad available in the coming weeks.

That includes winger Pat Jones, who has yet to kick a ball in anger for the Grecians after suffering a serious hamstring injury just days after joining from Huddersfield Town. Demi Mitchell is also in and around the first team squad now, as is Reece Cole, both of whom got some minutes in last week’s League One loss at Stockport County and in midweek as City exited the EFL Trophy by losing to Birmingham City.

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“It certainly helps and I think it can improve further with certain players that are training and will very soon need match minutes to then try and get in the team,” Caldwell said. “The competition for places needs to be high, especially over this Christmas period when you play a lot of games in a short space of time, but the group as a whole are in a good place and are in a better place than we were. Now, we have to take those performances and turn them into results.

“When we do that, we then need to try and build some consistency within that.”

One or two players that caught the eye in midweek will no doubt be hoping it was enough to put them into the manager’s thoughts to start Saturday's clash with Barnsley at St James Park. Kevin McDonald and teen starlet Jake Richards both did enough to suggest they could start in midfield, along with Ryan Woods.

Barnsley arrive in Devon without a win in six league and cup matches and they are an opponent Caldwell has, so far, had decent success against. In his first season at St James Park, the Scot led City to a 3-1 win under the lights at the Park, which effectively sealed Exeter’s League One status. And last season, the Grecians turned in a brilliant performance to win 2-1 at Oakwell with Cole and former Tyke Jack Aitchison on target.

“Hopefully it’s the same again on Saturday!” Caldwell quipped. “When we played the night game, we needed a win and it was an important part of the season, near the end, and they were on an amazing run at the time. It was a brilliant performance to win 3-1 at home.

“The away performance last year, the first half in particular, I thought we were outstanding. We scored two goals, could have scored more, we totally dominated the game and then had to really dig in second half to win, but hopefully it’s a good omen and we keep doing well against Barnsley. We know how big the task is and how difficult the game is going to be.

“They are a team that expects to be fighting for promotion every year and I think this year will be no different.”