Next Up: Exeter City vs Cardiff City

City’s poor run continued with a 1-0 defeat to leaders Lincoln on Tuesday night, and the hits just keep coming in a very busy March with the visit of their nearest challengers. Matt Taylor has established that he wants to play with two number nines, meaning a combination of Jayden Wareham and Josh Magennis up front and a slight tactical tweak elsewhere. Ryan Rydel missed the Lincoln match with yet another injury, but Charlie Cummins impressed on his first start after several recent appearances off the bench. Another player to get some minutes for the first time in a while was Danny Andrew, and he and Reece Cole are likely to again play some part on Saturday as Taylor tries to cobble together a side from his injury-ravaged resources.

Like Lincoln, Cardiff were until recently on a long unbeaten run stretching back to their 1-0 win over City in the reverse fixture on Boxing Day. However, the wheels have come off a bit since then with one win in their last four and two defeats including last Saturday’s home reverse against their title rivals. However, despite this recent wobble the Bluebirds go into the weekend nine points clear of third place albeit now four points adrift of Lincoln, a gap Brian Barry-Murphy’s side will look to bridge starting with City. January business was mostly on the out side as Barry-Murphy looked to trim his squad somewhat, with their only permanent signing, Harry Tyrer from Everton, yet to appear while loanee Callum Scanlon from Liverpool made his first start in Tuesday night’s 1-1 draw at Barnsley. Another loanee, Chelsea’s Omari Kellyman, has been a standout performer for Cardiff, while Yousef Salech (12) is top league scorer. Joel Colwill, who had a mixed spell on loan at City last season, has been in decent form and will hope to continue that on Saturday alongside his brother Rubin, who has returned recently from injury.

The sides have met twice this season – once at SJP in the EFL Trophy and once at the Cardiff City Stadium, and both matches finished 1-0 to the Welsh side. Robinson got the only goal in the EFL Trophy match, while a stunner from Alex Robertson clinched the points on Boxing Day. Cardiff’s last visit in the league to SJP was in August 2000 and saw them win 2-1, goals from Brayson and Low sandwiching an equaliser from Tomlinson for City. In all Cardiff have won their last seven matches against City in all competitions and are unbeaten since December 1996. That run means Cardiff lead the league head to heads with 18 wins to City’s 12, seven matches finishing level.

The match officials for this game will be:-

Referee: Benjamin Speedie
Assistant Referees: Kevin Morris and Jack Clench
Fourth Official: Marcus Carmichael

Ben Speedie has taken charge of one Exeter City this season, the 2-1 defeat away at Bolton. In the previous season he too charge of the 2-1 defeat to Bolton at St James Park in January, and the 2-0 defeat to Stockport in April at St James Park. He’s taken charge of 31 games so far this season, booking 89 players and sending off 4.

Interview with Matt Taylor

Interview with Jack Aitchison