Next Up: Burton Albion vs Exeter City

If any moment in a season can galvanise a side, it’s the sight of your second choice goalkeeper clinching the headlines with a dramatic late equaliser. While it hasn’t particularly moved the goalposts other than to mean City could stay up with two draws (as long as AFC Wimbledon lose both of theirs), plus avoiding relegation is in City’s hands as Burton and Leyton Orient meet each other on the final day of the season, City appear to be playing with renewed belief ahead of the crucial penultimate fixture. Lose and City could go down with a game to spare, win and it’s very much on that City could be playing in the third tier for a fifth consecutive season. Crucially too Matt Taylor was able to name an unchanged starting XI against Stockport and will have a further player at his disposal on Saturday in Ryan Rydel, who was forced to miss the 3-3 draw with his parent club. One decision Taylor may need to make for Saturday is in midfield and whether he goes with the stability of veteran Kevin McDonald or the creativity of Ethan Brierley.

Like City, Burton go into Saturday’s match having become difficult to beat in recent weeks, with an almost identical record in their last five matches – both the Grecians and the Brewers have won one, lost one and drawn three. Indeed, Gary Bowyer’s side has, in typical Gary Bowyer fashion, been difficult to break down for much of the season, conceding 57 goals to City’s 58. The last five matches have seen neither side score more than once and you have to go back to the end of February to see a match where either side (Wycombe in this case) scored more than twice. One of the keys to Burton’s defensive efforts has been the form of former City youngster Alex Hartridge, while Jake Beesley and the tricky Tyrese Shade have scored 13 and nine in the league respectively (Shade has a further five in the FA Cup to be overall top scorer). Another former City player expected to feature in midfield is ex-loanee Kegs Chauke.

The sides met as recently as March in the reverse fixture as the original match had been postponed due to the fire at SJP, and finished 1-1 – the visitors led through Godwin-Malife but this was cancelled out through Magennis in a match where City dominated possession but Burton through Shade looked dangerous. Last season’s visit to the Pirelli Stadium was a Christmas cracker in 2024 – the hosts led at the break through Bodin but Magennis and a stunner from Alli saw City come from behind to win 2-1. Burton have the edge in league head to heads with ten wins to City’s eight, five matches finishing level.

The match officials will be:-

Referee: Elliot Bell
Assistant Referees: Danny Jarvis and Harley Hetherington
Fourth Official : Keiran Forrest

Elliot Bell took charge of two Exeter games last season, the 2-0 defeat away at Huddersfield, the 1-0 defeat to Birmingham City with Jack McMillan sent off. His record this season which included 3 Japanese League Two games, is 47 matches, 179 yellow cards and five sending offs.

Interview with Matt Taylor

Interview with Jack Bycroft