Exeter beat Championship Swansea in Pearce's testimonial

Friendly shows City promise for season ahead

Exeter City beat Championship side Swansea City in their final friendly before the start of their 2025/26 League One campaign, in a match which doubled as the testimonial for captain Pierce Sweeney. The 30-year-old was honoured with a guard of honour for a decade of service at St James Park, before his side's impressive display, winning 1-0 thanks to a Sonny Cox goal just after the break.

Both clubs fielded patchwork sides with a mixture of new signings, first team regulars and youngsters, but even so, the visitors immediately asserted their championship quality, dominating possession. They came close to taking the lead early on, with a sweeping counterattack finished off at the back post by Cameron Congreve, but a marginal offside call kept things level. 

A handful of tame shots, mostly Swansea’s, were the extent of the attacking threat from either side for the entirety of the first half, with a pre-season rustiness and caution characterising proceedings.

Rolling substitutions robbed the game of any rhythm, but spread playing minutes out over the squad, with new Dutch centre-back Sil Swinkels replacing main man Pierce Sweeney just half an hour into the match in his honour.

Exeter’s goal came just a little over a minute into the second half. Some lax ball control on the part of a Swansea defender was capitalised upon by Ilmari Niskanen, whose pace clearly has not deserted him over the off-season. Sonny Cox was unmarked at the back post and had little trouble tapping home the resulting cross from the byline.

The contest was from then on much more even, with City managing to put together longer spells of possession and giving the visitors less time on the ball. 

Swansea captain Cameron Burgess did have the ball in the back of the net but a pull on the shirt of returning goalkeeper Joe Whitworth meant that that too was ruled out. Niskanen, who was by far the most energetic and creative Exeter player, came close to doubling his number of Exeter goals with a brilliant curling effort from far out. It would have nestled in the top right-hand corner but for an athletic stop by Swansea keeper Lawrence Vigouroux, who tipped it round his left post. 

City saw the game out, and there was just enough time for a third Swansea goal to be ruled out, much to the enjoyment of the considerable Exeter following, this time a blatantly offside header from a freekick. 

It was admittedly just a friendly, but Exeter certainly gave reason for optimism about the coming season. Defensively sound, they were sharp going forward, and especially in the second half showcased the fast-moving possessional style of play which manager Gary Caldwell has worked hard, but thus far struggled, to implement. Niskanen, Cox and Jack Aitchson are showing signs of individual improvement, and with a few more shrewd signings and some luck, there is every chance of the coming campaign being a promising improvement on recent years.