City secure their FA Cup Third round place

Exeter emphatically get their name in the hat

Exeter City returned to St James Park for the first time in almost a month and did so in style, sweeping aside Wycombe Wanderers with a commanding 4–0 victory to book their place in the FA Cup third round. City entered the tie hoping to rediscover the magic of last year’s cup run, which famously saw them push Premier League side Nottingham Forest all the way to penalties in the fourth round. With the Burton Albion fixture postponed due to a stadium fire, this was a long-awaited homecoming and Gary Caldwell’s side delivered.

The opening exchanges were evenly matched, but City created the first meaningful chance in the eighth minute when a loose defensive header from Jamie Mullins fell to Jake Doyle-Hayes. The midfielder struck cleanly, but the effort was straight at Wycombe keeper Will Norris.

Akeel Higgins was a constant menace down the left, and in the 14th minute he danced past three defenders before teeing up Ethan Brierley, whose shot lacked the conviction it needed. Soon after, Niskanen forced Norris into another save from just outside the box as the tight affair remained goalless.

There was a brief stoppage in the 27th minute when Mullins went down injured, but after play resumed, Higgins threatened again—this time denied by a crucial block from Connor Taylor. From the resulting corner, Yfeko’s header took a deflection off a Wycombe player, almost catching Norris off guard.

Fred Onyedinma looked Wycombe’s biggest threat, and another of his efforts deflected over the bar in the 37th minute. But it was City who struck first. In the 39th minute, Niskanen delivered a sublime cross into the centre of the box, where Jack Aitchison rose highest to head home the opener.
Jack McMillan tested Morris again before the break, but the keeper held firm, and Exeter entered the interval with a deserved 1–0 lead.

Half-Time: Exeter City 1–0 Wycombe Wanderers

Wycombe made one change at the break, with Fink replacing the injured Mullins. The visitors came out energised, and Sam Bell came close to capitalising on defensive pressure when his effort flashed just past the right post. Their supporters were on their feet moments later as Connor Taylor’s header from a corner narrowly missed the target.

Wycombe’s momentum grew, putting City under sustained pressure, but the game’s next goal came completely against the run of play. In the 60th minute, Higgins threaded a brilliant ball in behind the defence for Aitchison, who calmly rounded Norris and slotted home for his second of the afternoon.

City needed that cushion, and soon after, keeper Whitworth produced a superb save with his left boot to deny Cauley Woodrow from close range—Wycombe players appealing in vain that the ball may have crossed the line.

In the 76th minute, Ed Turns spared his teammate Fitzwater after a misjudged back pass by producing a vital recovering challenge to stop Onyedinma.

Exeter sealed the win minutes later when the outstanding Higgins was rewarded with a goal of his own, guiding a composed finish into the bottom-right corner before celebrating emphatically in front of the Big Bank. And in the final minute of normal time, Niskanen capped his excellent afternoon by picking out an unmarked Jayden Wareham who tapped into an empty net to make it 4–0.

Full-Time: Exeter City 4–0 Wycombe Wanderers

Attendance: 5,161 (390 away)