“We wanted a more controlled performance and I think that showed in our second half”
Goal celebrations for Jayden Wareham of Exeter City during the EFL League One match between Huddersfield Town and Exeter City at The Accu Stadium on 4 January 2026 in Huddersfield, England (Photo by Steve Taylor/PPAUK)(Image: Steve Taylor/PPAUK)
Exeter City extended their unbeaten run to three games as they twice came from behind to snatch a point – but a very much deserved point – away to promotion chasing Huddersfield Town.
Twice the Terriers led on Sunday, but the Grecians never gave up and it was no less than what they deserved when Jayden Wareham’s 11 th goal of the season in the 89 th minute made it 2-2.
Having faded in previous away games this season, this time it was Exeter who came on strong as the minutes ticked down, and the late goal made it seven points from the nine available since Boxing Day, as they climbed to 14 th spot in League One. Despite the draw, Huddersfield climbed up to fourth.
Marcus Harness put the Terriers ahead with 18 minutes gone. He was given too much time and space 25 yards out, and fired a finish into the far corner. But within 90 seconds, Exeter were level, and it was an equally brilliant finish. Reece Cole let fly from a similar distance outside the box, and he smashed home his fourth goal of the season to make it 1-1.
Just before half-time though Huddersfield restored their lead. A Liam Oakes error was capitalized on by the hosts and Bojan Radulović was able to slot home to send them in ahead. That looked like being the winner until the 89 th minute, when Ilmari Niskanen’s cross was flicked home by Wareham to send the away fans wild.
Goal celebrations for Jayden Wareham of Exeter City during the EFL League One match between Huddersfield Town and Exeter City at The Accu Stadium on 4 January 2026 in Huddersfield, England (Photo by Steve Taylor/PPAUK)(Image: Steve Taylor/PPAUK)
“It was a little bit too open for my liking at times, especially off the back of the effort that boys put in over that 10 day period,” first team coach Dan Green said. “We wanted a more controlled performance and I think that showed in our second half
“That control we felt we needed in the game to then be able to sort of go into the last five, ten minutes of the game with a real chance to push on, and that’s what we ultimately did.
“It takes real individual quality to finish both of the goals. What I like about it from a structural perspective was that both are something that we work on. We know that if we get Reece in those positions, he’s got the individual quality to take those moments. And then, obviously, the equaliser, we get Immy in a great position, he’s done what he’s been doing with real regularity recently, and then he puts the ball in Jayden and gets across his man, and it’s an outstanding finish.
“We felt like we had really good moments in that first half, and we were almost leaving the game to chance by not taking them. But like I say, we wanted more control in the second half, and we felt like if we had that control, learning from some of the recent games that we’ve had at the likes of Cardiff at Bolton at Leyton Orient, where maybe we faded in the final parts of the game, we wanted to finish this game as strong as we possibly could
“There’s bits to tidy up, bits to improve, and I think that this game probably encapsulates what we feel in this first half of the season, lots of good bits, lots of areas to improve, and something to really build on moving forwards.”
Goal celebrations for Jayden Wareham of Exeter City during the EFL League One match between Huddersfield Town and Exeter City at The Accu Stadium on 4 January 2026 in Huddersfield, England (Photo by Steve Taylor/PPAUK)(Image: Steve Taylor/PPAUK)
Caldwell made five changes to the side who beat Luton Town on New Year’s Day for what was a fourth game in ten days as he looked to freshen the squad up. One of which was enforced as Sil Swinkels had been recalled by Aston Villa before being sent back on loan to Chesterfield in League Two.
The others saw Pierce Sweeney, Jake Doyle-Hayes, Jack Aitchison and Sonny Cox drop down to the bench. In came Luca Woodhouse, Oakes, Cole, Akeel Higgins and Ed Turns, the latter straight back into the side after recovering from a thigh problem, and wearing the captain’s armband.
City started the brighter, but in the 18 th minute, the Terriers out of nothing took the lead. Leo Castledine drove forward, he found Harness around 25 yards from the goal, and he let fly. The shot arrowed into the corner of the net with Joe Whitworth unable to get anywhere near it, as the league’s highest scorers continued their streak of scoring in every league game this season.
The lead lasted 90 seconds though. City moved the ball towards nicely, Higgins found Ethan Brierley, who found Cole who had a bit of space just outside the box. The 27- year-old smashed the finish with such power the goalkeeper could get nowhere near it, and it was 1-1.
Just before half-time Huddersfield restored their lead. Oakes gave the ball away and that allowed Lee Grant’s men to break. Cameron Ashia charged forward, he squared it to Radulović, and the Serbian slotted in to make it 2-1.
There was time though for the Grecians to nearly level it up. Niskanen got down the right and cut the ball across goal, Wareham arrived perfectly and looked certain to score, but Nicholls did brilliantly to keep the finish out.
Pierce Sweeney of Exeter City during the EFL League One match between Huddersfield Town and Exeter City at The Accu Stadium on 4 January 2026 in Huddersfield, England (Photo by Steve Taylor/PPAUK)(Image: Steve Taylor/PPAUK)
Caldwell made one change at the break, with Sweeney replacing Turns in a planned change. As the half went on, it was City with the chances. Doyle-Hayes, Cole and then Wareham all came close but were denied by Lee Nicholls
It looked as if it was going to be another narrow defeat on the road, but in the 89 th minute, City got the goal. Niskanen found space and the Finn flashed in a cross, Cox with a run distracted the defence, and Wareham was able to flick home his 11 th goal of the season to make it 2-2.
“I’m delighted for the fans that travel as they’ve put in such a huge effort with three out of our four games being away over this period,” Green added. “The interesting thing is in the changing room, there’s a little bit of a little bit of what if, a little bit more of, okay, well, how good can we really be if we can come to these places and can we get the three points next time?
“We’ve had to use pretty much the whole squad that was sort of fit and available. And I think that’s a real credit to the way the players have made themselves available for these.”
Exeter City are back in action on Saturday when they travel to Manchester City in the FA Cup third round. The Grecians are then back in League One the following week when they host Stevenage.