“Happy to get a point but does feel a little bit two points dropped the way the game was.”
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Exeter City’s Reece Cole said that the squad felt that it was ‘two points’ dropped despite the Grecians twice coming from behind to draw 2-2 away to promotion chasing Huddersfield Town.
Marcus Harness put the Terriers ahead in the 18 th minute with a sweetly taken strike from the edge of the box. The lead lasted 90 seconds though as Cole smashed home an effort from 25 yards that crashed into the top corner to make it 1-1.
Bojan Radulović put the hosts back ahead just before half-time when he slid home to convert a cross after Liam Oakes had given the ball away. That looked like it was going to be the winner, despite City being on top throughout the second half, until the 89 th minute.
Sonny Cox found Ilmari Niskanen, the Finn whipped in a cross, and Jayden Wareham flicked home a brilliant finish for his 11 th goal of the season to make it 2-2. It was the first time in the league City had scored twice all season and came against a side who went fourth with a point – but Exeter deserved at least their point, if not all three, as Cole said post-match.
Goal celebrations for Reece Cole 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)
“Obviously we are happy to get a point but I felt like we probably could have got more out of the game,” he said. “I felt like we created some really good chances in the first half, just a few sloppy moments where we didn’t lock out on the edge of the box and they counter us and we’d give away some sloppy chances, but the boys stuck together.
“We went in at half-time positive. I felt like we was playing really well and we came out second half with the same attitude, probably needed a little bit more energy, a bit more bite, and like I said, that togetherness gets us through the game and Jayden scores a fantastic goal in the second half to get us a point. Happy to get a point but does feel a little bit two points dropped the way the game was.
“I think this has been there all season. You can see in the games that we’ve played with only losing by a goal and there’s such slight margins in this league where everyone is beating everyone at the minute. But all we can do is focus on ourselves each week and the lads have done really well over the Christmas period and everyone’s put a shift in and we’ve come out with a good amount of points that we can really progress and push on for the rest of the season.”
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 is ten points from 15 that the Grecians have earned over the festive period which has taken them out of the bottom four and up to the lofty heights of 14 th spot – albeit the gap to 21 st remains just three points. But just one defeat from what on paper looked like a tough set of fixtures is a great achievement – even though it perhaps could have been more.
“I am happy to score whenever and help the team out,” Cole said of his fourth of the season. “It was one of those games where we had a lot of half chances and probably didn’t commit to him as much as we probably should have and have done in recent times.
“The boys had the togetherness and we stuck together and we knew that we could get something out of the game and, like I said, deserved probably all three points and not just the one.”
Up next for City is Manchester City away in the third round of the FA Cup next Saturday. And while the odds are stacked against the Devon side, they are not just travelling for a day out but to try and reach round four.
(Image: Steve Taylor/PPAUK)
“We just said there in the change room, it’s brilliant for everyone, staff, players, everyone and the fans,” Cole added. “So it’s one we’re looking forward to, but it’s not one that we’re going to be taking our foot off the pedal for.
“It’s a game of football. We’ve got to go there and try and win. I always say it’s 11 against 11 and the FA Cup has a lot of history for upsets, so hopefully we can go there and cause an upset.
“Obviously, it’s going to be really tough at one of the best teams in the world, but we’re going to do our utmost to make sure that we go there and really put on a performance with the fans that are travelling and obviously for ourselves as well.”