Extraordinary end to 2024 for Exeter City

The rollercoaster ride of football delivered one final present in 2024 for Exeter City fans, as the Grecians recovered from three goals behind to earn an enthralling 4-4 draw at home to Crawley Town.

The fun started with former Plymouth Argyle midfielder Panutche Camara grabbing an early lead for Crawley but City restored parity when the in-form Millenic Alli cut inside from the wing for a sweet low finish into the far corner.

At that stage, all seemed calm, but the Grecians were suddenly rocked by three Crawley goals in the space of eight crazy minutes before half-time. Will Swan grabbed the first, Tola Showunmi pounced on a loose throw from City ‘keeper Joe Whitworth to make it 3-1 and Armando Quitrina then had the visitors in dreamland with another goal.

City needed something special and the home crowd responded with rousing support. The noise levels doubled when Vincent Harper curled a superb effort into the corner and things got very saucy after Ryan Woods scored direct from a corner on 82 minutes.

The script was written for an explosive finish and Demitri Mitchell delivered with a wonderful strike deep into stoppage time for a thrilling draw.

City boss Gary Caldwell told the club website: "The first half was not good enough and that's on me, I pick the team. And players have to take responsibility for running and fighting. It was too easy.

"We gave ourselves a mountain to climb, but all credit to the team they climbed that mountain and we could have even won the game. The chances we created, the energy we played with, and the way the Big Bank sucked that ball in.

"It was a fantastic second half and we have to take that momentum forward with us into Wycombe.

"I take full responsibility for what happened in the first half, and maybe that was too many changes and breaking up those connections. But we conceded bad goals we wouldn't usually concede. We had to do something drastic at half-time, we changed the shape to be more open, but more aggressive and that was a risk.

"Today was down to the players' bravery."