Exeter swimming against the tide

LATICS ROUND-UP: EXETER City have dropped like the proverbial stone in League One.

The Grecians have not picked up three points since a 2-0 home win against Leeds United in mid-January — their only victory in nine matches played in 2010.

After that notable win, the team managed by Paul Tisdale were comfortably nestled in 15th spot in League One.

Now, Exeter sit a place below Athletic in the relegation zone, having played two matches more.

And Tisdale is currently having to deal with a mounting injury list.

Joe Burnell (back) and Alex Russell (back) have succumbed recently, striker Ben Watson has only managed one match all season due to a recurring calf problem and veteran goalkeeper Andy Marriott suffered a neck problem in the warm-up before last week's 2-0 defeat at Brighton.

Striker Barry Corr will sit out the third of a five-match ban at St James Park as the only player in the Football League to have received three red cards this season.

Exeter's fortunes can be summed up by the fact that they paid Tottenham £50,000 for centre-back Troy Archibald-Henville in January — their first transfer fee for seven years — only to see him break down two days after signing, a knee injury putting him out for the rest of the season.

Just about the only positive at present is the renewed presence of Adam Stansfield.

The Grecians' leading scorer has found the net on nine occasions this season, but has missed the last three matches after suffering cartilage damage in the 1-1 draw with Southampton.

Now recovered from an operation to rectify the problem, he is set to lead the line for Tisdale's side alongside veteran Marcus Stewart.

Athletic head south in search of their first league double of the season. Goals from Paul Heffernan and Deane Smalley defeated Exeter 2-0 at Boundary Park in December.

The two sides last met at St James Park in a league clash way back in the 1970-71 season, Athletic winning 2-0.

Exeter (probable): Jones; Duffy, Taylor, Edwards; Golbourne, Russell, Harley, Sercombe, Tully; Stewart, Stansfield. Subs: Marriott, Bennett, Cozic, Dunne, Logan, McAllister, Fleetwood.