Cheltenham Town welcome Exeter City to the EV Charger Points Stadium for the first round in the EFL Cup tomorrow night.
The two sides have previously met in the first round of this competition back in 2022 with Exeter cruising their way to the second round in style after a 0-7 thrashing.
Head-2-Head
The last five fixtures between the two sides swing in the favour of Exeter, with the Grecians picking up three wins – including the previously mentioned 0-7 demolition.
With Cheltenham Town winning the other two matches, achieving the season double over the Grecians during the 22/23 League One campaign.
Cheltenham Town
The Robins have had a tough start to life in League Two; losing their first two league fixtures against recently relegated Cambridge United and promotion favourites Chesterfield respectively.
Cheltenham Town’s August fixtures do not look to be too promising for the Gloucestershire based side as five of their six fixtures are against opposition that are either being touted for the play-offs or automatic promotion. With Cheltenham yet to register a goal or a win, could this cup tie be the needed boost they need to kick-start their season?
Exeter City
City have had a mixed start to their League One campaign, losing late on to a Doncaster penalty after seemingly being dominated throughout the match. A much-elevated performance followed, and the Grecians looked a much better outfit against Blackpool.
With a recent win raising the team spirit and some favourable fixtures ahead of them, Exeter could make a real impact as they move through August, and they might be able to continue that with a victory on Wednesday night.
Players To Watch:
Jordan Thomas – Cheltenham Town
Since his arrival to Cheltenham from Bath City back in 2024, Thomas has made a real impact in League Two for the Robins and has proved to be a non-league gem. The 24-year-old who predominantly plays as a right-sided midfielder/winger, scored eight goals and two assists last campaign.
Earning the respect and support from Cheltenham fans as well as attracting admirers from all over the EFL pyramid; most notably from Scottish Premier League side Hearts and League One side Barnsley who have already had a bid turned down. Thomas has a plethora of attributes at his disposal that include his quick feet, pace, skill and a fearless attitude when moving forward. Pressing aggressively and putting defenders on the back foot is when Thomas feels most comfortable and has utilised this well – making him a regular in the starting 11.
After picking up a minor injury during training last week, Thomas was cautiously benched for the first 45 minutes against Chesterfield but did feature in the second half. Whilst he did not make an impact during that game, his late inclusion could have been a sign that boss Michael Flynn was saving him for tomorrow’s cup action.
Jayden Wareham – Exeter City
Jayden Wareham signed for Exeter from Reading for an undisclosed fee this summer and quickly made headlines after it was reported he would take the number 9 shirt out of retirement. The number nine shirt was previously worn by club legend Adam Stansfield and was retired by the club following his passing in 2010. The number had only been donned twice since its retirement but with the Stansfield’s family blessing, Wareham became player number three.
The shirt has not proved too heavy thus far, with the 22-year-old striker registering a goal and an assist in Exeter’s 4-1 win against Blackpool last week. The former QPR, Reading, Leyton Orient and Chelsea U21s player has not just a keen eye for goal but a great deal of power, positional awareness and pace to match; making it clear to see why Gary Caldwell chased the signature of Wareham.
His raw strength and pace alone will prove effective, allowing him to shrug players off the ball in a one-on-one situation and drive some distance between himself and the opponents’ backline. These skills that could prove effective against when attempting to bypass Cheltenham’s typical five at the back. Wareham was substituted around the hour mark during the first game of the season but got more minutes on the pitch against Blackpool; could this decision be an indicator that Caldwell’s confidence is growing in Wareham and that he may play a full 90 minutes tomorrow? One to keep an eye on.
