Exeter City

Matt Jay (right) celebrated his 14th goal of the season - and arguably the most important of his careerMatt Jay's late winner saw Exeter City secure.

Goal! Exeter City 2, Barrow 1. Attempt blocked. - Shots - Possession - 1Dawson - Line-ups

One of the longest trips on the League Two calendar is no more for Carlisle United after Exeter City secured promotion with victory over Barrow.

Swindon are eighth, two points outside the play-off places with two games remaining. Louis Barry and Jack Payne earned the points for the Robins with Josh March replying for the visitors. It left Matt Taylor's side eight points clear of fourth place with two games to go, with Exeter now level on points with Forest Green as the two south-west clubs vie for the title.

Forest Green Rovers, who have already sealed promotion to League One but are now striving for the title and travel to play Swindon Town, who still have play-off ...

Fixtures: Exeter City (H), Barrow (A) Fixtures: Barrow (H), Northampton Town (A), Port Vale (H) Fixtures: Swindon Town (A), Harrogate (H), Mansfield (A)

Matt Jay's goal 12 minutes from time sends Exeter City into League One.

After Nombe won a throw-in, the ball eventually was worked to Key. He swung in a cross, it bounced nicely to Jay, and on the half-volley, he fired home. It was a big moment for the Grecians to get level, and had Stubbs got more on a header from a corner, they could have gone in ahead, but it was all square at the break. The Grecians travel to Northampton Town on Saturday, and they will do so as a promoted side. He drove half the length of the pitch and fired home to level, albeit with the aid of a deflection. It came in bizarre circumstances when a long throw-in went in off the post and the back of Cameron Dawson to put the visitors ahead. It was just the sixth promotion in the 121-year history of the club and perhaps the sweetest.

Remeao Hutton was agonisingly close to giving Barrow the lead when he was denied by a brilliant save by Dawson midway through the half. It proved to be a key ...

Paul Farman saved comfortably from Archie Collins on ten minutes as the Grecians enjoyed the brighter start. But Phillips got a big slice of luck when he levelled the match with the aid of a massive deflection on 35 minutes. The Grecians cranked up the pressure and levelled thanks to a massive slice of luck for Kieran Phillips on 35 minutes.

Report and free match highlights as Exeter City secure automatic promotion to Sky Bet League One; Kieran Phillips and Matt Jay on scoresheet for Grecians; ...

As the second half went on it was just a battle, a war of attrition and we had to be ready for our moment and MJ was. We just had to grind out a performance that kept level in relation to the context of the game and fortunately, that chance has fallen to MJ, our captain, our academy product, a constant threat in terms of his goals and he took it so well and we saw the game out. It just shows where the game was played, it was all in the middle of the pitch and it was difficult to gain control and I can't remember any clear-cut chances.

Exeter City look like they might finally achieve promotion to Sky Bet League One after so many attempts, and Grecians fans will be delighted about that. It'

"It was great for me as I want to score goals and love them, and a really important time and grateful I was the one."

“If you wanted it to fall to anyone, then you hope it falls to MJ. It is a great reflection of what he has done and the attitude and grown into the leadership and rounded it off today. It was great for me as I want to score goals and love them, and a really important time and grateful I was the one. The second half was nervy and shot of any chances. But City rallied, and shortly after Kieran Phillips rattled the crossbar with a strike, the on-loan Huddersfield Town man scored his second Grecians goal to level things up. It was an 18th goal of the season – and by far the most important and memorable. “It is special as then club means something to me, more than perhaps some of the others.

Exeter City went into their game against Barrow knowing a win would secure automatic promotion back to Sky Bet League One, the third tier of English ...

Josh Key was proving to be a thorn in the backline of Barrow. In the 79th minute, he swung a teasing delivery towards the back stick, it skimmed over the head of Connor Brown and reached Exeter’s captain Jay. St James Park froze as Jay controlled, swivelled, and fired low excellently past Farman. 2-1. Matt Jay hit a menacing dipping shot from around 20 yards, Farman was equal to it. Both teams playing the ball in the air, asking questions of each other’s defence. Collins slipped a clever pass through to Jevani Brown, his improvised flick found Phillips who’s left footed shot from close range flew off the crossbar and deep into the rocking big bank. Barrow withstood this early pressure and against the run of play took the lead in the 11th minute with what can only be described as a totally bizarre goal. Exeter City went into their game against Barrow knowing a win would secure automatic promotion back to Sky Bet League One, the third tier of English football.

The outside of the academy building at Exeter City's Cliff Hill training ground is the best advert for the methods behind their promotion-winning League Two ...

“Myself, Pierce (Sweeney) and Archie (Collins) are the players that have been in and around the team for a number of years and have felt that heartbreak (of losing play-off finals) but this year there’s a different feel,” he says. We want our infrastructure to be equal to a League One side, the same for the professionalism of our staff and our team. A lot of them are local people and it does create that relationship between the players and the supporter base.” When players step into the first team, they’re coming into a squad with 15 players who have been in their shoes and so having those people create that environment probably helps them. Once the new training ground is complete, it’s hard to imagine it will be long before Jay gets his own tribute as a promotion-winning captain for young players to admire. “The fact that it’s such a tangible goal (breaking into the first team) is what makes it so appealing to work at a club like this,” Green says. Exeter became fan-owned in 2003, born “out of a crisis, as happens often with change” according to Hawker and it has become a central part of the club’s identity. To have a season coming to St James Park expecting to win, see really tidy, slick football and some excellent players, including some who have come through our academy, is a reward for everybody. “I’m most proud that of all the people who have been involved in getting us to this point, it shows it actually works as a business model. We have learned lessons, not just in football but how we run and regulate the business as a fan-owned club. If last season’s ninth-placed finish was the season that Exeter’s fresh crop of youngsters learned to walk, then this season they have been running at full sprint, with six new academy graduates in the squad. “We barely recruited going into last season which meant there was a big emphasis on the younger players and it could have gone two ways.

The Grecians came from behind to beat Barrow 2-1 with Matt Jay's goal 12 minutes from time. | ITV News West Country.

A long throw this time was headed clear by Cheick Diabate and it broke to Phillips on half-way. His shot took a wicked which deflected off Patrick Brough and looped over Farman and into the net. After Nombe won a throw-in, the ball eventually was worked to Key. He swung in a cross, it bounced nicely to Jay, and on the half-volley, he fired home. A better chance came on 25 minutes. It was a big moment for the Grecians to get level, and had Stubbs got more on a header from a corner, they could have gone in ahead, but it was all square at the break. However, on 11 minutes, City went behind.

Fans invaded the pitch to celebrate the win against Barrow which promotes them to League One.

We don’t have superstars and have to grind out tonight, and we did, and to see the scenes on the pitch, it was incredible.” We've just got to enjoy these moments because this club and some of these players have been through some difficult moments, and to come through it in the way they have and to get promoted with two games left in the automatic positions is a reflection on that group of players. It was just the sixth promotion in the 121-year history of the club.

Exeter City's promotion party from League Two has truly begun following a historic 2-1 victory over Barrow on Tuesday night.

Nombe collected the ball on halfway, and his mazy run ended with a wild shot that ended up in the supporters behind the goal rather than in the goal. With a minute remaining, Dawson produced the punch of his life to start another break forward. At the far stick MJ collected the ball, composed himself and volleyed a shot under Farman to send his hometown club on the brink of another historic night in the club’s history. Phillips collect the ball from inside his own half, before dribbling his way all the way to the edge of the Bluebirds’ 18-yard box before going for goal. It was the Grecians who began the brighter, threatening with a flurry of set pieces in the opening 10 minutes. With all four sides of the stadium behind them though, City responded as you would expect.