Exeter City vs Barnsley

20 December 2025 · League One · 2025/26 · Referee Ben Atkinson

Full time 3 – 0

Half-time: 1–0

  • Ilmari Niskanen 41’
  • Jayden Wareham 61’
  • Reece Cole 73’

Match summary

Exeter City won comfortably, 3-0 at home to Barnsley. Exeter City led 1-0 at half-time.

Ilmari Niskanen put Exeter City ahead in the 41st minute, Jayden Wareham made it 2-0 from a corner in the 61st minute, and Reece Cole made it 3-0 in the 73rd minute.

The chances backed that up: Exeter City created 2.01 expected goals (xG) from 15 shots to Barnsley's 0.53 from 9.

Match stats

46% Possession 54%
15 Shots 9
7 Shots on target 1
6 Corners 3
411 Passes 488
72.0% Pass accuracy 76.0%
16 Tackles 12
8 Fouls 9
1 Yellow cards 2
1 Offsides 0

Key events

Exeter City Barnsley
Kick-off
Sonny CoxShot on target
9’
Pierce SweeneyShot on target
32’
Ilmari NiskanenLeft foot shot1-0 (Exeter City)
41’
Pierce Sweeney
45+2’
Half-time1-0
Second half underway
54’
Patrick Kelly
58’
Fabio JalóNeil Farrugia
Reece ColeSonny Cox
59’
Jayden WarehamRight foot shot2-0 (Exeter City)
61’
Luca WoodhouseShot on target
61’
62’
Jon RussellJonathan Bland
Ethan BrierleyShot on target
65’
Reece ColeLeft foot shot3-0 (Exeter City)
73’
76’
Vimal YoganathanPatrick Kelly
77’
Davis Keillor-DunnArgument
77’
Maël de GevigneyAdam Phillips
Kevin McDonaldJake Doyle-Hayes
84’
Akeel HigginsJack Aitchison
84’
Liam OakesEthan Brierley
90+2’
Carlos Mendes GomesJayden Wareham
90+2’
90+3’
Jon RussellShot on target
Full-time3-0

How the chances added up

Running total of expected goals (xG) for each side through the match. xG rates each chance by how often similar shots are scored. A goal is marked where it was scored.

0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 0’ 15’ 30’ 45’ 60’ 75’ 90’ HT 2.01 0.53 41’ Ilmari Niskanen (Exeter City), 1-0 41’ 61’ Jayden Wareham (Exeter City), 2-0 61’ 73’ Reece Cole (Exeter City), 3-0 73’ 0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 0’ 15’ 30’ 45’ 60’ 75’ 90’ HT 2.01 0.53 41’ Ilmari Niskanen (Exeter City), 1-0 Niskanen 41’ 61’ Jayden Wareham (Exeter City), 2-0 Wareham 61’ 73’ Reece Cole (Exeter City), 3-0 Cole 73’
Exeter City 2.01 xGBarnsley 0.53 xG Goal

Tap a goal for the scorer and score.

Shot map

Every shot and where it was taken from.

 Barnsley attacking Exeter City attacking 
61’ Jayden Wareham (Exeter City), from a corner, 0.64 xG, goal 39’ Jayden Wareham (Exeter City), open play, 0.31 xG, off target 73’ Reece Cole (Exeter City), open play, 0.29 xG, goal 71’ Patrick Kelly (Barnsley), open play, 0.16 xG, blocked 83’ Jack Aitchison (Exeter City), open play, 0.14 xG, blocked 88’ Akeel Higgins (Exeter City), open play, 0.13 xG, off target 90+3’ Jon Russell (Barnsley), set piece, 0.12 xG, saved 89’ Jack Fitzwater (Exeter City), from a corner, 0.11 xG, off target 88’ Luca Woodhouse (Exeter City), open play, 0.10 xG, blocked 32’ Pierce Sweeney (Exeter City), from a corner, 0.09 xG, saved 90+3’ Jack Shepherd (Barnsley), set piece, 0.08 xG, blocked 3’ Adam Phillips (Barnsley), open play, 0.06 xG, off target 9’ Sonny Cox (Exeter City), set piece, 0.05 xG, saved 15’ Reyes Cleary (Barnsley), open play, 0.04 xG, blocked 32’ Jack Aitchison (Exeter City), open play, 0.03 xG, blocked 8’ Ethan Brierley (Exeter City), open play, 0.03 xG, blocked 33’ Jack Fitzwater (Exeter City), from a corner, 0.03 xG, off target 41’ Ilmari Niskanen (Exeter City), open play, 0.02 xG, goal 43’ Luca Connell (Barnsley), open play, 0.02 xG, blocked 61’ Luca Woodhouse (Exeter City), from a corner, 0.02 xG, saved 72’ Jack Shepherd (Barnsley), from a corner, 0.02 xG, off target 65’ Ethan Brierley (Exeter City), open play, 0.02 xG, saved 66’ Davis Keillor-Dunn (Barnsley), open play, 0.02 xG, off target 64’ Fabio Jaló (Barnsley), open play, 0.01 xG, blocked 61’ Jayden Wareham (Exeter City), from a corner, 0.64 xG, goal 39’ Jayden Wareham (Exeter City), open play, 0.31 xG, off target 73’ Reece Cole (Exeter City), open play, 0.29 xG, goal 71’ Patrick Kelly (Barnsley), open play, 0.16 xG, blocked 83’ Jack Aitchison (Exeter City), open play, 0.14 xG, blocked 88’ Akeel Higgins (Exeter City), open play, 0.13 xG, off target 90+3’ Jon Russell (Barnsley), set piece, 0.12 xG, saved 89’ Jack Fitzwater (Exeter City), from a corner, 0.11 xG, off target 88’ Luca Woodhouse (Exeter City), open play, 0.10 xG, blocked 32’ Pierce Sweeney (Exeter City), from a corner, 0.09 xG, saved 90+3’ Jack Shepherd (Barnsley), set piece, 0.08 xG, blocked 3’ Adam Phillips (Barnsley), open play, 0.06 xG, off target 9’ Sonny Cox (Exeter City), set piece, 0.05 xG, saved 15’ Reyes Cleary (Barnsley), open play, 0.04 xG, blocked 32’ Jack Aitchison (Exeter City), open play, 0.03 xG, blocked 8’ Ethan Brierley (Exeter City), open play, 0.03 xG, blocked 33’ Jack Fitzwater (Exeter City), from a corner, 0.03 xG, off target 41’ Ilmari Niskanen (Exeter City), open play, 0.02 xG, goal 72’ Jack Shepherd (Barnsley), from a corner, 0.02 xG, off target 43’ Luca Connell (Barnsley), open play, 0.02 xG, blocked 61’ Luca Woodhouse (Exeter City), from a corner, 0.02 xG, saved 65’ Ethan Brierley (Exeter City), open play, 0.02 xG, saved 66’ Davis Keillor-Dunn (Barnsley), open play, 0.02 xG, off target 64’ Fabio Jaló (Barnsley), open play, 0.01 xG, blocked
Size shows xG Goal On target Off target or blocked

Hover or tap a shot for the player, minute and xG.

Lineups

Exeter City 3-4-1-2 Starting XI
Whitworth
Sweeney
Fitzwater
Woodhouse
McMillan
Brierley 90’
Doyle-Hayes 84’
Niskanen
Aitchison 84’
Cox 59’
Wareham 90’
Barnsley 4-2-3-1 Starting XI
Cooper
Roberts
Shepherd
Watson
Bland 62’
Phillips 77’
Connell
Cleary
Kelly 76’
Farrugia 58’
Keillor-Dunn

Player stats

Goalkeeper1 player
Joe Whitworth
90′ 1 0 53 – – – – –
Defenders3 players
Pierce Sweeney
90′ – 2 – 2 2 62 – – –
Jack Fitzwater
90′ 1 – 3 2 1 59 1 – – –
Luca Woodhouse
90′ 3 – – 10 6 38 – – 1 –
Midfielders7 players
Jack McMillan
90′ – – 31 – 0.01 4 1 4 – – –
Ethan Brierley Taken off
89′ – 1 31 4 0.15 2 – 3 – – –
Jake Doyle-Hayes Taken off
84′ – – 36 1 0.03 2 3 5 1 2 –
Ilmari Niskanen
90′ 1 1 27 2 0.37 2 1 3 1 1 –
Jack Aitchison Taken off
84′ – – 22 – 0.04 1 – 5 1 2 –
Reece Cole Came on as a substitute
31′ 1 – 14 1 0.15 – 1 3 – 1 –
Kevin McDonald Came on as a substitute
10′ – – 7 1 0.08 – – – – – –
Forwards3 players
Sonny Cox Taken off
59′ – – 1 1 0.05 0.02 1 2 1 7 –
Jayden Wareham Taken off
89′ 1 – 2 1 0.94 0.11 1 8 – 20 –
Akeel Higgins Came on as a substitute
10′ – – 1 – 0.13 – – – – – –
Came on Taken off Sent off Red is the most in that position for the team

Every player who took the pitch, starters first and then substitutes. A dash means none. xG and xA are expected goals and assists.

Before kick-off

Exeter City win 32% Avg odds 2.93
Draw 27% Avg odds 3.43
Barnsley win 41% Avg odds 2.28

Chances implied by the average closing odds, with the bookmaker margin removed.

Form going into the game

Exeter City DLLWL
Barnsley WWDLW

Last five league games before this one, oldest first. Select one to open it.

Previous and next meeting

 Previous meeting: Barnsley 1-2 Exeter City, 01 Apr 25 Next meeting: Barnsley 2-1 Exeter City, 07 Mar 26  All Exeter City vs Barnsley meetings

Shots, expected goals, timeline, lineups, team and player statistics from Bzzoiro Sports Data (sports.bzzoiro.com). Results and odds from football-data.co.uk.