Exeter City 3-0 Barnsley FC: FLW reports as Grecians demolish lacklustre Tykes | OneFootball

FLW reports from St James Park as Exeter City hosted Barnsley in their final game before Christmas.

Exeter City capped off their 2025 home campaign with a 3-0 win over Barnsley, ensuring the Grecians wouldn't be in the drop zone on Christmas Day.

The first half was a cagey affair, with both sides having chances to take the lead, but neither managing to strike the opening blow.

However, this changed with five minutes until half-time, when Ethan Brierley's dinked cross found Ilmari Niskanen unmarked at the back post, who slammed home to give Exeter the lead heading into the break.

The Grecians doubled their lead moments after the hour mark. Luca Woodhouse's headed effort from a corner was clumsily parried back to him by Murphy Cooper, and the defender steered it back across goal for Jayden Wareham to tap home.

Substitute Reece Cole then made it three with 15 minutes to go. Niskanen again with some wonderful wing play to get to the byline, cut the ball back into the path of the onrushing midfielder, which sealed the points for the home side.

Exeter City 3-0 Barnsley

The first chance of the afternoon came for the visitors on the two-minute mark. Patrick Kelly darted forward from inside his own half and tried to play into Keillor-Dunn. His touch was poor but fell to Adam Phillips, who blasted over from the edge of the box.

Sonny Cox then had a sniff at goal five minutes later. A deep cross from skipper Pierce Sweeney found the striker at the back post, but he couldn't get quite enough power on his header to trouble Cooper in the Barnsley net.

Reyes Cleary then showed his quality, latching on to a delightful pass from Kelly and beating Jack McMillan for pace. He danced his way into the box and tried to fashion a shot, which was eventually charged down by the Exeter defender and put out for a corner.

On the half-hour mark, Sweeney forced Cooper into a smart reaction save with his headed effort from a corner. Woodhouse then looped a free header from the second corner onto the roof of the net.

Minutes later, Exeter should've had the lead from a quick free kick. Niskanen broke the Barnsley line and cut the ball back across goal, which Wareham somehow blasted out of the stadium from inside the box.

It wouldn't matter for long though, as the Finnish wideman would give his side the lead just two minutes later. Brierley's dinked cross from the byline found Niskanen unmarked at the back post, and he slammed home at Cooper's near post.

After a first half that came to life in the last 10 minutes, it was Exeter who went in at the break with the advantage. The Grecians had the better of the chances, and looked good value for their lead, with Joe Whitworth left relatively untroubled.

City re-emerged from the break with their captain, Sweeney, on a yellow card, having gone into the book after an incident in the tunnel at half-time.

Niskanen almost doubled his tally for the afternoon 10 minutes after play resumed. Jayden Wareham picked up a loose ball on the right flank and aimed for the back stick where the Fin was rushing in once again. However, the cross had a little bit too much on it.

Just after the hour mark, Exeter got a deserved second goal from a corner. Woodhouse's header forced Cooper into a save, which came back to the defender, who headed back across goal for Wareham to tuck in from mere yards out.

Barnsley tried to respond to the concession of the second goal, with a neat move working the ball quickly out wide to Phillips, whose cutback was turned behind thanks to a perfectly-timed intervention from Jack Fitzwater.

The Tykes would pay for not taking this chance, as Exeter added a third in the next passage of play. Niskanen burst down the left to the byline, cutting the ball back to substitute Cole, who slid his shot past Cooper to gift wrap the three points for Gary Caldwell's side.

Exeter saw out the last 15 minutes with ease, almost adding a fourth through both Woodhouse and Fitzwater, but they couldn't repeat the 4-0 scoreline they'd managed against Wycombe Wanderers a fortnight prior.

The Grecians ended their home campaign in 2025 with three goals and three points to celebrate, lifting them above the dotted line in League One, following Mansfield Town's home defeat to Stockport County.

As for Barnsley, they went home bitterly disappointed after what was a poor all-round performance, particularly in the second half. The result means Conor Hourihane's side will sit 10th in the table going into Boxing Day's clash with Mansfield.

Exeter City player ratings

J. Whitworth - 7

I. Niskanen - 9

P. Sweeney - 7

J. Fitzwater - 8

L. Woodhouse - 8

J. McMillan - 7

J. Doyle-Hayes - 7 (K. McDonald 84'(5))

E. Brierley - 8 (L. Oates 92'(N/A))

J. Aitchison - 6 (A. Higgins 84'(5))

S. Cox - 4 (R. Cole 58'(7))

J. Wareham - 8 (C. Mendes Gomes 92'(N/A))

Unused substitutes: J. Bycroft, S. Swinkels

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Barnsley player ratings

M. Cooper - 4

J. Bland - 4 (J. Russell 62'(5))

J. Shepherd - 5

M. Roberts - 5

T. Watson - 4

N. Farrugia - 5 (F. Jalo 58'(5))

L. Connell - 5

P. Kelly - 6 (Y. Yoganathan 78'(5))

A. Phillips - 6 (M. de Gevigney 78'(5))

D. Keillor-Dunn - 5

R. Cleary - 5

Unused substitutes: K. Flavell, C. Vickers, L. Farrell

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Match attendance

There were 6471 fans present at St James Park, with 386 making the trip down from Barnsley.