Exeter City treating Torquay United friendly 'as a real game'

Exeter City will be treating their final pre-season friendly at Torquay United as if it was a league game. The Grecians head to Plainmoor on Saturday to take on the Gulls just a week away from the start of the League One season.

Next Saturday, City travel to Lincoln City to start their first campaign in the third tier in a decade. But before then, Matt Taylor’s men have one more friendly fixture to fine tune their preparations.

Off the pitch, pre-season appears to have gone well for the Grecians, with Taylor happy with their fitness and where they are ahead of the campaign. And although no new signings have arrived at St James Park, no-one has left either, meaning bar Cameron Dawson, the core of the promotion-winning squad remains.

“Saturday will be exactly what we need going into the first game of the season,” Taylor said. “We know what to expect, it will be a local derby, hope plenty of fans travel, and want it to be as real a game of football as it can be before the start of the season.”

That viewpoint is echoed by midfielder Tim Dieng, who said that while it is a friendly, it will be treated by the squad as a real game. He said that while they are ready for the start of the League One season, for the fans, it will be important to head into the beginning off the back of a victory.

“I would say yes, we are treating it as if it was our first game,” the Frenchman said of the Gulls game. “It is just one week away, so we have to be ready to win it and go there to win, and treat it like a league game. It is a derby as well, so important for the fans.

“Pre-season has gone well. We have the same squad, so we know each other and all worked hard – all fit now and ready for the season. Pre-season has been all about fitness and