Exeter City manager Matt Taylor has labelled his side's FA Cup first-round trip to Huddersfield Town as the toughest possible draw. The 44-year-old boss acknowledged the scale of the challenge facing his League Two side against a Terriers team sitting top of League One with 29 points from 14 games, having won eight, drawn five and lost just one.
Taylor, formerly of Rotherham United, made his assessment ahead of the tie at the Accu Stadium. "I don’t think there was a harder tie than Huddersfield away," he said.
Terriers' strong form
The task is formidable. Huddersfield Town are unbeaten in their last five league games, a run of four wins and a draw that has them three points clear at the summit. They have lost just once in the third tier all season, amassing 29 points from 14 matches. Their recent form, reading as four wins and a draw, includes a 2-1 victory over Wigan on 24 October, a 4-1 win against Peterborough on 20 October, and a 2-0 away win at Plymouth on 17 October. Their most recent result was a 1-1 draw with Luton on Tuesday 3 November, where Joe Taylor equalised after an assist from Derensili Sanches Fernandes. This followed a comprehensive 3-0 away win at Bradford City on Saturday 31 October, where Taylor was also on the scoresheet.
Their attack is spearheaded by Joe Taylor, who has netted 10 goals in 13 appearances this term. He scored in the recent 1-1 draw with Luton and also found the net in the 3-0 win at Bradford City. The team has scored 28 goals while conceding only 12, giving them a commanding goal difference of plus 16.
Exeter, meanwhile, are looking to replicate their cup run from last season. They beat FC Halifax Town and Wycombe Wanderers in the first two rounds before a heavy defeat to Manchester City ended their journey.
Huddersfield's focus will quickly return to league matters after the cup tie. Their next fixture is a trip to face Wycombe Wanderers, who sit 13th in the table, on Saturday 14 November.
This story first appeared at yorkshirepost.co.uk
