Harambee Stars winger features as under-fire Exeter are downed by Port Vale

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STARS ABROAD Harambee Stars winger features as under-fire Exeter are downed by Port Vale

Mark Kinyanjui 10:00 - 10.12.2023

Harper came on as an 83rd minute substitute but did not have enough time to influence the outcome of the game as he barely had enough touches of the ball.

Harambee Stars winger Vincent Harper featured as under-fire Exeter City fell 1-0 to Port Vale in a Sky Bet League One clash held on Saturday afternoon.

Harper came on as an 83rd minute substitute but did not have enough time to influence the outcome of the game as he barely had enough touches of the ball.

Exeter City’s winless run is now their worst in 28 years after a tame 1-0 home defeat to Port Vale. It is now 11 games with a victory for the Grecians, the longest streak since 1995 – as boos rang out at St James Park at full-time.

Their poor form has led to calls by Exeter fans for head coach Gary Caldwell to face the sack.

Oliver Arblaster put Vale ahead in the 29th minute when he was left unmarked with the simplest of finishes from a corner. Ilmari Niskanen missed a golden chance to level up for City when he was found six yards out, but sliced the effort wide.

It was one way traffic in the second half and Jack Aitchison and Will Aimson both saw efforts cleared off the line, while Ryan Trevitt twice came close to an equalizer. But it didn’t come, and City slumped to defeat, made worse when Aimson was sent off for a second bookable offence in stoppage-time.

The run of 11 games without a win is the longest City have been on since between September 1995 and December 1995. It is just two points from the last 33 available, a run in which City have scored just two goals – although Exeter remain 20th. Vale had arrived at St James Park on an 11 game run without a win of their own, but rose to 17th.

Chants of "we want Caldwell out" rang out from the Big Bank as the game entered the dying stages. And City couldn’t fashion the equaliser as boos rang out at full-time after the defeat.

Exeter City are back in action next Saturday when they travel to Stevenage. Caldwell is the man in charge for now, but will he continue to be Harper’s coach in a week’s time?