David Wheeler: Exeter City forward describes season turnaround as 'poetic'

Exeter full-back Jack Stacey celebrated with fans on the pitch after his winner sent them through

Forward David Wheeler says the contrast in Exeter City's fortunes this season is "poetic" after reaching the League Two play-off final.

The Devon club went bottom of the table after a last-gasp 3-2 loss at Carlisle in November, 17 games into the season.

But they beat the same opponents by the same score in similar circumstances to seal a trip to Wembley on 28 May.

"To come back the way we have and get to within a game of going up to League One is just incredible," Wheeler said.

"When it was Carlisle away in November - probably our darkest time - we were trying to get back into things, get out of the relegation zone, and then we lost at the death.

"To contrast that feeling to this is poetic."

'A long season, a long story'

Boss Paul Tisdale went through a whole host of emotions on the touchline

Exeter spent 59 days of the regular season in the bottom two - more than relegated Hartlepool - with only Newport and Leyton Orient spending longer in the drop zone.

"We had 15 games at the start of the season where we could hardly put a team out and there was discontent everywhere - people were questioning me and the squad," manager Paul Tisdale told BBC Radio Devon.

"We've had an incredible year of upset and, I suppose, lack of belief in the players from outside the dressing room - now we've got an opportunity to finish it off with a success."

Blackpool will be Exeter's opponents in the final - the team they met on the very first day of the campaign in August.

"It's been a long season, it's a long story," added Tisdale. "It's two bookends at the end of a long story - let's finish it off with an Exeter City success."