Reece Cole celebrates scoring Exeter City's opening goalShutterstock

Reece Cole's opening goal was his first since August for Exeter City

Brent Pilnick
BBC Sport EnglandSt James Park, Exeter

Exeter City beat Plymouth Argyle 2-0 to win their first Devon derby in six years and keep their rivals in the League One relegation zone.

Reece Cole gave Exeter the lead following a defensive mix-up, after a full-throttle opening 10 minutes that saw an Argyle goal disallowed and the hosts hit the post.

Akeel Higgins doubled the advantage with a calm finish after being put through on goal early in the second half to send St James Park into raptures.

Argyle, who have failed to win four of their past five league games, remain in the relegation places on goal difference.

Meanwhile, only Exeter's second win since the end of August pushes them up to 13th place in a congested bottom half of League One.

Action from Exeter City v Plymouth ArgyleShutterstock

The game began at a ferocious pace at St James Park

The game got off to a ferocious start as Exeter's Danny Andrew blazed a shot over the Plymouth bar inside the opening 30 seconds.

Controversy followed as Argyle's Brendan Wiredu had a goal ruled out for offside when Exeter failed to deal with Matty Sorinola's floated free-kick - with replays suggesting a City man diverted the ball into Wiredu's path, thus playing him onside.

But Exeter should have been in front inside the opening 10 minutes as Jayden Wareham had a shot blocked with a good sight of goal, Pilgrims keeper Conor Hazard tipped over an excellent half-volley from the edge of the box by Cole and Ilmari Niskanen struck the post with a curling low drive.

Cole finally got the goal his side deserved when Hazard and his defenders got into a muddle over a long ball and the Northern Ireland goalkeeper's weak clearance fell to the Exeter playmaker, who calmly curled it into the open net from outside the box.

Argyle recovered from their poor start and gradually got a foothold in the game as the half wore on - Lorent Tolaj had a shot saved by Joe Whitworth while a covering Andrew headed an Plymouth effort safely over his own bar.

But Argyle's good work before the break was undone within 13 minutes of the restart as Higgins – who had almost been put through moments earlier – latched on to Ethan Brierley's through-ball before calmly beating Hazard to double Exeter's tally as the West Bromwich Albion loanee scored his first senior goal.

Tolaj had a close-range effort blocked soon after, but the life began to drain from the visitors as the Exeter fans revelled in just their second league win over their big rivals in nine years.

As morale-boosting as this win will be for Exeter – who had won just once in their previous eight games – it will be equally as galling for an Argyle side who were expected to be challenging at the top end of the division after their relegation from the Championship last season.

'Exceptional' to 'nowhere near it' - manager reaction

Exeter City manager Gary Caldwell told BBC Sport:

"I'm delighted. It was a big game - we knew that, there's not been a Devon derby for two seasons and we lost the last two at this level a few seasons ago.

"It was big that we turned up tonight and really stood up and played with a real mentality, a winning mentality.

"I thought from the first minute we set the tone in the game, I thought we had real clarity in how we were going to win the game.

"The whole team were exceptional, and even the finishers coming on, everything went to plan and when that happens in a big game it shows the potential you have as a team and the momentum we have to take from this moving forward."

Plymouth Argyle head coach Tom Cleverley told BBC Sport:

"It was nowhere near it, to be honest.

"We weren't dominant in any phase of the game - so that's defensively, from an attacking perspective, [or] from a competing perspective.

"If that's the case, then you struggle to take anything from the game.

"I could maybe give you a 10-minute period before half-time that I could cling on to from that performance, but I'd be clutching at straws for anything else"

Player of the match

I. Niskanen
8.12
14 I. Niskanen
8.12
17 A. Higgins
7.97
10 J. Aitchison
7.70
26 P. Sweeney
7.69
2 J. McMillan
7.65
12 R. Cole
7.64
9 J. Wareham
7.55
6 E. Brierley
7.47
4 E. Turns
7.39
5 J. Fitzwater
7.29
21 D. Andrew
7.26
27 J. Magennis
7.25
29 K. McDonald
7.04
1 J. Whitworth
6.89
20 L. Woodhouse
6.85
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