A tough League Cup draw away to Bristol City began Exeter's season, and despite a strong showing a young and inexperienced side lost 2–0 to the Championship club.

[8] A home loss against Port Vale[9] was followed by another strong away showing, this time beating Mansfield Town 2–1 with young full-back Josh Key scoring his first league goal for the club.

[16] Between that Saturday and the following Tuesday both of City's first team goalkeepers, Lewis Ward and Jonny Maxted, suffered injuries and Exeter had to bring in Reading keeper Jökull Andrésson on a one-week emergency loan deal, ready to play against Leyton Orient and Carlisle United.

[26] That match was the last of Jökull Andrésson's emergancy loan as Exeter goalkeeper Jonny Maxted had fully recovered from his injury, ready to play against Grimsby Town.

Ryan Bowman scored another hattrick, Matt Jay netted a penalty, and Jake Taylor added another strike to the best goal-scoring return of his career to wipe away Tranmere 5–0[31] in one of the best attacking performances seen at Exeter City in years.

In the most frustrating of turnarounds, Exeter could not repeat the same level of attacking ability just three days later at home to lowly Harrogate Town, and the Sulphurites beat the Grecians 2–1 in the shock result of the evening.

[42] The good feeling generated by that win was quickly shot though as the Grecians finished the month with back-to-back defeats to fellow promotion hopefuls Morecambe and Carlisle United, losing 2–0 and 1–0 respectively.

Reading stopper Jökull Andrésson was brought back to the club, this time on a six-month loan deal until the end of the season as Ward's replacement,[46] and he made his second debut for the Grecians away at Carlisle.

[43] February 1 was the January transfer window deadline day,[47] and City made a single signing, bringing in experienced Newport County winger Robbie Willmott on loan until the end of the season.

[49] An in-form Bradford City visited St James Park on 6 February and despite Exeter's early dominance, the Bantams went into the half-time break 2–1 up due to defensive mistakes by the Grecians.

[51] These postponed games gave City a rest before they played fellow promotion challengers Newport County at Rodney Parade for the rearranged fixture on Tuesday 16.

[56] After two drab games against Crawley and Walsall, City returned to winning ways against Leyton Orient on Saturday 6th, with first half goals from Joel Randall and Matt Jay (twice) putting the Grecians in a comfortable 3–0 lead at half-time.

[57] Jay continued this form into the following Tuesday when he scored a superb free-kick at Scunthorpe United, with Jack Sparkes netting his first league goal for the club to confirm City's first back-to-back wins since early February.

[61] Thankfully, this barren run was ended with a hint of luck on Saturday 27th against Salford City, in the Manchester club's first ever visit to St James Park.

Exeter City had just one shot on target but that was all the Grecians needed to grind out a hard-fought 1–0 win against their fellow play-off rivals thanks to Matt Jay's 16th goal of the season.