Exeter can 'rise to the occasion' in FA Cup - Cole

Reece Cole feels Exeter City can "rise to the occasion" when they face League One leaders Huddersfield Town in the FA Cup.

The Grecians, who were relegated from the third tier last season, have been in good form over the past month.

They were unbeaten in six games in all competitions until they lost late on at League Two leaders Salford City on Saturday.

Exeter have good recent cup history - they made the third round last season before losing 10-1 to Manchester City.

In 2025, when a League One side, they forced Nottingham Forest - at the time third in the Premier League - to a penalty shootout in the fourth round after knocking out Championship club Oxford United in round three.

"I wouldn't say we're in a no-lose situation, obviously it's clear that we are the underdogs," midfielder Cole told BBC Radio Devon.

"But I've experienced that many times with this football club in League One, you are the underdogs against most teams when you're playing against them whether that's home or away.

"I always feel like we rise to the occasion and step up well and put on a good performance and a good showing of the football club, so hopefully we can go there and do that on Saturday."

Having won only one of their first eight games to leave them just a point above the relegation places, Exeter have rallied over the past month.

Matt Taylor's side have won four and drawn one of their last six matches and are now 12th in League Two, a point off the play-off spots.

Cole says the new-look squad put together after many of Exeter's established players left over the summer has begun to gel.

"Obviously no-one wants to lose games, no-one works all week to lose on a Saturday, it's not nice," he explained.

"But we've stayed together. We're not the best team in the world when we win a game and we're not the worst team in the world when we lose a game.

"So it's just finding that consistency and with us being a new group and a lot of younger players that are inexperienced.

"But you can see now they're starting to flourish and they're starting to understand the league and and how how we're going to play, so it I think it's starting to come come together quite nicely and it was only a matter of time of that happening.

"The club's in a massive transitional stage so hopefully long may it continue and we can keep those winning streaks for longer than a month."