Anthony Scully's Impact at Exeter City: From Unknown to Key Player
Anthony Scully walked into Exeter City a free agent and a relative unknown to the home crowd. A month later, he is talking like a man who wants to build a life at St James Park, not just see out a short-term deal.
“I want to hopefully stay here for many more years to be honest because I absolutely love it,” the 27-year-old told BBC Radio Devon. “I've only been here a month but, I couldn't be happier.”
You can see why. Since the Irish forward signed a contract that runs only until next summer, Exeter have looked like a different side.
From relegation hangover to resurgence
Relegation and a grim start had left the club flat. One win from their opening eight League Two matches hinted at a long, unforgiving season. Confidence was thin. The mood around the place matched the table.
Then came Scully.
He marked his debut with the decisive goal in a 1-0 win over Rotherham United, a result that felt more like a release than a routine three points. The team have not lost since. Five games unbeaten in all competitions, and a narrative that suddenly feels very different.
The run has had a bit of everything. After Rotherham, Exeter knocked out League One side Oxford United on penalties in the Jersey Mike’s Trophy. They then went to Shrewsbury Town, one of Scully’s former clubs, and claimed their first away victory since January. That kind of milestone matters in a dressing room.
A draw at Colchester United steadied things further. Then came Tuesday night: a 2-0 home win over previously unbeaten Crewe Alexandra, with Scully on the scoresheet again. A fragile side has turned stubborn and sharp.
Standards, not luck
Scully is not dressing this up as a fairy tale. For him, the unbeaten run has roots in the daily grind.
“From what I see each day in training, the way the lads train, how hard the staff work in terms of putting sessions on, the detail that goes into everything, these results aren't a fluke,” he said.
The word that keeps coming back is “standards”. It is not glamorous, but it is exactly what you hear inside winning dressing rooms.
“At the end you can only control what you can control, and if we keep keeping our standards high and the detail is there and the application is there, there's no reason why this run can't continue.
“Football changes all the time, so all we can control is how we act every day in training, and since I've come in the standards have been brilliant, really, really high.
“So it's no surprise why we've gone on the run we have.”
This is not a player basking in a hot streak. It is a forward who sees structure behind the surge: intensity in training, clarity from the staff, and a group that has decided relegation will not define them.
A short deal, a long view
For now, the contract situation is simple. Scully is tied to Exeter only until next summer. On current evidence, that feels like an increasingly short horizon for both player and club.
He has arrived at a side trying to shake off the weight of a bad start and a bruising drop from the division above. He has supplied goals, energy and a voice that leans into responsibility rather than away from it.
The unbeaten run will end at some point. The question is what remains when it does: the habits, the standards, the belief Scully talks about so freely.
If those stay in place, Exeter’s biggest challenge might not be turning their form around. It might be making sure the forward who helped spark it is still wearing red and white when that current deal runs out.
