Sonny Cox Ends Yearlong Goal Drought in Exeter City Win

Exeter City ended their difficult run away from home with a 1-0 victory over Shrewsbury Town on Saturday, as striker Sonny Cox scored the decisive goal after returning from a period disrupted by allergic reactions. The 22-year-old came off the bench to deliver Exeter's first away win since January 24, when they beat Port Vale 3-1 at Vale Park.

According to BBC Sport, the result also marked Exeter's first point on the road since April and Cox's first goal since the team's 4-1 victory over Blackpool on August 9, 2025. His latest contribution came after a challenging spell that had limited his involvement this season.

Cox has made just two starts during the campaign, according to his comments to BBC Radio Devon. He had also been forced out of the starting lineup for Tuesday's Trophy match against Oxford United after experiencing another allergic reaction.

The striker described the repeated health problems as a source of frustration, particularly because he had expected to gain valuable playing time in the Oxford fixture.

"It's been really frustrating - the game on Tuesday, I was meant to get some good minutes in and unfortunately I had another allergic reaction," Cox told BBC Radio Devon.

Cox said he hoped the issue had been identified and that further episodes could be avoided. His comments reflected the uncertainty he had faced while trying to regain consistency and contribute to the team.

"But hopefully we've got to the bottom of that now and they stay away for the foreseeable future."

He also acknowledged the emotional toll of the episodes while expressing optimism about returning to action. The forward, who progressed through Exeter's academy and made his first-team debut at 16 in 2021, said he wanted to build on his return.

"They have been scary moments for me but now I'm back and hopefully we've passed it and I can push on from now."

Cox's winning goal came just eight minutes after he entered the match as a substitute. Exeter were defending a corner in the eighth minute when they launched a counterattack, with Cox finishing the move with his left foot to settle the contest.

Exeter manager Matt Taylor praised the team's response after defending their penalty area and highlighted the determination behind the decisive break. He also emphasized the significance of Cox scoring after the difficulties he had experienced in recent months.

"For Sonny to get that goal when we were defending our box from a corner kick... He's marking his man in the six-yard box and the team broke with such positivity and belief that we could go up the pitch and score," Exeter City manager Matt Taylor said.

Taylor said Cox had endured an especially difficult period before returning to action. The manager described the emotional significance of the moment when the forward completed the counterattack.

"He's been to hell and back the last couple of months," Taylor said, describing the moment Cox scored as one in which "time almost stood still in that moment".