Taylor and Sweeney nominated for awards

EXETER City’s fine end to the League Two season has seen manager Matt Taylor and defender Pierce Sweeney nominated for the Sky Bet League Two awards for April, writes Stuart James.

Taylor is one of four men shortlisted for the League Two manager of the month award, while Sweeney is shortlisted for the players’ award.

The Grecians collected an impressive total of 16 points from seven games in the month, winning five drawing one and losing just once.

That run of form helped Grecians end their ten-year stay in League Two as they won promotion by beating Barrow 2-1 at St James Park on April 26.

Taylor faces competition for the award from Bristol Rovers boss Joey Barton, Stevenage’s Steve Evans and Sutton United manager Matt Gray.

An EFL statement read: “Exeter had suffered heartache in each of the past five seasons, losing in three play-off finals. Taylor set aside the crushing pressure that history created to lead his side convincingly to automatic promotion with 16 points from seven games.”

Barton oversaw a return of 14 points from six games, which helped Rovers claim third place and automatic promotion to League One, while Evans helped pull Stevenage clear of relegation danger with ten points form four games, conceding just one goal.

Gray helped Sutton claim 12 points from six games as they fell just short of the end-of-season play-offs.

On Sweeney, the EFL statement read: “You won’t find Sweeney’s name in the list of scorers or goal makers, but the defender’s influence driving on an Exeter side to finally clinch promotion after five near misses was just as important as the four clean sheets he helped to preserve.”

Other nominees are Bristol Rovers winger Elliot Anderson, Jon Guthrie of Northampton Town and Port Vale striker Jamie Proctor. The winners will be announced on Friday.