Exeter City's League Two Play-off 2016-17 campaign gets underway tonight against Carlisle United in what will be the Grecians' first experience of the play-offs as a Football League side.
City's only other two Play-off campaigns came whilst they were a non-league club in the 2006-07, their first under current manager Paul Tisdale, and 2007-08 seasons, the second of which secured their return to the Football League, following their relegation in 2003.
2006-07:
For the first time since they were relegated four years earlier, Exeter City had a shot at promotion back to the Football League as they finished fifth in the Conference table to set up a two-legged Play-off with Oxford United, who had just missed out on the title to Dagenham & Redbridge.
After losing the first leg 1-0 to the U's, the Grecians won the second leg 2-1 - through goals from Lee Phillips and Adam Stansfield - to send the tie into extra time, which was eventually followed by penalties.
The Grecians eventually triumphed 4-3 in the final death shoot-out with Steve Tully scoring the decisive fourth penalty.
In the final at Wembley, City's first appearance at the home of football, they were defeated 2-1 by Morecambe despite taking the lead through Lee Phillips and they would have to wait another year for a tilt at a Football League return.
2007-08:
The Grecians experience stood them in good stead a year when they reached the Play-offs again after finishing fourth in the regular league season. This time they would be facing local rivals Torquay United - who relegated to the Conference in 2007.
In the first leg at St James Park, the Gulls took the lead through Tim Sills before Wayne Carlisle equalised for City. In the dying minutes of the game, Chris Zebroski netted a late winner to give Torquay a slender advantage going into the second leg at Plainmoor.
It looked as the Gulls were going to make that advantage count as Kevin Hill struck in the second half - on the day that he equalled the Gulls' all-time appearance record - and a second season of Play-off misery appeared to be on the cards for the Grecians.
However, a late second half revival saw City find the back of the net four times as Ryan Harley equalised, Ben Watson converted from the penalty spot to put the Grecians level on aggregate, Richard Logan edged City ahead before Carlisle rounded things off with their fourth goal to complete a superb comeback.
The final itself against Cambridge United proved to be a far more routine affair as a Rob Edwards proved to be enough to see off the U's as the Grecians ended their five-year stay in the Conference and they have never looked back since.
