Saturday’s Devon Derby between Plymouth Argyle and Exeter City ended in an exciting 2-2 stalemate at Home Park.

Quite possibly, it was a result that neither side required as they pursued their separate goals at opposite ends of the League One league.

Exeter, who twice went ahead before eventually settling for a late point after upsetting Tom Cleverley’s side at St James’ Park earlier in the season, are three points behind 20th-placed AFC Wimbledon, who have a potentially pivotal game in hand.

For Plymouth, a point at Home Park meant little in their late pursuit of a play-off spot, which was hampered further when sixth-placed Stevenage won impressively at Bradford City later in the afternoon to go four points clear of the Green Army with a game in hand.

Argyle, however, may have emerged from this season’s second edition of the fabled Devon Derby as the happier of the two sides, having twice fallen down before equalizing twice in a frenzied closing 11 minutes through Lorent Tolaj and Malachi Boateng.

The Devon Derby frequently makes headlines for events that occur off the pitch as well as on it. There is never any love lost between the two sets of players and supporters, and a significant police presence was the order of the day when Exeter fans were escorted down the A38.

And today, as the dust settles on the latest clash between the two Devon rivals, the police have replied to what supporters did in the afternoon.

Police investigate what Plymouth Argyle and Exeter City fans did during the Devon Derby.

There have been numerous high-profile arrests and incidents involving Exeter and Plymouth supporters in recent years, and police were on high alert to keep unruly behavior to a minimal when the Grecians arrived at Home Park for their first visit since October 2022.

Indeed, in the days preceding up to the match, Devon and Cornwall Police issued a harsh warning to fans, stating unequivocally that any punters discovered to be infringing the regulations will be detained and issued a football banning order.

And, much to the authorities’ relief, it has emerged that the vast majority of supporters followed the rules and stayed out of trouble on such an emotionally charged occasion.

Police have reported that three people were arrested at Home Park for accessing the pitch, hurling a missile into the seats, and assaulting a steward. However, no more arrests were made, and match commander Supt Vicky Howell of Devon and Cornwall police congratulated supporters for arriving to the game in the “right spirit” and, for the most part, remaining out of trouble.

According to the BBC, Howell stated that “officers took a visible, proportionate and proactive approach throughout the day, which helped prevent issues from escalating and ensured people could enjoy the occasion safely.”

“Whilst there was a small number of arrests, this reflects our commitment to taking action where necessary.”I’d want to thank supporters, citizens, and our partners, notably football clubs, for their help in making this a successful operation.

We may not see another Devon Derby between Plymouth Argyle and Exeter City for a while.

It may also be to the comfort of local authorities that the actual date of the next Devon Derby remains unknown despite Exeter’s battle to avoid relegation to League Two, which comes against the backdrop of well-documented financial difficulties for the Grecians.

That would cast doubt on the club’s ability to return to League One if demoted, which is becoming more likely as the season comes to a close.

Plymouth, having seen a spectacular upturn in fortunes in recent months under Tom Cleverley following a horrific start to life back in the third division, are unlikely to be relegated to League Two anytime soon and may even return to the Championship via the play-offs at the first attempt.

Both clubs look to be moving in opposite directions right now, with supporters rightfully praised for their behavior in what may have been the last Devon Derby match for some time.