Manager hoping to keep building on a successful fortnight
After a hugely positive fortnight for Exeter City – winning three games on the bounce to kickstart the Grecians’ season – manager Paul Tisdale is not resting on any laurels and is aiming to keep that run going.City travel to Dagenham & Redbridge for a Friday-night fixture with a world of confidence, following a recent upturn in form and impressive displays that earned wins against Cambridge, Tranmere and Bury.
However he is well aware that football can change quickly and isn’t getting carried away just yet with the recent results.
Conversely he knows that there are still another 36 games to play and that picking up three points against the Daggers would be a great way of keeping things flowing in the right direction.
“Winning is enjoyable, and it’s particularly enjoyable when you’ve had a tough time preceding that and you’ve really had to work hard and keep your nerve and believe in what you think is the right thing to do – which we have done, and we’ve got some really good results,” Paul explained.
“But we’re still early in the season, so as much as I was saying four games ago: ‘we’re bottom of the league but there’s a long way to go,’ now I’m saying: ‘yeah, great – but there’s a long way to go.’
“It certainly doesn’t end here, but it’s been a pretty good fortnight to have got ten points from 12.”
The task will be far from simple, however. Dagenham, who lie two places below City in the Sky Bet League 2 table, won their last outing to leapfrog York City and will be aiming to capitalise and get on a run for themselves.
The Grecians will have to assess the fitness of a number of players, meaning that Paul and the coaching staff will once again have to patch up the squad and find solutions to the problems that are arising.
He hopes that any replacements will step up to the mark and fulfil their role ably, and perhaps even give him a selection headache in a positive sense when the other squad members return to health.
“We are full of confidence but we are always wary of a good opposition,” Tis continued. “Wayne Burnett’s teams are always getting better whenever I see them play.
“We get a high-tempo, quick game at Dagenham – that’s the type of environment that it is.
“Managers change and the style changes slightly, but I think it’ll be a high-tempo game. Our players know that’s coming and they’ll be ready for it.
“We’ve got Jamie Cureton to think about, and we’ve got a growing list of casualties. Pat Baldwin and Jamie Reid are long-term absentees, and David Wheeler, David Noble and Craig Woodman weren’t fit for last Saturday’s game against Bury.
“Jordan Moore-Taylor and Graham Cummins are now added to that list, so it’s a bit of a worry – I don’t think all five of them will be out long-term, but they may well all miss Friday.
“So we’re going to be really stretched on Friday but it means a good chance for one or two others.”