Forward gives match reaction to Portsmouth defeat
A lively, entertaining game away at Portsmouth ended in heartache for Exeter City, beaten by a Jed Wallace goal with only stoppage-time remaining.It was somewhat surprising that such an open game had been goalless until that time, considering that both teams had fashioned good openings. City changed the shape early, with Matt Oakley going high up the pitch, and the action was end-to-end at times.
While both teams were going for the win, a draw looked like it would have been a fair reflection on the game until Wallace curled a late effort into the bottom corner.
Grecians forward Alex Nicholls felt gutted with the result after he and his teammates had performed so well for so long. But he felt that going for the win, at the expense of potentially losing, was a chance worth taking as the team are desperate to secure some more wins.
“It’s devastating,” he said. “We were well and truly in the game throughout. We played quite well and we had a few chances here and there.
“Playing in it, it felt like a really good, even game. So to lose it like that, so late on, is devastating.
“The manager is really good at seeing what needs to be tinkered with in the shape to bring us into the game. We went to that shape and it opened up for us.
“We had a couple of decent chances in the first half, and a few set-pieces and corners – but we didn’t create anything clear-cut.
“But if you want to achieve what we want to in the league, points here and there aren’t going to do it. We went for the three points but it just wasn’t meant to be.”
City’s next fixture now is a much-anticipated game against neighbours Plymouth Argyle on Saturday at St James Park.
It will be Nicholls’ first involvement in a Devon Derby and he hopes that City will be able to secure the points and the bragging rights against the Pilgrims.
“We’ve got a huge game on Saturday now, and we want to put this to bed with three points,” Nicholls continued.
“I haven’t done any thinking about it yet because I try to take each game as it comes, but I’ll get the weekend out the way and come into training on Monday – I’ve heard that it’s a good game to be involved in so I’ll look forward to that.
“The fans have stuck with us – the results at home haven’t been to their or our liking. We need to pick up more points at home, and what better way to do it than against our local rivals.”