Defender on a draw with East Fife
Exeter City defender Jamie McAllister was pleased with the workout that the City players got during a 1-1 draw away at East Fife – the first of their pre-season schedule which is leading up to the first game of the season against Yeovil on Saturday 8th August.Both goals in the game came late, with Christian Ribeiro directing in before Nathan Austin equalised.
Scotsman McAllister, back in his homeland, wore the captain’s armband for the first hour of the game and played at centre-half alongside Jordan Tillson, who was the only Exeter player to feature for all 90 minutes.
And he was happy with the way that the preparations have begun with the new season due kicking off in a month’s time.
“It was good,” he said. “It’s a good little setup, it was a good workout for the lads, and we enjoyed it.
“It’s about fitness, match practice, and getting back to your best.
“I thought the boys did well and moved the ball well. We created a couple of opportunities, but we’re still little bit rusty as we’re only a week in.
“But it was nice, and for myself it was nice to get 60 minutes – I was more than happy to stay on, but we’ve got to build it up gradually to make sure there are no injuries.
“Tis and the rest of the staff are good at that and make sure we do it properly.”
New arrivals Manny Oyeleke and Troy Brown both got a run-out, as did trialist Alex Fisher and first-year pro Alex Byrne.
And Jamie felt the Scotland training camp was a good way of building a bit of team spirit and helping the new signings to ease in ahead of next season.
“There are a few new signings who have come in, so it’s good to get away for four or five days and to mix with the lads,” he continued.
“We can do a bit of team bonding and get a nice and relaxed atmosphere for the boys to come in and be comfortable on the pitch.”
You can watch an extended interview with Jamie below on Grecian PlayerHD.