Grecians boss looks ahead to Carlisle trip
EXETER CITY manager Paul Tisdale will have Will Hoskins ready and available for selection when the Grecians travel north to Carlisle United tomorrow.The Grecians look to turn two successive League 2 draws into a win against the Cumbrians, but the starting line-up will take shape late-on, with a number of players facing late fitness tests.
"Any full week with the full set of players, with good weather, playing surfaces and imagination is much-appreciated," Paul said. "We've had a few missing this week, so we haven't had the full set of players, but it's about knowing what to work on. Only time will tell on that.
"It makes everyone grumpy when you get draws from a position that you feel you should have won. We're not taking that lightly, but you have to move on and understand the reasons why it's happened. Sometimes it's just good play, sometimes it's a terrific goals or a great free-kick, and sometimes we'll feel we should have done better. It's a combination, but we have to be practical about it, and sometimes you just have to say, 'that was a good goal'. The opponent wants to do well as much as you do, so really you can do as much as you can, and then move on. We're not dismissing or ignoring it."
The trip to Brunton Park is the longest away trip of the season for the Grecians, who travelled up on Friday morning, but Tis said his players were used to the lengthy journeys of the division.
"We're very much used to the travelling now. It's not as if this is so much further than so many other games. We've got about half a dozen long, long games, be it Hartlepool or York et cetera. Yes, this is the longest one, but we're used to it. We just have to get on with it. We have a good coach; Redwoods always provide us with good service, and our coach driver Kelvin is particularly helpful. We don't really feel the distance - the hotel we stay at is like a second home really, we stay there so often.
"We're hoping that Matt Oakley is going to make the trip, and that Manny Oyeleke and Ryan Harley will pass fitness tests to travel. We hope Joel Grant returns from international duty sharper and not more tired, and I have to weigh up all those things, but Will Hoskins is fit and available for selection. I'm still not sure who I'll pick, because I don't know who'll be available for selection.
"This is the norm - not every week you get all the players fit all week. Mostly it's a case of waiting all week til the last minute to find out who's fit, and that's the case this week."