Tis wants same focus and determination on Saturday
Exeter City manager Paul Tisdale says his players will not be taking their eye of the Crewe Alexandra match on Saturday as they bid to maintain their push towards the automatic promotion places in League Two.
City beat Wycombe Wanderers 4-2 on Tuesday night to stretch their unbeaten run to 11 games. It was also a victory that took them fourth in the table – four points behinds behind Carlisle United in third.
Therefore, there will be a lot of expectation from supporters that City will pick up three points on Saturday, with Crewe having drawn three and lost seven of their last 10 matches.
Tis says that is something his players will just have to deal with.
“I think if we are going to be successful we are going to have to meet a number of challenges between now and the end of the year,” said Tis. “One of those will be the start of one or two fixtures where everyone just assumes we are going to win and it is about how we approach those games.
“I’m sure the Crewe manager and the Crewe players aren’t just assuming that Exeter are going to win.
“They’ll have their ideas for the game. So, let’s not just be too confident. We have to remain on a mission and that mission is to be efficient and full of spirit and energy and doing the right things and that will be what Saturday is about, regardless of who we play.
“It would be an easy game – especially with Argyle to face a week later – for us start the game with, maybe, not quite as fierce a determination as we should have.”
Tis was also slightly disappointed on Tuesday night that his team conceded two goals and said as much in his post-match press conference.
Asked if he did as a bit of psychology in order to keep his players’ feet on the ground or if he was concerned that complacency might creep in, Tis said: “It was a bit of all of that. I was delighted with the win. Of course, I would be against a team that we hadn’t beaten in a while.
“But, even with changes in the side, they still pushed us and I think that is going to be a big three points for us because they are going to be a challenger at the end of the year.
“And if we consider ourselves to be a challenger then we have got make sure we stay on our game and focus on what has got us into this run of form and not get carried away. So, that is the basis of it really, and there is no better place to start than where you conceded your goals.”
Tis added that the team had picked up a few bumps and bruises from the game against Wycombe, but that he is hopeful everyone will be fit for Saturday’s match.