Exeter City manager Matt Taylor was pleased with his side’s display, despite the Grecians conceding late on in a 2-2 draw with Northampton Town.
Goals from Jake Taylor and Jayden Stockley gave City a 2-1 lead going into the 90th minute, but the Grecians were pegged back when a Northampton corner seemed to take a ricochet off a City player and end up in the net.
Following the match, Matt said: “It was a really good game of football, our performance was where we need to be, we were in control in the first half and were disappointed to concede a goal from one of our set pieces.
“We controlled large parts of the second half, but we couldn’t really get up the pitch enough to put pressure on the ball. They didn’t hurt us and it’s so disappointing to concede from that set piece, I’m not sure if it’s an own goal or a ricochet but that’s the way football goes sometimes, but I was really pleased with the performance.
“We played well, created opportunities, we could’ve seen the game off at 2-1 with a couple of opportunities, Jayden (Stockley) missed the target from Chio’s (Chiedozie Ogbene) cutback but I think anyone who was here today could see that.
“It was a really competitive game of League Two football against a good team, they put balls in our box and bodies in our box but we stood up to it. Everyone is going to be going home disappointed but if we play like that every week then we’ll pick up points.”
Jake Taylor netted his first of the season with a smart finish in the first half, and Matt admits it’s something that he is keen to see more of from his captain.
He continued: “The space was in front of him, that’s what we’re working on with Jake at the moment, coming onto the ball. It was a great finish, similar to the opportunity that he had at Grimsby, he’s a player who can affect the game in an attacking sense, but defensively he and Jordan Tillson were outstanding today and protected our back line, who generally did their job pretty well. Sometimes you don’t always get what you feel you deserve in football.”
Tristan Abrahams also came into the starting line up and put in a determined effort up front for the Grecians, often giving the Town defence little time on the ball, and Matt is pleased with his attacking options.
“It’s a great option to have, in Tristan, Jonno (Jonathan Forte) and MJ (Matt Jay.) I thought Tristan worked so hard and was so honest and will be disappointed he didn’t get any clear-cut opportunities or too many touches of the ball near the opposition box,” explained Matt.
“But that’s League Two football, it will be in and around his ears, he’ll have big centre halves coming through the back of him. He’s learning, we’re working with him as much as we can, I know he’s Norwich’s player, but we are trying to develop him.”
Christy Pym also returned to the starting 11 following his injury, and though Matt welcomed back his number one, he is pleased to have goalkeeping options with James Hamon keen to push for the number one jersey.
Matt said: “I’ve not spoken to him yet, I hope he is relatively unscathed. His injury hasn’t affected us too much because James Hamon has come in and done well, but Christy is our number one which is why he came back into the team today.
“We’ll see how he is over the next couple of days but we know the last month has taught us a lot in terms of what James Hamon can do as well, and it’s pleasing to have a really good backup like that.”