Grecians defender Lewis Page has said that City need to make better use of their chances if they want to start getting three points.
City lost 2-0 to a strong Port Vale side, but big opportunities squandered by Ryan Bowman and Ben Seymour could have seen the game play out completely different if converted.
“I thought we started well, we should have gone on from there really,” the defender, who was making his home league debut, said.
“We had a couple chances first half, which maybe we’d have taken, the game would have been different. Again, another couple chances in the second half, that we maybe should of took. Then it’s a different game, so at the end of the day we have got to take our chances.”
Reiterating that City were too lacklustre on the attack, Page added that being 2-0 down with so little of the game left really impacted the side’s morale.
“If you don’t take your chance when you have it, you are going to get punished. We got caught on the counter and suddenly its two nil, and there’s no way back there with ten minutes to play, you’re never going to get three points from there.”
This was City’s first home league defeat since September 2019, and Page has said the absence of fans makes a real difference to the atmosphere at the Park, especially when the side are behind.
“Even if you are one or two nil down, the crowd can rile up and make an impression on the pitch.
“If we had scored one today, I can imagine the crowd would have boosted our energy and confidence again.”
Crowds are anticipated to return to the ground in some capacity when City welcome Cambridge to St James Park on October 3. They certainly would have been vocal on the Big Bank when the Grecians were denied a free kick, and in two cases a penalty, by the referee. Randell Williams was felled by a Vale defender midway through the second half and Page has had his say on the penalty incidents
“Maybe one was close and the other one I thought was definitely in the box, but the ref has made a few decisions which could go either way. That’s just the way it is.”