City midfielder only looking forward after defeat
Following the Grecians’ 2-0 defeat to Northampton Town, midfielder Arron Davies felt that he and his teammates won't waste precious time licking their wounds, and instead were already looking ahead to the next fixture and a chance to get City climbing up the table once again.The defeat marked a third successive loss for Exeter, with the positive momentum that had built up over the last couple of months starting to stutter.
The Grecians now face away trips to Mansfield Town and Oxford United on the two few weekends and more opportunities to clamber up a few rungs in the Sky Bet League 2 pecking order.
“We need to get the wheels turning again – we know we can do it; we’ve been on a run before,” said Davies.
“We went from rock-bottom up to seventh, and we can do it again – let’s start next week.
“Mansfield have got a new manager so they’ll be looking to impress; they’ll be full of energy like they always are, and they’re a tough team to play against.
“But we’ll get ourselves right this week – we can’t feel sorry for ourselves for a second. We won’t let that happen as players and we’ll demand more of each other.
“When you get a result like that you just want the next one to come along, and we’re looking forward to next Saturday already.
“Let’s go into next week and be positive. We’re a decent side away from home and let’s just go and get a result – we know we can do it, so let’s go and do it.”
Exeter might have got a better result from the game if one of their early chances had found the next – Matt Duke saved from Tom Nichols in a one-on-one, before the striker lifted a shot over the goalie and just wide of the far post.
Duke then got an unthinkable palm to a shot on the bounce by Davies from 25 yards, which looked for all the world as if it was going to open the scoring. Instead, it was Marc Richards that netted the first for the Cobblers before John-Joe O’Toole grabbed the second.
“I think for the first 20 minutes we were by far the better team – we had some great chances and a few one-on-ones and were putting the ball in behind,” Davies said. “Their ‘keeper made a great save from my volley and I thought we were going to get a couple of goals.
“It wasn’t to be and we got done with the sucker-punch. It could have been so different if we had got those goals – and goals change games.
“I couldn’t believe it – I thought [my volley] was going to hit the back of the net. It was coming through bodies too so he’s made a worldie save.
“He made a save from Tommy [Nichols] as well, but we’ve got to put those chances to bed.
“Football comes down to small details in both boxes. We could have been two or three up, and before you know it we’re two-nil down.
“It is small margins and we’re not far off – we’ve just got to keep doing what we’re doing and work hard. We’ll be in on Monday morning working hard and just looking forward to next week.
“It is always going to be small details in football – we’ve just got to turn them in our favour and make them go our way.”