City boss hoping for team to create their own luck
Following a 2-1 defeat to York City at Bootham Crescent on Saturday, Grecians manager Paul Tisdale explained that his side can’t keep waiting for the luck to fall their way.
Exeter went behind to first-half goals by John McCombe and Michael Coulson before Scot Bennett cut the arrears. City rallied well and threatened until the end, but ultimately couldn’t force the equaliser through stout York defending – even when goalkeeper Nick Pope was beaten by John O’Flynn, the striker only rattled the post.
And the City boss believed that City were left paying the price as the slow start left a mountain to climb, and was left feeling that his players need to prove that they are good enough rather than just waiting for their luck to turn.
“Over the course of 95 minutes, there was plenty of good stuff,” said Tis. “But the reality was that the first 20 or 25 minutes was a way from being good enough. We didn’t get out of our half and when you do that you run the risk of goals going in.
“York won the game in the first 25 minutes. We had a lifeline with our goal, but we were chasing the game and weren’t composed enough and ultimately didn’t put the ball in the net. As a team, we weren’t purposeful and energetic enough, and that’s where we lost it.
“We work too hard for what we get. The game is about goals and we’re working hard – there are probably only one or two teams in the league that create the type of chances we create, but it’s not enough.
“I can’t keep waiting for us to be lucky rather than unlucky – there comes a point when it’s not about luck, it’s about being good enough.”
“It was a lacklustre start, which required too much effort to try to recover the game. Again we’re an inch away, but I’m fed up of being an inch away.
Despite the result there were some collective and individual positives from the game which the City manager was able to pick out.
However Paul stressed that he had hoped to reward the 220 hardy souls that had come to support the Grecians at Bootham Crescent with a performance and result which they wanted.
“There were three or four standout players today,” he continued. “Matt Grimes came on for the final 25 minutes and was exceptional; Matt Oakley was fantastic today, Jordan Moore-Taylor was superb, and Liam Sercombe had another combative game. But the younger players need help from the more senior players, and that start wasn’t good enough today.
“We’ve had a fair number of people that have travelled a long way to watch us today and God bless them – I’m so proud that we’ve got these people that come and watch us play, and I just want to give them better.”