City boss looks ahead to visit of Cheltenham on Saturday
With Bradford City losing at home to Rotherham United in midweek, Exeter City go into this weekend’s game against Cheltenham still in with a great shout of reaching the play-off spots.
And Grecians boss Paul Tisdale is grateful that the Millers have done City a favour – but knows full well that they have to concentrate on their own efforts, rather than thinking about how the Bantams are getting on. Bradford host automatic-chasing Burton Albion on Saturday – and Paul knows that Exeter have to concentrate on overcoming another automatic-hopeful in the shape of Cheltenham at St James Park.
“It was better than them winning or drawing [against Rotherham], so it’s the best we could have hoped for,” Tis said of Bradford City. “And Chesterfield lost too – and we’ll hope Saturday brings much of the same. I’ve said for much of the season that it could go to the last game, and I’m glad results worked for us this week.
“The players what’s required of them – they know the importance of the game. We have to win this one. I’d like to go into the last game of the season with it being a must-win game as well, and we’re getting very close to that now. We haven’t got the privilege of hindsight this Saturday – we have to assume Bradford will win, so we have to win.
“I fully expect Cheltenham to give their best. They’ve got the chance of automatic promotion still, so it would be foolish of us to expect anything but that.”
Injuries are still aplenty at this late stage of the campaign, but Paul is confident the squad he selects will be fully committed and ready to take on the Robins this weekend.
“We’re nursing John O’Flynn from last week’s game,” he continued. “Alan Gow played 15 minutes at Wimbledon and has had another week’s training, but is a long way from being fully fit. Matt Oakley and Liam Sercombe are still missing; Steve Tully missed training this week and Kevin Amankwaah has had surgery on his ankle.
“That’s the way it is sometimes, and you have to be prepared to deal with it. We speak about players dealing with situations, and this is one of them.”
Come to St James Park and play your part at this last home game of the scheduled league season – and help push the Grecians into the running for League 1. Normal ticketing applies – so pay as usual at the ticket booths around the ground and help City dig deep for this final push.
But please remember to get here early. There will be a bigger crowd than usual so allow enough time to buy your tickets and enter the ground. We'd hate for you to miss any of the action!