Manager reflects on Cheltenham loss
Following a 1-0 defeat away to Cheltenham Town, manager Paul Tisdale was left frustrated to see his team lose a match that they could just have easily have won.
Jamie Cureton netted for the hosts in the 13th minute in a good half for the Robins, but City besieged the Cheltenham net in the second half without ever managing to quite find the breakthrough. Scott Brown between the posts was in inspired form to deny the Grecians a goal on a number of occasions.
“It’s frustrating because we’ve lost a match that I don’t think we deserved to lose,” said Tis. “I think in our last match against Chesterfield we were beaten by a better and more efficient team; today we certainly deserved something more from the game. I’m disappointed we didn’t win it, let alone get a draw.
“The side is playing with plenty of guts, determination and quality in moments. There are young players that are certainly stepping forward and becoming first-team players, so there are lots of very positive signs.
“But if we want to be a very good team, no matter what you do or how you do it, you’re only a good team if you get results and edge up the league – and we’re not doing that at the moment.
“The fact is we’ve lost the game and we’ve got to keep going. It’s about faith in what you do and how you’re doing it. We’re going to be a good side, but when? And by that I mean that we are going to get good results.”
City’s performance was much-improved after the interval but the boss feels his team need to have a bit of self-reflection at either end of the field if they are going to keep the ball out of their own net and burst the opposition’s with more regularity.
“We put the ball into the danger area with a greater frequency in the second half, and not just hit or miss – we put it in there with some craft,” he continued. “The players hit the target four or five times with really sweet strikes. I know it’s a bit of a cliché but sometimes you need to scuff one in – we maybe hit it too cleanly.
“We conceded a poor goal – the defence are culpable for the goal. And in the same way, the forwards are culpable for not sticking it in the back of the net in the second half. It’s hard to criticise when they struck the ball so sweetly and hit the target so many times, but the fact remains that Cheltenham scored and we didn’t.
“So we’ve got to march on into the next game and believe that we’re going to get the results soon. We have to look through the gloom and look at next week against Torquay on Sunday.”
Some of the positives for the Grecians were good performances with more of the young players – Tom Nichols, Matt Grimes and Jordan Moore-Taylor all played substantial roles and looked comfortable.
Paul praised his young players, as well as the travelling 437 for playing their part in what was so nearly a good result for City.
“They were fab, they really were,” Tis said of his youngster. “It’s part of what we’re doing at Exeter – we have to do it and people expect it of us. But we have to get the balance with results and it’s part of their experience and knowledge and ultimately their know-how. You will be judged as players when you can win games.
“Hopefully they’re going through that process – it’s tough on all of us. And our supporters were brilliant so well done to them – it really makes my job easier when the supporters drive the team forward.”