Paul and players take lessons from the Yeovil fixture
Following the friendly fixture away to Somerset club Yeovil Town, Exeter City manager Paul Tisdale came away contented with the benefits that the match had given the Grecians.
The score, for what it’s worth, ended 2-1 to the Glovers, but the real challenges at the moment for both clubs are to get ready for when it matters when the season kicks off on Saturday 3rd August. Tis saw the experience as a beneficial one in terms of game-time, experience, practical exercises and gauging the preparation ahead to the new campaign.
Tommy Doherty was sent off in the latter stages of the first half after a coming-together with Yeovil Town midfielder Ed Upson. It gave Tis and the staff the opportunity to run through some of coaching manual material in a practical environment, against Championship-level opposition.
“It was a really useful evening,” began Tis. “We all have to hone our skills ready for the start of the season; the referees have to hone their skills, I have to do my job, and the players have to get ready – we’re all doing it.”
“The game today had everything for me. It had a bright start, it had a very poor half an hour where we complicated things and we weren’t match-ready. Then we had a sending off and I had to rethink.
“We used it to practice being down to ten men. We went through some basics – how we defend corners with a man less, how we deal with set-pieces with a man less – the usual exercises.”
Yeovil probably opened up Exeter more often than would have been liked in the first half, but Tis welcomed the chance to highlight opportunities to improve as the final tweaks begin to be put to the squad ahead of the season.
The occasion was also marked by Matt Grimes’ first goal in Exeter City colours since earning a professional contract in the summer.
“A couple of players are not there yet, and haven’t got back their level of performance of the previous season,” continued Paul. “The regular players have got a bit of work to do and have had a bit of a reality-check tonight. We’re not quite there yet, which is fine because we don’t need to be yet – we need to be in ten days’ time.
“In terms of progress it had a bit of everything, so I’m really pleased with the night. And it was really pleasing to see Grimesy score a goal. If you don’t shoot, you don’t score – it shows you what can happen. It was a good all-round evening.”