Grecians boss reacts to Portsmouth JPT win
EXETER CITY manager Paul Tisdale shared the praise around his players after the Grecians sealed a place in round two of the Johnstone's Paint Trophy with a 2-0 win over Portsmouth.A Ryan Harley penalty preceded an Alex Nicholls screamer to put City into Saturday's draw, and Tis insisted that winning the tie had always been the target.
"We prepared with a view to winning the game, just as we would with any other game. Winning in these early rounds of the Johnstone's Paint Trophy, you never know where it might take you. We had a really good first half an hour, and Portsmouth, with their really good young players, managed to get themselves back into the game, but in the second half we did what we needed to do.
"We played a very considered, pragmatic style of football, but there were some good performances out there tonight. I was delighted to have Jordan Moore-Talyor and Craig Woodman back in there for ninety minutes, and those two players being there putting in ninety minutes is really good for the squad. I was really pleased with Jordan Tillson's strong defensive performance as our captain today, and I'm pleased for Bobby Olejnik with his clean sheet. On top of that, the finish for Alex Nicholls was probably the moment of the game.
"Other than in the first few seconds of the game, when Bobby made that wonderful save to keep it 0-0, I think we did a good job defensively. He made another really good save with his legs shortly before half-time, and it was a stand-out performance for Tom McCready, in a new position. I've always had an inkling that he may fit that position, as he has a lot of power and thrust to his game. Arron Davies and Christian Ribeiro weren't fit for selection tonight, but I'm hoping they'll be available at the weekend."