Exeter City FC

Exeter City manager Matt Taylor is expecting a good advert for Sky Bet League football on Saturday as the Grecians hosts Colchester United.

Both sides are bang in form, with City having lost just one of their last 17 in all competitions and 10 unbeaten in the League. Colchester also haven’t tasted defeat in the division since a 1-0 home defeat to Morecambe on October 19 – some 14 games ago. 

“It is a fantastic run of form from their point of view,” said Matt. “However, we are in a good place ourselves and Tuesday night (a 3-0 win over Stevenage in the Leasing.com Trophy quarter-finals) just demonstrated that we have got good strength in depth at the moment.

“It is all to play for this weekend. It is another team in and around the right end of the table, looking to challenge. We have been strong at home though, and we have always played on the front foot when we can, and I am expecting a big crowd to back us on this weekend.”

It wasn’t that long ago the two sides met as well, with Exeter City drawing 2-2 at Colchester on Sunday, December 29. Matt says they are well aware of the threats Colchester pose following that match and what a tough game it will be on Saturday.

“It was a 2-2 and it had it all in that game,” he said. “We went ahead early, they got back in it, disappointingly off the back of a set piece, and then they were strong at the start of the second half. We got back into courtesy of a penalty and a sending off and then you felt we were possibly going to go on and win the game, but that never quite happened and if anything we were on the back foot for the last 10 or 15 minutes when we were meant to be on the front foot playing against 10 men.

"We know how good they are and they are a seriously good team, so fair play to the recruitment, coaching and management staff there. They have got a good set off players, but so have we at the moment. I’d like it to be a really good advert for League Two football.”

Can he take any lessons from the match as well considering it was only four weeks ago.

“You try to take lessons from it, as they will do to in terms of us,” he said. “A few personnel will change here and there, but maybe the systems and the patterns won’t change too much. However, it still comes down to being competitive. It still comes down to the basics and the fundamentals of League Two football. Everyone has seen the way our pitch is at the moment so it is not always going to be pretty at times and the weather might play a part this weekend.

"So, it will be a case of being in the right position at the right time, and the players to keep putting themselves forward. They are playing with vigour, enthusiasm and confidence at the moment which I can’t fault them in any way and they need to maintain that. If we maintain that then we give ourselves a chance.”