Exeter City v Cheltenham Town Matchday Thread

[muppetdodger]

Thought Simpson's link up play was excellent yesterday. He must have won 80% of his flick ons and headers, compared to Stockley who only seems to be able to win a header if he is in front of goal. It was a superb finish, and I think that snap finish may allow him to score some more now he's got the first. But of course, Tisdale will drop him on Saturday.

 

[Jason H]

I thought Simpson was absolutely magnificent yesterday. Other standouts were Storey (aside from his goal he was great, I think he made one mistake all match - great for someone who was probably about 18th choice CB!), and Tillson. Sweeney too was very good.

Who was it crossed the ball for the equaliser? I thought it was James, the PA (and therefore BBC) report said Taylor, SSN this morning said Sweeney!

The ref, usually someone who ends up booking members of the crowd when he runs out of players to book, was surprisingly reticent yesterday - there were several possible bookings in the first half (on both sides) that he let go. And of course the mystery of why he didn't send off the 33 is revealed - he ran out of space in his book when he had to write down "Chatzitheodoridis" the first time. Good job the young lad on the Tannoy who stumbled over our names didn't have to announce his name.

 

[grecIAN Harris]

It was Sweeney. I was in mid sentence of saying what a poor cross it was until Simpson did really well to get on the end of it.

 

[Hants_red]

You Tube highlights

[video=youtube;-P6RJUyqIpo]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-P6RJUyqIpo[/video]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-P6RJUyqIpo

 

[grecian55]

Ant agree with all you have said. My only concern being that despite the back four playing well individually our defence as a whole does not look too secure. We are capable of winning the number of games needed to make the autos but when leading cannot afford to sit back and just try to see the game out and look a far better team when going forward.

Cheltenham's number 11 exploited the gap between Woodman and Moxey too many times for my liking in the first half with one cross of his wizzing across the 6 yard box crying out for a foot on the end of it ,thank goodness they tightened it up at the back eventually with Storey looking like a old head on young shoulders ,glad to get the 3 points on board before a tough game at Cambridge coming up .

 

[crocks]

Poor goal to concede , no-one closed the chap down. Boateng only made a half hearted effort to get across...... something that needs to be worked on at the C&F this week.

 

[John William]

Poor goal to concede , no-one closed the chap down. Boateng only made a half hearted effort to get across...... something that needs to be worked on at the C&F this week.

But that's how City normally play, the tactic is not to rush in but to shepherd the player wider, as the theory is that overall committing yourself is less effective than backing off and allowing shots from distance - though occasionally of course it doesn't work. "Defending space" and "keeping your shape", as opposed to pressing and confronting the opponent.

Actually I thought their #6 Atangana who created the shooting opportunity was the best player on the pitch first half, though we got control of him later on. Good clean strike from Winchester, to the one place Pym was exposed.

 

[CREDYGRECIAN]

It was Sweeney. I was in mid sentence of saying what a poor cross it was until Simpson did really well to get on the end of it.

Unlike you to get it wrong

 

[Hants_red]

The 360 version

[video=youtube;fHlKoSxc3Xo]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHlKoSxc3Xo[/video]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHlKoSxc3Xo

 

[PeteUSA]

Poor goal to concede , no-one closed the chap down. Boateng only made a half hearted effort to get across...... something that needs to be worked on at the C&F this week.

I think in fairness to those defenders, they had a reasonable expectancy that that shot would be saved from that range.