Exeter City v Stevenage Matchday Thread

[PeteUSA]

I am not sure why the ref was not informed earlier

Why, was there a lengthy delay before the steward walked on to the pitch to advise the ref?

 

[Super Ronnie Jepson]

I only saw the second half and it wasn't especially entertaining with neither keeper having a save to make. Stevenage had a lot of the ball but never looked like breaking down our well-organised defence and never really came close to scoring. When we did get the ball we looked slightly more dangerous and at least created a few half chances, but we seemed to be overly defensive with neither full back ever really getting forward. Nicky Law yet again looked good for us with some more excellent passes but Boateng and Taylor were very quiet and I don't think Holmes touched the ball before being subbed. This might not go down well but this was awfully reminiscent of a lot of the wins we ground out last season at home.

Too true. We look like a team with a lot of good players in it rather than a good team.

 

[Antony Moxey]

Gritty display against tough opposition. Stevenage’s finishing was utterly woeful, Stockley hit the woodwork three times, Deano’s goal was an almighty scramble. Laughably the Stevenage manager was in the fourth official’s complaining of time wasting for the entirety of the final fifteen minutes when that’s exactly what his own side done for the final fifteen minutes of the first half.

A second goal would have calmed the nerves a little, but given Stevenage’s poor performance in front of goal one goal was always enough. Shout outs for Stockley, Law and Aaron Martin, not so for Lee Holmes. Mind you I can’t remember the last time he had a decent game - Liverpool at home perhaps? Good result though and well deserved.

 

[Grecian Max]

It didnt didnt it. I fully expected Stevenage to get an equaliser given the amount of possession they had going forward. We really weren't very convincing in the second half. Stevenage had far too much of the ball as we attempted to sit on a slender one goal lead.

Stevenage barely threatened and never really looked like scoring, we were pretty comfortable even in the closing minutes.

 

[Snoop Fog]

A scrappy match. We deserved the points.

To think we have replaced Lloyd James and Robbie Simpson with Nicky Law and Jonathon Forte is almost incomparable (clap)

Thought Croll was excellent.

 

[Alistair20000]

We did not need to be at our best to win that and I don’t recall a single shot on goal from Stevenage who were clueless up front and with no cutting edge. They had plenty of possession in the second half and one just feared they would snatch a point with perhaps a single effort on target. They were up with Wycombe for time wasting while it was 0-0 and I expect Pate went into meltdown over their keeper’s kicking. Hard to see how they were 4th on that evidence.

I agree with Manc that Holmes was anonymous and ineffective tonight and Law is a very good player at this level with that extra bit of time to do things.

Other results went our way too so all in all a good night for City fans.

 

[Snoop Fog]

Also whats happened to Jake Taylor. He's not a shadow of the player he was last season. Is the captaincy too much for him?

 

[ecfc70]

Well that was an ugly win
Martin was my mom, he had to make far too many last man tackles and clearances.
We just weren't good at challenging at all, absent constantly for the first and second balls and stood off them far too much
I blame having to attack the bank in the first 45.......don't like that happening.
Hope the supporter that needed medical treatment is ok though it didn't look very promising...........let me be wrong on that please

 

[scottus86]

For all their possesion they didn't really trouble us and we made by far the clearer chances. We snatched at them though and I think we could have won by more if we were a little more composed. We have some good free kick takers in our side, so I'm miffed as to why Martin and Stockley took our direct free kicks. Give them to Boateng, Law or maybe even Sweeney, I think all 3 of those would have been closer if they had taken them. Law and A.Martin have been exceptional signings, easily good enough for league one. I'd like to see us play a bit more with the ball on the ground, tonight was a lot of long ball and we look better when our midfield is linking up. I guess without Tillson covering them, it's harder for them to play that way. Taylor is having a disappointing season and needs to work on hitting the target.

 

[David Treharne]

I'm really surprised that no-one has mentioned the strength of the breeze or the fact that it was blowing across the pitch in a way that made it a game of two halves (yes, I know). I was disappointed that we didn't score more than Dean's scrambled goal in the first half because some of the play was delightful to watch with little productive end product. Thought at half time that we might be put under pressure in the second half, and indeed had Stevenage had any player who could have placed the ball anywhere near the goal they might have sneaked it. Conditions didn't help, but we will need to be more productive against some of the teams that we're going to be up against when the weather conditions are even less favourable.
Wouldn't deny MoM award, but I find it gratifying that with a run in the team Luke Croll is starting to look the business