Countdown to Daggers: Scoring Goals

Exeter City have a problem scoring goals. It is particularly acute at St James Park where the Grecians rank 24th in League 2 and have failed to score on 9 occasions at home. This has contributed from the Grecians falling from 3rd place in League 2 after 13 games to 18th after 34 games. At home City have scored 13 goals in 16 home games with 20 conceded. But Exeter have scored twice as many (26) goals away from St James Park with 25 conceded.

No player has got to double figures:-

Sam Parkin played 26, scored 3
Tom Nichols played 18 scored 5
John O’Flynn played 27, scored 4
Jamie Reid played 6, scored 0
Elliott Richards played 6 scored 1 (for Exeter)

Plus the contribution from Alan Gow who played 27 and scored 7 before going to Bristol Rovers on loan. 9 goals have come from 2 of our midfielders in the shape of Bennett and Sercombe.

The pairing of John O’Flynn and Sam Parking started the season so well, ably assisted by Arron Davies and David Wheeler out wide. But after the JPT defeat to Wycombe, that combination was changed. Included in the 3-0 home defeat to Hartlepool with no recognised strikers in the starting the line-up. The 4-0 away win at Scunthorpe gave some optimism, as has scoring 3 goals on the road at Accrington, Torquay and Southend.

The players have shown they can create chances. At York on Saturday O’Flynn hit the post and Nichols did some lovely footwork in the penalty box that baffled a couple of defenders but didn’t lad to a goal.

The matter is not helped by continual tinkering to the starting line-up by Paul Tisdale. Tactically it is also not helped by not having players that appear not to have the instruction to create changes from wide.
Or Exeter launch balls long which any League 2 defender worth their salt will always deal with.

In 17 games against Daganham & Redbridge, Exeter have failed to score on only 3 occasions and scoring 25 goals on the other games.

Will Paul Tisdale set the team up to score on Saturday?