Four-star Crewe’s control at the top
EXETER boss Matt Taylor nearly didn’t pick Ryan Bowman for his side’s top-of-the-table clash with Forest Green.
But after the forward’s fifth goal of the season fired the Grecians to victory he was delighted he had.
“That was a big decision for me,” said Taylor. “It’s one which I thought long and hard about this week.
“Maybe I was too critical of our forwards, or all of our players last week in terms of missing opportunities, but you have to back those who you think will do the job.
“On Friday night I was still undecided but I backed Ryan.
“I spoke to him before the game and told him exactly what I wanted from him.
“His all-round game was superb and if he plays like that I’ve no qualms about him missing the odd chance here and there.
“He got his reward in terms of the goal and it was a hell of a good finish.”
Bowman struck early on, turning home Jack Sparkes’ cross on the volley.
And the goal proved one of two key moments with Exeter keeper Jonny Maxted, formerly of Forest Green and making his first league start for the Devon club, producing a superb reaction save to deny Aaron Collins from close range deep into the game.
Rovers boss Mark Cooper – a midfielder for Exeter when his dad Terry was in charge of the club – was the man who let Maxted go. And while he acknowledged the stop, he knew Collins should have given him no chance.
“It’s a great save but he should score,” said Cooper. “Aaron should just head the ball into the floor and he scores.
“The best team won. We didn’t play well, we started terribly, we didn’t deal with the threats and looked as if we were still on the coach for the first 15 minutes. It’s difficult to recover from that.” He wasn’t wrong.
Cooper’s side could have been three down inside that period if Exeter’s finishing had been better.
Tom Parkes headed wide from a very good position and Bowman’s glancing header from Nicky Law’s centre needed a firmer connection. Bowman then turned provider but Law spurned the opportunity.
Cooper, who lost goalkeeper Lewis Thomas at half-time after he landed awkwardly shortly before the break, clearly had some strong words for his men during the interval and they were better in the second half.
But, even so, they were unable to carve out too many openings and when they did nobody was in the box to apply the finishing touch to Matthew Steven’s low centre.
The victory still wasn’t quite enough to lift Exeter to the top of the table, with Crewe leaping from fourth to first and going ahead on goal difference.
went top of Sky Bet League Two after a thrilling 4-2 win at
Nicky Hunt fired the visitors into a seventh-minute lead and Daniel Powell added a second.
Hallam Hope and Christie Elliott struck within five second-half minutes to draw Carlisle level. But Chris Porter’s 78th-minute strike and Gethin Jones’ 85th-minute own goal secured the win.
eased to a
6-1 victory over in a match which featured a remarkable first half.
Nicky Maynard struck twice in three minutes to give Mansfield a 2-0 lead then Oldham were reduced to nine men as Tomas Egert saw red for a bad tackle after 37 minutes and Filipe Morais was shown a second yellow a minute later.
Remarkably, Oldham pulled one back through Thomas Hamer before Maynard completed a hat-trick in first-half stoppage time.
David Wheater’s own goal, Oladapo Afolayan’s effort and Jimmy Knowles’ penalty in the second half stretched the lead.
picked up their first win of the season with a 2-1 victory over
Kurtis Guthrie and Charlie Carter scored in the first half, Akheem Rose pulled one back but Stevenage still climbed off the bottom.
They were replaced at the foot of the EFL by
as Hope Akpan and Aramide Oteh gave
2-1 win at the Globe Arena – to move the Bantams up to third.
had made their worst start since 1963, winning just once in the league, but stormed to a 3-0 win over
Lee Novak struck twice early on before Kevin van Veen made it
3-0 after 31 minutes. Northampton were reduced to 10 men as Vadaine Oliver saw red on 53 minutes for a dangerous tackle on goalkeeper Rory Watson. a