Duff’s verdict: We were excellent and should have been out of sight

» Quite a game for the fans to come back to, what did you make of it?

I THOUGHT it was a good game, which had everything: goals, incidents and goals from the first few minutes to the last few, so there was always something happening. We were excellent today, particularly first half. I thought we should have been out of sight by halftime. We hurt them in every which way possible, after a poor start. The reaction to that was really good. We didn’t start the second half particularly well again. It’s difficult to wrestle that momentum back and Exeter had nothing to lose, so they were coming on really, really strong. The three goals that we’ve given up today were really poor, which is unlike us. When we scored the fourth, you think that’s it and then we give up a really, really poor goal. I knew there were seven added minutes going up too. But the reaction to that again was good. I don’t just mean because Boylo (Will Boyle) made a mistake for the goal and then scored our fifth, I mean the reaction of the group. I’d like to think of all the games we’ve had this season, that’s been the most entertaining and luckily the supporters were in.

» Was the first half performance the best you’ve played in a half this season?

YES and you have to bear in mind the opposition. They had one defeat in 17 in all competitions, so when you take that into the thinking as well, along with some of the play and some of the chances, with some really good football. In the second half we didn’t really get going, but no two halves are the same. Yes, it is the best half this season.

» Do you think having the fans in affected the game at all?

IT could have. The players are giving everything, both sets of players. It’s still quiet and it’s not a normal crowd, but nothing is normal at the minute. It was great to have them in and I know the players appreciated it.

» When you go to bed tonight, will you be thinking about the five goals you scored, or the three you conceded?

BOTH. The forward play was really, really good. I’ll go through the goals against with the team and the detail within it, because it wasn’t like us and we can’t be giving three goals up. They have quality players and Nicky Law’s finish at the end, yes we’ve made a mistake, but you have to give credit for the ability of the player scoring the goal. Overall as we always do, we’ll go through it. It’s not a case of just winning and moving on.

» Both yourselves and Exeter made the play-offs last season and suffered disappointments. What’s the key to you both being up there again this season?

I’D like to say the managers! It’s not easy. Look at Oxford in the league above. They are in the bottom four and Karl Robinson is a good manager. We did quite a bit of work. We tried to use it as fuel and it was a bitter disappointment, it’s hard to take and hard to swallow. So when you do win games like today, enjoy it for 10 or 15 minutes and then crack on.

We have a good group, who are honest enough to go ‘yes, we messed that up. How can we rectify it by hard work and remembering it’ and that’s exactly what they’ve done.

» To have two points per game at this stage is quite a record. You must be delighted with the way it’s going at the moment

IF you maintain that for the rest of the season, you’ll win the league. It’s not me saying I think we’ll win the league or promoted. I don’t just roll it out, say it to you because I say the same to the players. We won the first half 3-1, be aware they could win the second half 3-1. The authenticity and honesty within the group, they know where they are at. We are a small club in the league and I don’t care what people say. We have an honest bunch of players.

» Were you able to enjoy the first half as manager, that first half performance?

YES. That’s why we’re are all in it. We want to play good football and be free and expansive. Credit to Exeter for that because they wrestled the momentum away from us. It’s results over performances all day long, but if you can win in a certain way then it’s pleasing. I am not sure I enjoy it in terms of sitting back during the game, but you know the lads are playing well. In the moment maybe not, but at half-time and the end you think ‘yes, that was good’.

» How good was Liam Sercombe in that first half?

WE got him because of circumstances in terms of the pandemic, but he loves football, comes in, trains and he’s not a moment’s problem. The lads all look up to him. He is really quiet but he leads by example in terms of performances like that. His quality for the goal, landing on second balls, that’s an intelligence of knowing where the ball might be and anticipating. He was excellent.

» Has he been even better than you thought he’d be?

I SIGNED him because I thought he was a really good player. We watched quite a bit of Sercs last year. He is Bristol based and he wanted to stay with his family at the age of his career he is, but he’s not just come for a jolly up. He wants to achieve something. He is not here to have a swansong. He wants to impact the team and he has done.

» Did you mention the fans much to the players before the game?

I DIDN’T need to. Coming out for the warm-up, it was nice to hear people milling around. It’s not the same and the supporters probably found it strange. It was an entertaining game. I told them if you do start well, they’ll come with you and I think they did.

» After the setback early on, how pleased were you with the response and to play that well?

IT was the reaction to three or four bits of adversity, whether it’s the first minute or the 88th, the reaction of the players was good. It’s pleasing. You can’t stop the opposition all the time and people will make mistakes, that’s human nature, but to have the clarity to go again and stick to how we work, that was pleasing.