TISDALE WILL TAKE CARE OF HOSKINS
EXETER City boss Paul Tisdale pledged to be patient with new signing Will Hoskins after the injury-plagued striker scored a matchwinning goal on his debut.
The 29-year-old has struggled for fitness over the last two years after suffering serious knee and groin injuries.
But he’s been nursed back to health by the Grecians and his strike against Yeovil after being introduced as a substitute was his first goal since January 2013.
Hoskins scored 20 goals in a season for Bristol Rovers in 2010-11 and now Exeter are hoping to benefit from his undoubted talent.
City led 2-0 at half-time thanks to goals from Tom Nichols and David Wheeler but were pegged back when Harry Cornick and Matty Dolan netted for Yeovil.
And Tisdale urged caution with Hoskins, who scored with six minutes left, saying:“With Will the idea is to be a little bit further forward each week than the week before and I’m quite relaxed about that.
“I’m not expecting too much too soon and I don’t really want to be talking about it all the time but I’m really pleased for him.
“The movement for the goal was fantastic and he took the ball at the right height because if he had waited a fraction of a second the goalkeeper would have got it.
“The game was more exciting than I hoped for at half-time, but a win is a win and I don’t think we are completely into our rhythm yet so to win the game is really pleasing.”
The Glovers have made 17 signings this summer and fielded nine new recruits in their starting line-up at St James Park, before sending on two more new faces as subs.
Boss Paul Sturrock said: “It will take time for this team to settle down.
“It was a fantastic fightback to get back from 2-0 down but we’re gutted we’ve left with nothing.
“We’ve got to learn from this and it’s difficult to assess the squad after one game but we’ll keep learning and look to get better.
“The attitude of the players pleased me at the start of the second-half and we played well to come back to level the game. “There is no easy way around shaping a team and we’ve got 17 new signings. Sometimes you learn more from losing.”
Exeter took the lead on 31 minutes whenYeovil defender Connor Roberts handled the ball in the area and Nichols converted from the penalty spot. They doubled their advantage before the break when Wheeler latched onto a brilliant pass from David Noble and poked the ball past Town keeper Chris Weale.
But Yeovil reduced the deficit less than a minute into the second half when sub Cornick fired in from 12 yards with his first touch of the ball.
Cornick was involved again when he was tripped in the area to win Yeovil a penalty, which was then confidently dispatched by Dolan.
City then saw Wheeler hit the post before Hoskins ran onto a long ball forward and chipped over the advancing Weale for the winner.