GRECIANS ARE BACK FROM THE DEAD
EXETER staged an incredible late comeback to keep their play-off hopes alive, and boss Paul Tisdale wants the fightback to be a lesson for the future.
The Grecians looked dead and buried as they trailed to goals from Francois Zoko, Shayon Harrison and Alex Lacey.
But David Wheeler threw the hosts a lifeline in the 88th minute.
And Troy Brown and Reuben Reid struck in stoppage-time to salvage the unlikeliest of points, with the draw keeping Exeter in the play-off places on goal difference.
“It is a lesson to me, the players, my coaching staff – everyone – to never count your chickens,” beamed Tisdale.
“Don’t over-celebrate, don’t think the job is done because one can become two and two can become three.
“Wow, what a final half-hour! It was full of mistakes and lots of good football.
“The players have shown so much and I want them going away feeling good about themselves because they showed real character and belief.
“There will be twists and turns between now and the end of the season.
“There will be times when we think we have blown it and times we think we’ve done it. But we have seven games to go, we just have to hold our nerve.”
Yeovil broke the deadlock in the 63rd minute when Zoko raced on to Matt Dolan’s pass and guided the ball into the bottom corner.
The Glovers doubled their lead seven minutes later as Harrison nodded into an empty net after Christy Pym blocked Dolan’s piledriver.
Yeovil looked to have sealed it in the 78th minute with Lacey’s free header from Dolan’s free-kick.
The rampant visitors could have added to their tally but Pym clung on to JeanLouis Akpa Akpro’s effort and the tide turned when Wheeler rammed the ball home via the inside of the post.
Brown headed home Lloyd James’ freekick in the 91st minute and Reid grabbed the equaliser after bringing down Jack Stacey’s cross and planting the ball into the roof of the net.
And Yeovil boss Darren Way was unsurprisngly furious at the late collapse.
He said: “We are all bitterly, bitterly disappointed.
“When their first goal went in, I looked at the body language and we were clearly deflated.
“At that point I would probably have made about six substitutions.
“The players have got to take responsibility about the way they manage the game better.
“In a derby you have to allow for mistakes, but not mistakes like that in the space of five minutes. “That is what Reuben Reid can do but you have to be strong and resilient enough to see it out.
“It shouldn’t have happened and I will look at the goals again and make sure it doesn’t happen again.”