NO PLACE LIKE HOME FOR THE GRECIANS
Holmes on hand to win it
PAUL Tisdale has urged a note of caution as Exeter cemented their place at the top of League Two thanks to a third successive 1-0 win in front of the home faithful.
Lee Holmes produced a moment of magic to plunder a 59th-minute winner as Newport crashed to their first league defeat of the season.
It took until mid-December for Exeter to register their first home win last season, but May’s play-off finalists are now feeling the home comforts of their St James Park headquarters.
The win took the Grecians two points clear at the top, but boss Tisdale is refusing to get overexcited by his side’s explosive start.
He said: “It’s too early to start getting carried away.
“It is a strong start but I don’t read anything into the league table at this stage of the season.
“It is the sort of start you want after the disappointment of losing the play-off final last year.
“We had a defensive strength and resilience and we will need that if we want to be a successful team this season.
“It was always going to be about taking a chance if it came our way and Lee Holmes certainly did that. It was a fabulous finish.
“There is no point dressing it up any differently, they had the better of the attacking play in the first half and they are no mean team.
“But we defended really well and if we are to be a candidate to be a successful team this year we have to have all aspects to our game.”
The best chance of a scrappy opening 20 minutes fell to Padraig Amond after he latched on to Sean Rigg’s cross but could only fire straight at Christy Pym.
Amond squandered a gilt-edged chance on 28 minutes, smashing the ball over the crossbar after being beautifully picked out by Frank Nouble on the left flank.
Having weathered the storm, Exeter swept up the other end and almost broke the deadlock in the 40th minute. Joe Day could only parry Holmes’ cross into the path of Jake Taylor and the midfielder’s shot was heading for the back of the net until Ben White headed off the line.
Moments later it was Exeter’s turn to clear in the nick of time as Troy Brown produced an even better goal-line clearance to nod away Amond’s header.
The match’s decisive moment came on 59 minutes when Mickey Demetriou’s mistake allowed Reuben Reid to pick out Holmes. The winger cut in from the right and found the bottom corner with a stunning strike.
Newport piled on the pressure and Nouble watched in frustration as his 20-yard pile-driver cannoned back off the post.
Exiles boss Michael Flynn was furious with referee John Brooks for disallowing Amond’s first-half header and also blamed Demetriou for Exeter’s winner, admitting harsh lessons must be learnt.
He groaned: “I am very frustrated.
“It was a massive decision from the referee in the first half – he disallowed a goal and there was nothing wrong with it.
“Then we go and gift them a goal by not putting the ball out of play.
“Mickey should have put the ball in the stand.
“It was a mistake and hopefully we will learn from it.
“We have come to Exeter, who lost in the play-off final last year, and we took the game to them.
“I just felt we missed too many chances in the first half. Had we taken those, we would have won the game comfortably. When you start seeing missed chances, have a goal disallowed – which should have been given – and you also hit the post, you start to think it is not going to be your day.
“The league table doesn’t mean much to me at the moment.
“All I know is that the effort was unbelievable again from my players.”