MATT’S DELIGHT AT CRAZY DRAW
EXETER City manager Matt Taylor was delighted with the character his side showed in fighting back from three down against Walsall.
The Grecians found themselves three behind inside the opening half hour as Pierce Sweeney put through his own goal and Caolan Lavery and Josh Gordon were on target for the Saddlers.
Ryan Bowman’s immediate response to Gordon’s goal gave City hope and Bowman was on target again just before half-time, before Lee Martin’s strike levelled things up midway through the second half.
Exeter slackened off a bit in the final quarter but did still have chances to win the game, with Walsall looking to hit on the counter-attack.
“It was a crazy game. We were 3-0 down, but we were 3-0 down for a reason,” Taylor said. “I am absolutely delighted to have got something out of the game, that doesn’t happen too often.
“It felt like we had goals in us, but we needed to be tougher and to compete more to start with. We needed to be more solid in our shape and play more simple football in different conditions and, once we started to do that, we looked like we could hurt them very often.
“I am disappointed with the start and I will deal with that privately, but the character we showed to get back in the game was absolutely huge.”
Walsall went ahead in the 14th minute when Dan Scarr smashed the ball across the six-yard box and Sweeney inadvertently turned the ball into his own net. Four minutes later it was 2-0 as Aaron Martin’s slip allowed Lavery to run through on goal and he finished emphatically past Jonny Maxted.
Walsall made it 3-0 when a deep cross by was headed in at the back post by Gordon, but Exeter hit back immediately when Tom Parkes’ header came back off the post and Bowman smashed in the rebound.
In the 40th minute it was 2-3 as Bowman scored again, firing in off a post from Randell Williams’ superb pass.
It was all Exeter at the start of the second half and they made it 3-3 when Lee Martin’s shot bobbled into the corner after a neat passing move.
Bowman was denied his hat-trick by a fine save, low down to his left by Liam Roberts, while Williams headed wide from a Jack Sparkes cross at the death for Exeter.
Walsall manager Darrell Clarke said: “We are disappointed, let’s not kid ourselves. We were 3-0 up, but you have to give Exeter credit – that is why they are in the top seven at the minute.
“We get ourselves into a very healthy position and our defending at the back end of the first half was shocking. We regrouped at half-time, the tactical change helped the team and their goal came from a bit of fortune. We had chances at the end of the game and it was disappointing not to get three points.”