Exeter focused on themselves

EXETER City manager Matt Taylor admits it has been tough to get an insight into today’s opponents, as the Grecians return to League Two action at Scunthorpe United.

The Iron have had a challenging start to the season and defeat at Northampton last time out saw them reduced to ten men inside 20 minutes when Manny Onariase was sent off for a professional foul on Danny Rose when he was through on goal.

So far this season, Scunthorpe have won just one of eight games in all competitions, scoring just four goals in the process. Exeter, meanwhile, are fast earning themselves a reputation as the division’s draw specialists with six in eight games already this season. The challenge for Taylor and co is to turn those draws into wins.

“It’s a difficult one to prepare for, I have to be honest,” Taylor said. “They had their middle centre half sent off after 20 minutes against Northampton, so we know he’s not available and there is potential for injury and Covid within their ranks as well, so I am not sure what we will get from the opposition in terms of formation and personnel within it.

“We can’t focus on that in any great detail, but I know they have a lot of young player and have struggled with recruitment, like a lot of clubs have at our level but they still have some experienced players for this level. Whether they are available this weekend remains to be seen.

“Sometimes, that makes my job simpler, if I don’t have all the answers in terms of how the opposition are going to play and what they are going to look like. But there will be a flexibility in terms of the way they start the game and the way they continue the game, but our focus is on our own performance. But whether they play a back three or a back four, it is something we will have already faced this season.”

While wins have been hard to come by for Exeter so far this season – only one in eight games so far – they have looked fairly solid defensively and a large reason for that is the form of goalkeeper Cameron Dawson.

The borrowed Sheffield Wednesday shot-stopper has four to his name already this campaign and was in fine form again last week to thwart free scoring Forest Green Rovers at St James’ Park.

Taylor likes a goalkeeper with personality and the form and presence of the 26-year-old is something he has been delighted by.

“Goalkeepers in this day and age make similar saves and he makes big saves, but the biggest area of improvement for the whole group is character and personality – something he has in abundance,” Taylor said.

“He adds a little bit of experience and knowledge, know-how and expectation and he is a really good voice in the changing room. I can’t speak highly enough of him as a character first and foremost and he’s a good goalkeeper on top of that.

“We are pleased to have him and were pleased to get that deal over the line because we had to wait an awfully long time, but it was certainly worth waiting for and his impact has been second to none.

“His challenge now is to maintain that form, if not improve it. Defensively, we have looked quite strong and he has played a big factor in that but he just has to keep producing in those big moments in games and the big side issue to that is how a manager looks at his personality and the goalkeeper in a position that he can trust and the influence he has on those around him. He has to remain positive.”