Grecians’ boss Taylor moves to dampen title talk

EXETER City manager Matt Taylor has dismissed talk that the Grecians could win the League Two title despite having reduced the gap to long-term leaders Forest Green Rovers to just four points from a 16-point deficit in mid-February.

City head to Newport County – themselves in with a shout of automatic promotion – this afternoon, with excited talk in some quarters that the Grecians could go on and win the division, which would be a first championship since their only ever title in 1990.

But manager Taylor has been quick to dampen such talk

“I don’t see the title as a realistic achievable marker for ourselves,” Taylor said. “You always want that to happen and that is your aim at the start of any season – to be the top team in your league – but we are not looking above us.

“We are not looking below us or around us, we are just fully focused on Newport County and until we go into the last weekend knowing what we need and exactly what everyone else needs, I won’t be able to fully answer those questions, other than: What’s next? And what’s next right now is a massive game of football away to Newport.

“It’s as close to a derby as we will get and not somewhere that will take all day and all night to get to and get back from, which is pleasing for our fans, first and foremost, and then the group being able to travel on the day, being fairly relaxed going into the game, which is such a huge factor for this group of players.

“We know how going to Carlisle will be different the following week, but there are no excuses this weekend. We are going to a good pitch against a good, strong team that have scored a lot of goals this season but, as I always say, I just want it to be a good game of football and then I am sure we will get asked more questions with seven games to go.

“But until we go into the last week of the season knowing what we can or can’t achieve, then the only thing we are focused on is what is next.”

Exeter are one of the form teams in the division, taking 14 points from seven games in March.

“You always want to come out of a month and go into a new month with a good points return and we have done that two months on the bounce,” Taylor said. “We know that if we have a good points return in April, then we will have a hell of a chance.”

April certainly looks tough on paper with away games at Newport, in fifth, in-form Carlisle United, seventh-placed Tranmere Rovers and Northampton Town, who are third.

But with home games against Colchester United (21st), Rochdale (17th) and Barrow (20th), victories could set things up for a fascinating final day clash at home to Port Vale, who are in fourth, as things stand.

One thing the Grecians will want today, though, is for luck to be on their side. Their last visit to Rodney Parade ended in a 1-1 draw when the Grecians had Alex Hartridge and

Ryan Bowman sent off, both before half-time.

A heroic defensive display almost led to the most unlikely of wins for Exeter, who were only denied that by Newport equalising in the 88th minute.

“We started poorly and Alex got sent off early on (eight minutes) and we had to make a change and take Ben Seymour off,” Taylor recalled. “We then went ahead through a really well taken goal by Ryan Bowman with ten men and then he got sent off!

“It was an incredible first half and we somehow got in ahead with nine and we gave a gameplan to the players which, hopefully, I will never have to give again where we just played football in half the pitch.

“We had to sacrifice our attacking half and it worked fantastically well until the 88th minute, but I was immensely proud of the effort the players put in that night, not just the nine men, but the substitutes as well. It was a huge physical and mental effort and I hope it doesn’t ever happen again!”