Taylor challenges Exeter to build on Walsall point
EXETER City boss Matt Taylor said that the 0-0 draw at Walsall will be a ‘pleasing point’ if they can rebound with victories at St James Park in their upcoming two home fixtures.
City host Crawley Town on Tuesday and then Scunthorpe United on Saturday as the heavily congested October fixture schedule continues, with the Grecians now unbeaten in five.
Taylor said that Saturday’s game was a dogged encounter with two teams who cancelled each other out and didn’t have too many sights of goal, and that neither quite had the moment of quality to grab a winner.
“I am pleased with the point in the context of the game and with no physical spine of the team with no Rory McArdle, Nigel Atangana and Ryan Bowman, but we didn’t quite have enough end to finish off a dogged performance.
“Both teams seemed to cancel each other out a bit and there were very few clear sights of goal. It’s a pleasing point if we pick up more points this week and we more than matched them today. It was two honest teams giving it everything and a bit of a slugfest in the middle, but I cannot complain too much as there were few sights of goal for both team.”
Alex Fisher had a series of chances in the first half and substitute Ben Seymour probably had City’s best chance after a slip from Saddlers keeper Liam Roberts, but the 21-year-old could only hook the bouncing away from the goal.
Taylor added: “I still want more in the attacking side of things and it was going to come to a mistake or a slip or a bit of real quality and neither team quite had the moment of quality. Ben had a chance at the end, and it was a chance, but it is down to our attacking players to create chances.”
One of those players is Randell Williams, who remains a Grecian, after no clubs came in for the talented winger on Transfer Deadline Day.
City did have a bid for him accepted by Peterborough United, but Williams rejected the move, and Taylor said that it had been a difficult window for the winger.
He added: “His performances have slipped but in terms of the work rate today he was excellent and he will come good. He had been unsettled but he will find his rhythm and come good.”
It was only City’s second clean sheet in 26 games, and Taylor added that he was proud of the way the defence held out at the end and stood up against the late pressure and succession of corners Walsall had.
Meanwhille, Rory McArdle could be set for a long spell on the sidelines after the City defender picked up a knee injury.
The 33-year-old missed Saturday’s 0-0 draw at Walsall and Taylor said his absence could be a lengthy one.
But Ryan Bowman, who missed the fixture with a stomach strain, could be fit in time for tomorrow’s home match with Crawley Town, and Nigel Atangana could also have recovered from the ongoing Achilles injury that kept him out of the trip to the Midlands.
Taylor said of their absences from the squad: “Rory has a keen injury so will go a scan at the start of the week, but it looks to be a lengthy one.
“Ryan had a stomach strain last weekend and that needs around ten days, so he may not been fit for Tuesday.
“Nigel has an ongoing problem with his achilles and a history of the ruptured Achilles, in the past so we have to be careful with him.
“Had it been the last game of the season, they may have been available, but we have a lot of games going up and wasn’t the right thing to do to make available.”