Jay knows the importance of win over Salford

TOP-SCORER Matt Jay was in the right place at the right time to tap home his 18 th goal of his most productive season to ensure Exeter City got back to winning ways.

After three defeats in a row, Jay’s 34th minute strike was the only goal of an evenly matched game with Salford City on Saturday as the Grecians cut the gap to the top seven to just one point.

Jay said that the win was a relief for the players, and that coming against their big-spending opponents made it even sweeter, on a day where City started with six academy products and a teenage goalkeeper.

With his tally now up to 18, the 25-year-old is a step closer to hitting the new 20-goal target he set himself and that the manner of his winner is the kind of goal he has been wanting to score more of.

After Robbie Willmott did superbly to win the ball high up the pitch, he squared the ball to Jake Taylor on the edge of the D. The skipper’s effort was blocked, but it fell nicely to Jay who, from a tight angle, squeezed the ball past Vaclac Hladky.

“It was a relief as it was a muchneeded win against a very good team,” Jay said. “It was a big win and it is always better against strong opposition. It is no secret what Salford are doing and rightly or wrongly, that’s the way they are going, and it is nice we are doing the opposite to them.

“We can’t pay the players as big as they do and it is always sweeter, and in the dressing room afterwards it felt like a really big win.”

On his goal, Jay said that the kind of scrappy finish from inside the box is something that he has been adding to his game this season and has helped him hit a career best tally with ten games still to go.

“I want to try and be in the right place as much as possible and that has been something that I have been working on,” he said.

“I have been trying to work on it as in the past I have been the one trying to create the chances but it is important for my game that I am the one in and around those areas and I don’t think it’s a coincidence I am scoring more goals when I am in those positions.

“It is a bit of a cliche but I am just trying to get in the right places as much as you can as they are the kind of goals you want as an attacking player - you don’t want to have to beat four players and then dink the keeper - you want a tap-in.”

The result sees City close the gap to the top seven to just one point and puts Salford five points behind them - and with ten games to go.