Below-par Exeter let the lead slip twice to Walsall
EXETER City boss Matt Taylor felt too many of his players were below-par as the Grecians could only draw 2-2 at home to Walsall.
City twice took the lead against the other Matt Taylor’s side, and missed a penalty as well at St James Park, but George Miller twice brought the Saddlers back level as they came away with a deserved point.
Tim Dieng put City ahead on five minutes, before Miller levelled from the spot on 37 minutes after Harry Kite clumsily brought down Brendan Kiernan - moments after a stonewall penalty for a foul by Kite on Joss Labadie was turned down by the referee.
After Taylor had hauled off Sweeney and Kite at the break - and switched to a back four - Matt Jay hit the crossbar from the penalty spot minutes into the second half before Sam Nombe calmly slotted home on the hour to put City ahead. Miller’s header, 20 minutes from time, gained Walsall a point they more than deserved, though.
The Grecians are now unbeaten in nine, and in 13 at St James Park, but it is six draws in ten league games this season now as they stayed sixth in the table, while the visitors climbed to 21st.
Taylor made a double change at half-time and switched formation after a disappointing opening 45 minutes and while City were improved after the break, they couldn’t claim all three points, and the manager felt he could - and should - have changed things earlier.
“We started well, but we were poor for the rest of the first half,” he said. “We got going, but half a game is too little, too late for me at home. Our performance in terms of too many individuals was below par.
“We got dictated to in relation to the play and rode our luck even before giving away another needless penalty, so I was quite pleased to get in half-time level as we could easily have been behind.
“Then we shored a few things up and we were much better in the second half but we didn’t quite make enough of the opportunities. I thought Sam Nombe was outstanding, one of the few bright sparks in the team today.
“I could have made more than two changes at half time which shows we weren’t quite right in certain areas. It is becoming clear on the back of the home performance against Sutton what I need to do to get the right personnel on the pitch.”
Dieng had given City an early lead, heading home a Pierce Sweeney cross, for his third of the season, with Taylor saying `that is why he is in the team’, but felt his contribution in the middle of the park can still get better.
“He is outstanding in both boxes, but we want more in the middle of the pitch and we got ran around a little bit today,” he said.
“But he is outstanding at breaking into the box, winning the penalty as well, but collectively we need more. That personnel on the pitch could have played better.”
Nombe, whose third goal in three games had given the Grecians the lead, was one of only a few players who performed to their ability, and gave the Walsall backline a torrid time, and the striker was singled out by Taylor for his effort.
“He was our threat - it was Sam or no-one else today,” Taylor said. “Jevani was poor today. MJ was poor today. Josh Coley was in fits and starts but we couldn’t expect too much in his first game.
“The rest of the group didn’t take enough responsibility and that shows my disappointment today. Sam was outstanding and led the line well and a constant threat, but there was not enough in the attacking quartet.
City are unbeaten in nine, have lost just one in 12 games this season (and one in 18 dating back to last season), but the draws are proving costly as why they aren’t higher in the table than the sixth spot they occupy.
Taylor said: “The main crux of it for myself was the half an hour in the first half. I will address those issues. Ten games in and we have drawn too many games.
“We might have been lucky to have come away with a draw today, but drawn too many and have better players than we have shown.
“We need to win games of football and have to turn the draws into wins. We were ahead twice and that is something we have done well and normally when we go ahead we stay ahead.
“I wanted to make a change early and maybe I showed too much trust, but we haven’t been beaten, we scored two goals, and I should be standing here saying we have won the game but we didn’t deserve to as we had too many below par performances.”
City were without both Kyle Taylor after a positive Covid-19 test, and Owura Edwards who, while his test came back negative, is suffering from Covid-like symptoms and missed the game, but the manager felt the personnel on the pitch should have got enough to beat a side who have only won one of 16 on the road.
“There were not many who played well today,” he added. “I think the players have done Ok so far this season, but that’s not good enough if we want to be successful.
“We all say as a group that we want to be successful and now is the time to start showing it. We are ten games in and hard to beat and there is not too much wrong, but we are drawing too many games.”
Walsall’s Taylor said: “The game should be over at half-time. I am disappointed that we have only got a point because the players have performed today but not for the whole 90 minutes and that is the disappointing thing for me.
“The game is won and lost in both boxes and we have scored two goals but should have scored four or five. That is the frustrating thing for me.”