Taylor thrilled as Exeter fight back to claim win
EXETER City manager Matt Taylor was delighted with the way his side came from behind and put the ten men of Crawley Town to the sword to end their run of draws.
The Grecians fell behind to Kwesi Appiah’s header on 31 minutes, but the turning point came just before the break when Ashley Nadeson was sent off for a second bookable offence for a dive in the penalty box.
Matt Jay, with a thunderbolt, and Nigel Atangana, with a header, then scored twice in two minutes early in the second half, before Sam Nombe’s late stoppage time goal - his sixth in six games - sealed the 3-1 win.
It ended the run of five draws in a row and extended the unbeaten streak to 11 in the league - closing in on a club record of 13 in the league but the 13 games in all competitions without defeat does equal a club record.
“I’m really pleased with the second half. We did exactly what we needed to do,” said Taylor.
“We didn’t do it in the first half and invited too much pressure and they were more aggressive and we let them gain a foothold and went ahead through a poor goal from our point of view, and then the turning point which was the sending off.”
The manager initially was fearing the worst when Nadeson went down under a challenge from Cameron Dawson, but replays showed referee James Oldham made the right decision to book the attacker for diving, and, having already been carded for a lunge on Archie Collins, he had to go.
“It was a big moment and allowed us to relax going into the second half,” Taylor said. “We could then make passes, but we still need belief to go on top of that and that’s why MJ’s goal was such an important goal.
“It was a good strike and a big moment as the longer it goes on, the more you have to force it, and that takes the pressure off us. If anyone is going to do it, it will be the captain who is in form.
“We are far from the finished article and from a complete performance. Feel and control is everything and I am always looking for leaders and the first half wasn’t quite what was needed, but we have come through it and a big three points and a big second half performance.”
Appiah put Crawley ahead on 31 minutes, heading into an empty net after Dawson didn’t deal effectively with a long clearance, but after Nadeson’s red, Jay smashed home his eighth of the season from 25 yards on 54 minutes.
Within 90 seconds, the Grecians were ahead as after Nombe’s header came back off the post, Atangana nodding home into the empty net, and despite some nervy moments, the striker sealed it in stoppage time after Glenn Morris could only parry a Josh Key strike into his path.
“We want to pick up more points and are capable of it but the performances haven’t been complete,” Taylor added. “We have goals in the team and it is not dull watching us at the moment, and good to get the run of draws off our back.”
Up next for City is a home game with Mansfield Town on Saturday, with the Stags in 21st-place in the table, and having made four changes for the trip to the Red Devils on Tuesday, Taylor said he is likely to freshen it up again.
He added: “We will look to win the game. There are some tired bodies there so will freshen it up again and there are opportunities for players waiting in the wings, but it is a good opportunity to utilise the squad and important to keep developing the group.”