Injury-hit Grecians have nothing to lose at Port Vale
EXETER City manager Matt Taylor has said the trip to Port Vale tonight is one that the Grecians will travel to with nothing to lose.
Saturday’s 2-0 win away to Oldham Athletic took City up to second in the League Two table, and with two games in hand on most of their rivals. The first of those is at Vale Park, but the Devon side will travel up the M5 with a depleted squad.
Kyle Taylor, who scored the opener at the weekend, was stretchered off with a serious looking knee injury, while influential midfielder Tim Dieng was forced off at half-time with a hamstring injury that is likely to rule him out of the trip.
With Harry Kite, Sam Nombe and Jonathan Grounds already on the treatment table, City’s squad was already stretched even before Nigel Atangana’s red card for a reckless lunge in stoppage time that rules him out of the next three games with suspension.
The Grecians currently have only 16 players available for the trip to the Midlands and Taylor has spent the weekend figuring out who to recall and how to set up the side for the clash against the promotion rivals, especially with only Archie Collins as a recognised central midfielder available.
“We may have to fill a few positions with people out of position,” the gaffer said. “It is unfortunate but that is the nature of the squad. Podge (Padraig Amond) missed on the bench today but he will come in but I’ll have to find another couple from somewhere or we will be going with 15 players.
“Either way, it is not a damage limitation game, as we have to try and we will try to win the game. It will be difficult as we know how good they are at home and a strong team but there is no pressure on us and after the effort of the last few games and where they are now and what they have done, we will do well to do anything out of the game.
“I will have to offload a few on Tuesday and it is not a free game, but we have nothing to lose. We have to go and try and win with whatever bodies we can put out. I am racking my brain for the potential to bring players back from loans, seeing who is available, as right now, we don’t have enough bodies.”
In terms of changes to the line-up, skipper Matt Jay, who was rested at the weekend, is almost certain to return and could be used in a deeper midfield role, while Josh Key, another who dropped to the bench, is another set to return to the starting line-up, and could feature in midfield, as could fellow wing-backs Jack Sparkes or Jake Caprice if required.
Callum Rowe, who arrived as a left-back, but has often featured for Exeter’s U23s in central midfield, could be an option to be recalled from his loan spell at Bath City, although the former Aston Villa man hasn’t started the last two. But Jordan Dyer, who is a centre back by trade, has been playing for the Romans in holding midfield instead, has featured for the first team on three occasions, and would probably be ahead of him in the pecking order.
James Dodd, who featured twice for City back in August, is another who Taylor could all on, although he would be a more attacking option, while Jack Veale and Michael Lilley are also midfielders who are out on loan, while centre-back Alfie Pond is impressing at Tiverton Town and is highly regarded.
Whoever is recalled - and at least two players will need to be to a comprise a full bench - City are playing their sixth game of the month, and Saturday’s opponents Stevenage didn’t play at the weekend as a result of Covid-19 issues in the ranks (even though self-isolation is no longer legally required).
Darrell Clarke’s side are full of confidence after three wins in a row has taken them to the fringes of the play-offs - they would go sixth with a win tonight - and have lost just one of their last 13 games, and haven’t been beaten at Vale Park for two months.
However, Taylor’s City themselves have only lost one in 14 and know that if they can overcome their adversity and claim a win, it would give them a gap over the chasing pack.