BULLSEYE Ryan on target for Grecians with his fifth goal of season

EXETER CITY 1 FOREST GREEN 0

EXETER boss Matt Taylor nearly didn’t pick match-winner Ryan Bowman for his side’s top-of-the-table clash with Forest Green.

But after Bowman’s fifth goal of the season fired the Grecians to victory, Taylor was delighted that he had.

“That was a big decision for me,” said Taylor, “One which I thought long and hard about this week.

“Maybe I was too critical of our forwards or all of our players last week in terms of missing opportunities, but you have to back those who you think will do the job.

“On Friday night I was still undecided but I backed Ryan. I spoke to him before the game and told him exactly what I wanted from him.

“His all-round game was superb and if he plays like that I’ve no qualms about him missing the odd chance here and there.”

Bowman struck early on, turning home Jack Sparkes’ cross on the volley.

And the goal proved one of the two key moments with Exeter keeper Jonny Maxted, formerly of Forest Green and making his first league start for the Devon club, producing a superb save to deny Aaron Collins from close range late on.

Rovers boss Mark Cooper, a midfielder for Exeter when his dad, Terry, was in charge of the club, was the man who let Maxted go.

And while he acknowledged the stop, he knew Collins should have given him no chance. “It’s a great save but he should score,” said Cooper. “Aaron should just head the ball into the floor and he scores.

“The best team won. We didn’t play well, we started terribly, we didn’t deal with the threats and looked as if we were still on the coach for the first 15 minutes and it’s difficult to recover from that.”

He wasn’t wrong.

Cooper’s side could have been 3-0 down in that period if Exeter’s finishing had been better.

Tom Parkes headed wide from a good position and Bowman’s glancing header from Nicky Law’s centre needed a firmer connection.

Bowman then turned provider but Law spurned the opportunity before Rovers finally came alive.

Jack Aitchison thought he’d found his way through the home defence but Aaron Martin slid in to deny him.

The victory still wasn’t enough to lift Exeter to the top with Crewe leaping from fourth to first on goal difference.

But, psychologically, this was a big win for Taylor and his men, one that will give them big confidence in the weeks ahead. EXETER:

FOREST GREEN:

MAN OF THE MATCH:

REFEREE: one back when substitute Ahkeem Rose blasted home from a counter-attack in the 79th minute, but Stevenage held on.

Jolley fumed: “I think the comeback was almost irrelevant, the first 45 minutes were our worst performance of the season by a distance. I could have made 11 subs at half-time.

“It’s not acceptable, it’s not good enough.”

A delighted Mark Sampson said: “I’m really happy for the players, the staff, supporters and the football club. That result has been coming.”