TISDALE HIT BY REVELL TREBLE
EXETER manager Paul Tisdale will have to take his players through the lottery of the play-offs again after defeat to Stevenage, coupled with Wycombe’s win at Chesterfield, ended their automatic promotion hopes.
The Grecians fell at the final hurdle last season when they were defeated by Blackpool at Wembley.
And the result here led to feelings running high in the away end, with some unpleasant chanting towards Tisdale.
That they can no longer catch Wycombe is down to a hat-trick by Stevenage striker Alex Revell, who showed at the age of 34 that there is still plenty of life left in him.
A disappointed Tisdale admitted after the game that his side will need to roll up their sleeves and go again.
“I’ve just asked the players to have some context of where we sit and it’s been a long season but it’s not finished yet,” he said.
“We’ve got another three or four games to go and we have to rise to that challenge, so it is what it is.
“I thought we gave everything. Again, it just hasn’t gone our way, so we’ve just got to get ourselves prepared for what’s coming next. “We had enough [chances] in the game, from start to finish.” The visitors were rocked by a Stevenage opener in the 14th minute when Ben Sheaf found Matt Godden with a fine pass and he teed up Revell to score at the near post. Some brilliant defending by captain Ronnie Henry then prevented Robbie Simpson from getting to a rebound after Joe Fryer pushed out Jake Taylor's effort.
Exeter keeper Christy Pym was then badly at fault for the hosts’ second goal as he was beaten to a loose ball by Revell, who rolled into an empty net.
Four minutes into the second half, Revell completed his hat-trick with an excellent first-time finish after being teed up inside the area by Ben Kennedy.
Substitute Kyle Edwards’ header then came back off the bar for Exeter, while the excellent Fryer did well to keep out Taylor’s long-range effort.
Exeter did finally get on the scoresheet through Pierce Sweeney's penalty after Taylor had been tripped in the area by Terence Vancooten.
Had Jayden Stockley's curler gone under the bar rather than thud off the top of it, we would have had a raucous finish, but the reality is Exeter must prepare for the play-offs.
Stevenage boss Dino Maamria said: “I think this was the most enjoyable game since I took over, despite everything.
“We had so many problems at the training ground this week but the lads were terrific - absolutely brilliant to watch.
“I’m lucky to have Revs, and a few others as well, to be fair to them.
“He works so hard and he covers the most distance in training day-in and day out and in games as well. He’s got his reward out there.”