Reds scrap for win as Grecians’ run ended
CRAWLEY head coach John Yems felt the tide was turning his side’s way after they sent Exeter to a first defeat in five games.
A 62nd-minute penalty by Tom Nichols and a late goal from Ashley Nadesan gave the Reds their second win in three matches.
“It was a very hard game but we deserved it in the end,” said Yems. “There was a lot of fight and endeavour and it gives us something to build on again.”
Exeter had to battle for most of the second half with ten men after Tom Parkes received a straight red card for a bad tackle on Nick Tsaroulla.
And Yems rapped: “He was lucky he didn’t get three months let alone being sent off.”
Exeter striker Ben Seymour, who scored his first League goal in the win at Colchester, shot into the side-netting early on from Jack Caprice’s cross.
Forward Davide Rodari, called up for his full league debut by Crawley, had a tame shot held by keeper Jokull Andresson after Nadesan had fired over on a quick counter attack by Reds.
Jordan Maguire-Drew threatened for Crawley midway through the first half when he volleyed over from 20 yards.
Exeter’s Icelandic keeper Andresson kept his side on terms by parrying a goal-bound effort by Jack Powell before the Grecians were reduced to 10 men with the dismissal of Parkes.
He received a straight red card six minutes after the break for a late challenge on Tsaroulla.
Crawley broke the deadlock just after the hour when Caprice pulled down Tsaroulla and and former Exeter striker Nichols, who had missed his previous two penalties, made no mistake this time from the spot.
Nadesan made the game safe seven minutes from time from point-blank range after Nichols’ cross.
Exeter boss Matt Taylor had no complaints about the sending off but felt the penalty decision was a poor one.
“It wasn’t a penalty – the players said it was a dive,” he said. “This was a shame, we might not have won the game but could have got a point out of it.
“As far as the red card, it didn’t look a great tackle.
“It was a poor, bitty game for large parts with little quality.”
HARRY Kewell hailed Carl Piergianni after the defender led Oldham to a comeback win at play-off chasing Carlisle United.
Chris Beech’s Cumbrians had taken a first-half lead through Joshua Kayode.
But three goals in 17 second-half minutes turned the tide as the Latics ended their three-game winless run in style.
Marcel Hilssner’s penalty and further goals from Dylan Bahamboula and substitute Piergianni did the damage, with Kewell hailing the defender’s role in the win.
“I’m extremely proud,” beamed Kewell.
“For me Piergianni was man of the match, he came on, he ran the line, he won all his challenges and he got his reward in the end.
“It was another fantastic second-half performance. This team never know when it’s beaten and I’m delighted.
“The guys off the bench changed the game and I’m proud of the players.”
The hosts took the lead 10 minutes before the break when Kayode met Callum Guy’s corner to finish past Ian Lawlor.
Kewell introduced George Blackwood and Piergianni at the break, with the
Latics improving as a result.
They started the turnaround with 20 minutes to go when Nicky Adams’ cross was handled in the box by Rhys Bennett.
Hilssner made no mistake from 12 yards to equalise.
The game was turned on its head just seven minutes later when Bahamboula curled a fine strike beyond Paul Farman.
And Piergianni wrapped up the points with three minutes to go when he bundled home at the back post following a corner.
This was United’s fourth defeat in five matches, with boss Beech left annoyed.
“It’s frustrating and the lads know they haven’t got the reward their efforts deserved,” he said.
“We’re talking about a defeat when we had enough of the game for it to have been much different.
“We’ve dominated the game and I’m gutted for the lads as yet again they’ve worked hard, but have nothing to show for it.
“We had to be patient, and we got ahead with a great set piece from Guy and a wonderful finish from Josh.”
BRIAN Dutton blasted referee Scott Oldham after he failed to award Walsall a late penalty in their defeat to Bradford.
Interim Saddlers boss Dutton is still seeking his first win after four games in charge and was left fuming after Oldham failed to give a spot-kick when Josh Gordon was clipped in the area.
But it was goals from Levi Sutton and former Walsall striker Andy Cook that did the damage for the hosts, with Dan Scarr giving them hope late on.
And Dutton was left furious by Oldham.
“It was a stonewaller. For that not to be given is almost criminal really. I’m flabbergasted,” he said.
“The referee is stood six or seven yards away from it, he’s got the perfect view of it.
“But I’m massively frustrated. This is the first performance where I’ve felt we’ve let the fans and the club down – I’ve said to the lads, playing for 20 minutes in a 90-minute game is fraudulent.
“The young boys can come out of that game with a bit of credit but the rest of the guys weren’t up to standard.”
Walsall fashioned the game’s first chance as Derick Osei-Yaw fired into the side netting from 15 yards out.
But it was Sutton who opened the scoring when he collected a loose ball on the edge of the box and drilled home an unstoppable finish via the underside of the crossbar.
The midfielder then supplied the cross from which Cook was allowed the freedom of Walsall’s area to control and rifle home City’s second after 66 minutes.
The Saddlers did pulled one back 11 minutes later when Scarr glanced home a header from a corner off the post.
But Bradford hung on, despite loud Walsall penalty appeals for a foul on Gordon.
Bradford joint manager Mark Trueman believes his side can now target the play-offs.
“When we are mathematically safe that’s when we can start, as a team and a club, focusing on our next goal, if that’s to try to nick a spot in the play-offs,” he said.
“It was a tough game but we showed that we can win ugly in a way. We’ve won games where we’ve dominated possession, but today we had to change our style and gameplan.
“Yes, we want to dominate the ball but sometimes you have to adapt.”