Western Morning News (Saturday)
‘Keep things simple’ is Taylor’s message
Exeter City manager Matt Taylor will remind his players to keep things simple when they aim to maintain winning form in today’s League Two encounter with Northampton Town at St James’ Park.
After a run of five games without a win, a youthful City side that ended the game with six home-grown players on the field recorded a 2-0 win against Bristol Rovers on Tuesday to seal top spot in their Checkatrade Trophy group.
The win also ensures them a £10,000 prize and home advantage in the next stage.
Jonathan Forte bagged the opening goal of the game before Academy graduate Joel Randall netted his first goal in professional football to seal the win. Randall and team-mates Harry Kite and Josh Key will now return to their nonLeague loan clubs, with City boosted by the return of one or two key players this weekend, but Tuesday’s victory was welcomed by everyone after the recent winless run.
“It was, and you could see by our first-half performance that the players weren’t nervous, but slightly unsure and cautious,” Taylor said. “As a footballer, you have to go into a game clear in the mind and keeping it simple.
“My last few half-time team talks have been exactly that and, all of a sudden, the shape and structure is simple and effective, we get some field position and as you saw, we played our football in Bristol Rovers’ half, rather than them plying in our half and our good players being too close to our own goal. That’s what I am looking for at the moment.
“Hopefully, Saturday will be a good game of football. Northampton are on a good run, we are fit and have players coming back and we will be really fired up for Saturday.”
Taylor made the same point after last week’s FA Cup defeat to Blackpool, as a wretched opening 25 minutes saw City trail 3-0 and their hopes of progress effectively over.
Jordan Tillson and Tristan Abraham goals roused City and, had they got that second goal a few minutes earlier, then they may just have pulled off the impossible. But the secondhalf comeback – as was the improved performance in the second half on Tuesday – came off the back of Taylor’s halftime team talk.
“We were a little disjointed at times but, similar to Saturday, we just simplified our game,” Taylor said.
“That’s what I am looking for at the moment – nice and simple and predictable in terms of getting rewards and value out of all our players on the pitch. All of a sudden, the front boys knew when the ball was coming in to them, or when it was coming down the sides, and we looked a threat. We scored two good goals off the back of that.”
Taylor confirmed that Lee Holmes is in contention to take part in today’s game after injury, while fellow winger Chiedozie Ogbene returned on Monday to resume his loan move from Brentford and played a part against Rovers.
“Chiedozie came back and that’s great news and we’re hoping that Lee Holmes will be closer to fitness as well as a couple of the more senior ones as well, so the bodies are coming back,” Taylor said.