Western Morning News (Saturday)
Caldwell understands importance of first goal
GARY Caldwell is hoping to break a growing trend at Exeter City when they face the daunting trip to promotion-chasing Sheffield Wednesday today – scoring the first goal of the game.
In each of their last four matches, the Grecians have failed to score first and Caldwell feels it is important that Exeter get their noses in front in games as that will give them more control.
Since arriving at St James Park in October, Caldwell has overseen a change in Exeter’s play and adopted a more possession-based style to his predecessor Matt Taylor. Regardless of who they play – whether that’s away at a place like Hillsborough, or at home to the likes of Morecambe – Caldwell wants his side to dominate the ball. But in order to get the kind of control he wants, he feels it is imperative to score first.
“We have created enough chances and I think we are a better team when we score first,” he said. “It allows us to control the game better and, as well as we have chased games recently, with our second half performance against Bolton and Peterborough, I think, when we are behind, it makes it more difficult for us, especially against the teams at the top end of this league.
“You have seen with Bolton and Plymouth, these teams can hold onto that one goal and it is enough for them to win the game, so going with a game plan of controlling the game early and trying to take the lead gives us a much better chance of winning the game.”
Exeter have not played that badly in any of those four defeats and could easily have taken something from all four matches, but a lack of quality in the final third has been their downfall. That has combined with injuries to the likes of Sam Nombe, Jay Stansfield and the ongoing absence of Jevani Brown, while the craft of guile of players like Kevin McDonald and Demetri Mitchell has also been missed through injury.
That said, it is an opportunity for those on the fringes to show what they can do and some have not grasped the opportunity afforded them. There will be no room for passengers either with Wednesday chasing promotion from League One.
Given the scenario, all the pressure is on the home side, especially as they have fallen apart in recent weeks when promotion looked a certainty just a month ago. But after a 23-game unbeaten league run was ended in a 4-2 South Yorkshire derby defeat at Barnsley, the Owls have faltered, taking ten points from the next nine games, which has allowed Plymouth Argyle and Ipswich Town to get ahead of them in the race for promotion.
“It will be a difficult game,” Caldwell said. “I think we have seen the teams at the top of this league the quality that they have, the individual quality and we know how good they are. They are pushing for promotion, so they will have that pressure and I think that we can try and use it to our advantage.
“If we can keep the crowd quiet and the longer we are in the game, then that pressure can build, so we have to try and use that to our advantage, but we know how difficult a task that is. We will prepare as we normally do and go there with every intention to win the game and hopefully we do.
“We are competitive in every game and I think we are finding out how tough this league is, especially when you play against the top teams, but everyone is recovering, trying to get their breath and trying to get as many points as we can in the remaining games of the season.
“It’s very small margins and that is the lessons we have to learn for next season and beyond. It has been a difficult season, it’s our first back at this level for a long time, there was a change of manager during the season and then there was a change of staff, change of training styles, change of playing style, a turnover of players in January, so the season as a whole has not been easy for the football club.
“As I say, it’s the first at this level and to do what we have done, and still have three games in which to get as many points as we can, is a fantastic achievement but we still have to keep going, there is work to do and then we can assess the season as a whole and prepare for next season.”