Taylor rues lapses at the back
EXETER City manager Matt Taylor said that he was left disappointed by the manner and the ease of the goals conceded in Saturday’s 2-0 home defeat to Port Vale – and it was a realisation for some as to what League Two will be like.
A stunning Tom Conlon free-kick put the Valiants ahead in the first half, before Devante Rodney – on the break – put the game beyond doubt late on when he fired low past Lewis Ward. The two goals were the only two shots on target that Vale had, and Taylor was left unhappy with the simplicity of the two goals that City conceded.
“It was disappointing to lose that game and I felt we were second-best too often,” he said. “A 2-0 looks a convincing scoreline, but the goals were from their only two chances – but we did not enough all over the pitch and they were first to the ball in a ten-yard radius around each of my players, and that was really disappointing.
“The simplicity of the goals was disappointing. There was a little bit of quality to put the ball in the top corner from the free-kick, but it came from a direct ball forward and it should not have got to that stage. The second one came from our corner, we missed the chance to put it into the box and then got caught in possession.
“The goals were too easy against us and that is a collective from our point of view. The two goals hurt me in the manner of them.”
City have now gone 21 games without keeping a clean-sheet, and have conceded twice in all four games they have played this season, but Taylor said that he cannot hammer the defence too much when one goal came from a free-kick bent into the top corner and the other from City’s own corner.
However, he said that there is a collective defensive aspect that needs to improve and, while there may have been a foul on Archie Collins in the build-up to Rodney’s goal, Taylor said that it would be too easy to just blame that for the defensive errors.
He said: “We had the opportunities from the corner to put it in the box. Archie has played 80-odd games and he knows he can’t dwell on the ball in the middle of the pitch.
“The timing of the goals hurt us and the second goal was a kick in the teeth, and against a good team like Port Vale – they sat in and countered us.
“We could not get a foothold in the game and it affected us. That second goal, all the defenders were up the pitch, expecting the ball, but the ball doesn’t come in on numerous occasions. It felt like we were too slow and wanted too many touches and no-one took control of it. We didn’t get the cross in and Archie was caught on the ball, and that was the story of the day.
“We were too slow and unsure in possession. There are lots of areas to work on and we will be better for it next week, as that was a realisation for a lot of them as to what League Two is going to be like this season, and we need to do something about it. There were times we looked OK, but OK isn’t good enough.”
It was the first time in 21 games that the Grecians had suffered a defeat at St James’ Park, a run that dated back to a 3-1 loss to Grimsby Town on September 29, 2019, and Taylor said that things could have been different had the stadium been packed with fans.
He added: “We want the home form to be good and, if the fans were there, maybe they would put more pressure on the referee for the big moments, but that’s ifs, buts, and maybes, and we cannot control if and when that will happen.”
Up next for City in the League is a trip to Mansfield Town next Saturday, but beforehand they will face Bristol Rovers in a friendly tomorrow.