Collins’ superb strike rescues a point for Exeter
MATT Taylor felt his Exeter City side created enough chances to have come away from their Boxing Day clash with Forest Green Rovers with all three points.
Archie Collins’ stunning strike from the edge of the box levelled the game up after Aaron Collins had put the visitors ahead from a corner, but despite City creating a sack-full of chances, they could only come away with a 1-1 draw.
Joel Randall, Jack Sparkes and Ryan Bowman all missed good opportunities and speaking after the game, Taylor felt that the contest was a really exciting game between two good teams and that the point shows his men are not a million miles away from where they need to be in order to achieve that elusive promotion.
“Looking back, we had enough chances to win the game,” Taylor said. “It was two good teams, but I felt we were the better team today. It didn’t quite fall for the right moments for us in front of their goal.
“I was so disappointed to concede the first goal but we deservedly got back into the game and we were the team on the front foot trying to win that football game.
They are a possession based team and forced them into playing direct, but we just didn’t quite have it in us to put those chances in- the back post chances through Jack Sparkes and Joel Randall - we’ve got to hit the targets in those moments.”
Sparkes missed an open goal - albeit from a narrow angle - early on when arriving at the far post from a Randell Williams cross, while Randall volleyed over the bar when found by Williams unmarked six yards out, while City creating plenty of other chances, with Jonny Maxted in their own goal rarely tested.
“They are second in the league for a reason and we more than matched them,” Taylor said. “I really enjoyed the first half and it was two teams playing the right way and trying to score and it was a really exciting game. I am pleased with a lot of aspects of the performance as we dealt with them well today, but just lacked something in front of goal today
“On a different day we would have scored more than one goal. Jonny has not had too much to deal with - a couple of set piece moments and that’s our weakness at the moment, I can’t deny that, but we are certainly moving in the right direction based on where they are and we are not a million miles away.”
Aaron Collins had given Forest Green the lead after 16 minutes when he was left unmarked on the edge of the box from a corner and side-footed an effort home.
But Archie Collins, with his second of the season, equalised on 37 minutes when he rocketed an effort into the back of the net, cannoning in off the crossbar, from 25 yards.
The draw - City’s first at home in the league this season - sees them drop to seventh, now five points behind the automatic promotion spots, although with a game in hand.