Taylor praises Grecians as they grind out victory
EXETER City manager Matt Taylor was left delighted by his side as they ground out a 1-0 win away to Stevenage on Tuesday night.
Rory McArdle, with his first Grecian goal, headed home a Jack Sparkes free-kick with 28 minutes gone for the only goal of what was a tight affair of few real chances, but one that City were comfortable in.
Matt Jay hit the post with the header that would have doubled the advantage and made it more comfortable, but despite the referee somehow finding six minutes of stoppage time, Jokull Andresson was rarely troubled as the Grecians kept only a second clean sheet in nine.
The win sees City rise to eighth in the League Two and was just their third win in the last 12 games and their first away from St James Park in more than two months.
“It was a really good win,” Taylor said. “We played pretty well and fair play to Stevenage as they throw the ball in difficult areas and I felt we dealt with it quite well for most of the evening. There was always going to be half chances, but we managed to snuff them out.
“There was a real threat about us for the first hour of that game and Ryan (Bowman) and Ben (Seymour) worked their backline so, so well and we started to get some joy.
“We got a good goal from a set piece and we were unlucky not to go further ahead, and we didn’t have to weather a storm as such but we took the sting out of it and saw the game out comfortably at the end.
“I am delighted with the clean sheet as we needed to start games better and we did that today. It was one of the first times this sseason we have been ahead at the break and when that’s happened before, we haven’t lost... I think it’s 16 times that’s happened and that’s an incredible stat.
“The pitch allowed us to move the ball better and it came down to the nitty-gritty of League Two football. But we’ll put this bed and look to Bradford on Saturday, and as pleased as we are now, we will pick the bodies out, and put out a team with changes.”
City had five academy players in the starting line-up, and Taylor said that they were finding out more about what it takes to win and be successful, but that he keeps trusting them in what is a hectic run of eight games in 25 days is a great sign.
“I am going to have to keep making changes and I am going to have to keep putting these young boys in,” Taylor said.
“I am finding out more and more about the likes of Alex Hartridge with each game, and Jack Sparkes.
“MJ and Archie (Collins) I know a little bit more about but we are finding out more and more about these players and they are learning what it takes to win and what it takes to be successful.”