Taylor rues the way in which City’s incredible run is ended
MANAGER Matt Taylor said that Exeter City won’t let the end of their record unbeaten run derail their promotion push.
The Grecians were beaten 3-1 away to Colchester United on Tuesday night in what was a below-par performance as they went down to a first defeat in 21 games.
While City dominated large parts of the game, they were two down at the break after Sylvester Jasper squeezed home an opener in off the post and then Noah Chilvers fired home in stoppage time.
But Padraig Amond poked home with 20 minutes to go with them hope, before Sam Nombe thought he had level moments later, only to wrongly be denied by an offside flag.
As Exeter pushed for a leveller, Freddie Sears scored on the break to make it three, and end the record unbeaten run at 20.
“What hurt us was the goals, it sounds obvious, but the manner in which they came, either against the run of play, or the ease in which they hurt our backline,” Taylor said.
“The first one was a good finish but it was preventable and certainly the other two were. We got back in the game and I thought we were going to take our chances and then there was a disallowed goal given wrongly against us which would have made it 2-2, but the quick slap in the face took it away from us.
“I can’t be too hard on the lads,
we have to know why we were so defensively poor tonight.
“We dominated large parts, had lots of possession, but didn’t threaten or work them enough. Second half their keeper made some good saves, but we always create, we always score, but it is the manner in which the goals went against us which is something we cannot allow to happen as it gives us a mountain to climb.”
Bulgarian Jasper put Hayden Mullins’ men ahead on 12 minutes with their first effort of the game, a decent finish from 25 yards, but the second goal just before the break came after Cameron Coxe was allowed to run to the byline, put a cross in, that the unmarked Chilvers could lash home.
Amond, with his third of the season, pulled one back as they launched an onslaught on the U’s defence, poking home after Josh Key had kept a corner alive and Nombe had an initial effort saved, but Sears sealed the win for Colchester.
However, when the score was 2-1, ex-MK Dons Nombe had smashed home to make it 2-2 - only to be denied by the flag of the linesman but Taylor said replays have shown it was the wrong decision and that he was onside.
“Sam is onside,” he said. “Podge is offside, but he doesn’t go to the ball.
Anything we tried to do didn’t quite work in our favour, but the goals are preventable and hopefully an off night for the defensive unit. We got the ball into good areas but didn’t execute the game plan with the creative players.
“We needed to get in at 0-0 or 1-0 and the two goal deficit was a difficult one to come back with - but the third goal was a real killer.”
It was a first defeat since August ending the run of 20 games - and only a second in 30 games dating back to the start of April, and other results meant that Taylor’s men stayed second in the League Two table.
After the long unbeaten run finally came to an end, the manager said that he didn’t have to say much to the players as they know what they need to do to react and improve ahead of the long trip to Rochdale on Saturday.
“The league will always keep you honest and in certain moments we weren’t where we needed to be,” Taylor said.
“I cannot fault the efforts of players and the fans and the run we have been on. The fans were as disappointed as anyone as we were far from our best. We got back into it, gave them hope, but the third goal made them colder
“We have to react but I barely had to say anything to the players and we won’t let it derail what we are trying to do. We have to understand why it happened and improve aspects and have to be resolute and not leave us open as we did tonight.”