Exeter: the big one

[jimmyboldon]

A game that we would have lost 3/4-0 last season.
Personnel wise:
thank goodness Nicky Hunt doesn't play full back every week. CH yes.
Porter is under pressure for his place. Bit of a hissy fit on leaving the pitch
Jones seems to be getting back to something approaching his best form
Wintle is the mainstay of the team
Kirk.......marmite.
Green. we were better when he came on, coincidence, or were they tiring?
Starting to like the keeper.
Lancashire, amazing long range passing. Won every header.
Dale. Overawed?? Powell added impetus. (Never thought I would say that)
Lowery. Hmmmm. quiet.

[jamesdad]

A game that we would have lost 3/4-0 last season.
Personnel wise:
thank goodness Nicky Hunt doesn't play full back every week. CH yes.
Porter is under pressure for his place. Bit of a hissy fit on leaving the pitch
Jones seems to be getting back to something approaching his best form
Wintle is the mainstay of the team
Kirk.......marmite.
Green. we were better when he came on, coincidence, or were they tiring?
Starting to like the keeper.
Lancashire, amazing long range passing. Won every header.
Dale. Overawed?? Powell added impetus. (Never thought I would say that)
Lowery. Hmmmm. quiet.

My view on the team today was , keeper should have come out towards the player who scored the goal. Hunt was target in the first half as the weak point of the defence. Nolan solid as usual. Lowery missing for the first 45 mins. Jones passing the ball to often to the other side. Kirk never given the ball in the first half , came alight in the second half. porter , usual self when he gets the ball always offside.Dale was trying to hard to score for himself and he could have played others in to have a go at scoring.
Credit to the manager and his half time talk and substitutes this changed the game . Needs to give this talk at the beginning of the match. We have played two top teams in a week and not lost so things are still looking good. Very good turnout from the home supporters

[alexmick]

My view on the team today was , keeper should have come out towards the player who scored the goal. Hunt was target in the first half as the weak point of the defence. Nolan solid as usual. Lowery missing for the first 45 mins. Jones passing the ball to often to the other side. Kirk never given the ball in the first half , came alight in the second half. porter , usual self when he gets the ball always offside.Dale was trying to hard to score for himself and he could have played others in to have a go at scoring.
Credit to the manager and his half time talk and substitutes this changed the game . Needs to give this talk at the beginning of the match. We have played two top teams in a week and not lost so things are still looking good. Very good turnout from the home supporters

I thought that the substitutions made all the difference and it was a pity they weren't added earlier. Exeter were big and bold, quicker to the ball and bossed the first half. Calamity of a goal to give away and they could have easily have been 3 or 4 up at half-time. Thankfully they weren't. Great effort for that last 25 minutes of the second half and the visitors completely lost their way. Green made all the difference, because I still don't rate Jones. His passing was woeful at times and he appears to be far too slow. Going backwards after a promising start to his career. Lowery had a quiet game, but he is allowed the odd one from time to time. The giants were just too much for him today. Definitely had a good shout for a penalty. Powell was fantastic on the wing and Dale (although promising in a few cameo appearances earlier in the season), found the task against the men of Exeter, a bridge too far. Not ready for the fray just yet. In the end, a point was fully deserved, although I would never have thought I would be saying that after the first 45 minutes. Very close up there at the top. Hopefully, Green will be first choice at Carlisle with Perry taking up his usual right back berth. Missed him today. Porter needs a break. Give Anene a go at CF. Keep up the good work, Alex.

[luke_358]

Attended my first game since Oldham last season (I'm exiled in North Scotland) and what a difference around the club, there is a real buzz about the place and the atmosphere I don't think it's been like that since Champ days. Celebrating my 30th and my dads 50th so we were bought tickets for directors box and prematch meal by the family which I would recommend wholeheartedly! Excellent value for money and excellent hospitality too. Enjoyed the game fancied us to nick it at the end but a fair result. Poor goal to concede, defence just all stood still. Dale will come good, I can understand the hype as he lifts the crowd when running at opp defences. End product will come. Jones I feel he needs a more advanced role as he isn't very effective in the defensive third. We need to be more patient with him after a near career ending injury, I felt for him as every time a pass went astray our fans were shouting for Green to come on, it can't do his confidence any good. Hunt has become lax with his passing of late. Exposed for pace at RB too. I like him at CB though. Thought Lancashire was solid, good in the air and decent with the ball. Pixie solid, he actually has the most successful tackles in L2 and that was the weakest part of his game last season so he is coming on really well. Will definitely be trying to make it to more games this season!

[AstonAlex]

Interesting how opinions can vary! I think that some credit should go to our opponents in the first half. They had clearly done their homework that we like to pass out from the back and through the middle; they had three up on our Back 4 when we had the ball and another 2 or 3 at the midfield which led to us almost playing a 6-1-2 formation. I know that’s only 9 players but as Kirk was missing for most of the first 45 I’ve excluded him. This left Ports and Dale isolated and it was only the latter’s pace That seemed an outlet at times. They also used width well, Nolan was caught out a few times and Pixie given a hard time by their excellent number 11.

I thought our improvement after half time was gradual rather than solely the impact of the subs. We started to push them back which meant our Back 4 had less pressure and more time. Certainly the subs had an impact, especially Powell (pity he doesn’t do it from the start), but Kirk decided to play as well - God he frustrates me with the petulant throwing around of his arms and moaning at his teammates - and we gradually looked lively. The goal had a touch of fortune but Anene made no mistake and we could easily have snatched an undeserved winner.... as could they in a crazy last 5 minutes.

Plusses? Jaaskaleinen, without whom we’d have been 3 down. Powell, finally looking likely to score. The Back 4 for a much improved second half and, of course, Wintle best player on the pitch...... again.

Minuses? Back 4 in the first half - shambolic and couldn’t pass water. Kirk - stop blaming everyone else and go looking for the ball when it’s not coming to you; yes, Lowery should have played you in in the second half, but it’s not as if you never make the wrong decision (evidenced by some of your crosses and aimless dribbles most matches). He’s a talented player who can turn matches, but he’s an endless moaner who’d turn my stomach if he was my teammate. (Rant over!).

Oh, and for the second match running we had a decent ref.

[out0lunch]

Moaning is part of Kirk's game to try and fire himself up but he has to try get round that. He has always been known as the biggest moaner in the club.
Anyway my thoughts. Exeter pressed us which caused us the problems at the back but the last 15 minutes they were gone. So many of theirs with hands on hips trying to get oxygen in.
Lowery was man marked for about 70 minutes and only came back to his best when his marker tired. 3 bookings again and only 6 fouls committed.