Matt Taylor reflects on winning start to managerial career at Exeter

Posted Sunday, August 05, 2018 by PA

Exeter manager Matt Taylor was delighted to get his managerial career off to a winning start as his new-look side beat Carlisle 3-1 in Sky Bet League Two.

Goals from debutants Nicky Law, Jonathan Forte and Tristan Abrahams gave the rookie boss a dream start to life in the managerial hotseat, although there were a few frayed nerves at at St James Park when Richie Bennett reduced the arrears to 2-1 before half-time.

City repelled plenty of pressure after the break and sealed victory with Abrahams’ superb stoppage-time strike as Exeter moved on from Paul Tisdale’s long reign.

Taylor said: “A clean sheet would have been as good as I could have hoped for, but as for the effort, the honesty and the commitment the lads showed, I was absolutely delighted.

“We were put under real pressure at times without them really hurting our goal and we missed opportunities to see the game off, but full credit to Carlisle, they kept on coming as will many League Two teams.

“I just said to the lads about how the substitutions must make an impact and I am delighted for Tristan to get his first league goal, but that was his reward for working hard at the top end of the pitch.

“I always want to play with two players at the top end of the pitch as much as I can, but I have to get value out of them. I thought I got that with Jonathan Forte starting and then Tristan coming on.

“They are good players. I trust them and there is a reason why I signed them. Jonno could have had a couple more, as could Jayden (Stockley) at times, but I thought Nicky Law was different gravy today, he really was.”

New Carlisle boss John Sheridan felt his side paid the price for a poor first-half performance.

“We made life difficult for ourselves. We didn’t start the game well and we were flat,” he said.

“You work hard all pre-season getting them fit and we don’t start the first game properly.

“We get off to a bad start, we gave ourselves some hope and we went in at half-time thinking we can get back into this.

“Players have to do the basics properly. I can talk all I want and people can talk in the dressing room but it is the players that make the decisions.

“It was a difficult start for us and it has ended up costing us. I am someone who has been in this division a long time and I try not to beat myself up because I know it is going to happen.

“The first-half performance was not good enough and too many players didn’t turn up. I will take it on the chin and try and work hard to get a better performance out of them next week.”