Matt Taylor pleased with Exeter’s youngsters

Posted Wednesday, August 15, 2018 by PA

Exeter manager Matt Taylor praised the impact of his young substitutes as they helped the Grecians beat Ipswich 4-2 on penalties in the Carabao Cup.

After Kayden Jackson’s debut goal for the Tractor Boys, former Ipswich man Troy Brown headed Exeter level before another ex-Town man, Lee Martin, scored the decisive penalty in the shoot-out.

But it was the impact of youngsters Archie Collins, Jack Sparkes and Tristan Abrahams that provided the spark for City to earn a 1-1 draw after 90 minutes and ultimately prevail.

“I’m very pleased,” Taylor said. “In the first half, I thought we showed them too much respect and stood off them a bit, but we still created some good chances.

“But the substitutions really freshened us up, gave us fresh legs and we looked like a running team in the last half an hour. We probably looked the stronger team going towards the end.

“We created some good chances and, going to penalties, it is pot luck to be honest with you, but we held our nerve.

“I am delighted for the three young boys getting game time – Tristan is on loan, but Archie and Jack are the future of this club – so it is a good night, not just in terms of the result, but for the young boys coming through as well.

“I need those players to be ready for League Two football because they are part of the squad and if they are needed, they need to be ready for first-team football. Tonight, they really gave us that spark.”

Ipswich boss Paul Hurst was furious with the performance of his side.

He said: “We were too slow, too pedestrian, people not really playing where they were supposed to, therefore it did not make it as fluid as it needed to be.

“We didn’t work hard enough in and out of possession and the players will be shown the game. I am not having it that they have got players fitter and stronger than ours.

“I am honest, I say what I think and see. If we feel we were anywhere close to what we should be, with all due respect to Exeter and what they put out, it wasn’t their strongest side. We should have controlled that game and we didn’t. It was another pathetic goal to concede.

“We made a couple of changes, but that is not the contributing factor to that performance.

“There are some massive games in front of us and people will say they are good games for us. But if we play like that they won’t be good games, that’s for sure.

“We will see who steps up now so there a lot of questions to be answered from tonight.”