Darren Way happy to see Yeovil bounce back from successive defeats

Posted Sunday, October 07, 2018 by PA

Darren Way was glad to see his team stop the rot with a 2-2 Sky Bet League Two draw with Exeter.

After back-to-back defeats, he may have wondered if it was going to be another loss, though, when Jayden Stockley opened the scoring after just nine minutes when goalkeeper Nathan Baxter failed to deal with a Hiram Boateng cross and the striker headed in.

“The first 15 minutes we got into the final third, were on the front foot and then we make a mistake as we have done in previous games and we’re 1-0 down,” Way said.

“Making mistakes isn’t failure, it means you’re learning but our players need to learn fast. The game is all about inches. You master those inches and you become champions.

“We regrouped second half and couldn’t have started any better. We have pace, power, forward momentum and we went 2-1 up with two well-worked goals. We were causing them all sorts of problems and we could have gone three up.

“Then they brought on [Jonathan] Forte and really that’s the difference. The energy and experience that they’ve got.

“I said to the players that unfortunately in League Two teams will eat you up and spit you out but that didn’t happen today. I have to be pleased with that second-half performance.”

Despite a second Stockley header rescuing a point for Exeter, Matt Taylor could not hide the disappointment at how his team defended.

First a poor Luke Croll header allowed Olufela Olomola to set up Jordan Green for a tap in and Olomola again got the better of the Grecians back line to set up Alex Fisher.

“It was frustrating the manner we let them back in the game,” Taylor said.

“Obviously the first goal was a mistake and I’m not digging Luke Croll out, but we didn’t defend their first ball well enough throughout the afternoon. Certainly second half they kept getting in time and time again and they got their rewards. We’ve got to improve that side of our game.

“The clean-sheet is so precious we’ve got to work harder. We can’t give away two sloppy goals like that. Teams are not stupid. They will look at us week in, week out and Yeovil Town targeted that and played into the middle of our back line and we couldn’t cope with their play today.

“You don’t deserve to win a football game if you defend like that. This group has got to be tougher, got to be better and hold onto a lead. It’s a learning curve again.

“It’s a point gained but I can’t hide my frustration.”