Matt Taylor hails Exeter patience in win over Port Vale

Posted Wednesday, September 18, 2019 by PA

Matt Taylor hailed a complete team performance from his side as they stayed on top of League Two with a 2-0 win over Port Vale.

Goals in the final eight minutes from Ryan Bowman and Lee Martin were enough for the Grecians and it was no more than they deserved as they dominated for long spells, but found Vale a tough nut to crack.

“Full credit to Port Vale. They were well organised and robust and hard to break down and I thought they were excellent in terms of a collective unit,” Taylor said. “We just had to believe our opportunity would come.

“We were on the front foot for the majority of that game. We didn’t create the most clear-cut opportunities, but we were always threatening their goal and putting their goalkeeper and centre halves under pressure.

“We just had to believe. I was really pleased with the boys that started tonight because they gave us the platform for some fresh legs and a little bit of quality at the end to come on and make the difference.

“I was delighted with Ben Seymour tonight, making his full league debut. I trust him to play League football and he was up against two seriously good centre halves tonight, but he competed and didn’t look out of place.

“I want the young players to not be on the outskirts of the squad and I thought he and Ryan Bowman led the line superbly for us, but it was a proper collective performance from that group of players. I am really pleased that we got the three points, but I think we deserved it.”

Vale manager John Askey said: “To concede in the last eight minutes is disappointing. In the first half I didn’t feel we competed well enough but we held on, and the second half was a bit better.

“It was a poor decision at the end which has ended up costing us. It is a tough place to come and we know they have scored a lot of goals late on. We lost concentration and it has cost us.

“We had a settled team and it had changed. I don’t think it has anything to do with the result.

“We should keep the ball, and we have given it away and that is where they scored from. We rode our luck a little bit and thought we might get away with something. It would have been great to have come here and got a result.

“Tiredness takes over and that affects players. They have battled and you can’t ask any more in terms of effort.

“I just think at times when you play teams like this, you have got to be a bit stronger and harder and stop the opposition playing.”