Taylor: Exeter deserved tough win

Posted Friday, December 27, 2019 by PA

Exeter manager Matt Taylor felt his side were good value for their narrow 1-0 win over Newport in challenging conditions at St James Park.

On a wet and blustery day, Lee Martin scored the only goal of a fractious game that saw eight players booked, five of them in stoppage time.

“From the start, we competed,” Taylor said. “We were tough, we were quick to the ball and with the way the team was set up, it meant we had bodies in the right place and they were willing to do the dirty side of it and the space was generally on the outside.

“It is a better surface out there (on the wings) and we tried to utilise that space as much as we possibly could. In the end, one goal was enough today.

“Newport are never dead and buried. They are a fantastic team that keep going until the end and there is often a sting in the tail with Newport.

“But I felt we kept them at arm’s length all day. They had a few set-pieces and a free-kick at the end, but Jonny (Maxted, goalkeeper) was relatively comfortable with that and it demonstrated our desire to put bodies on the line.

“Colchester will be a very different game on a different surface and a different opposition. We only scored one today – we want to keep scoring more – but when the pitches are like that and it is winter football, you are unlikely to get high-scoring games.”

Martin smashed home after Jake Taylor’s shot had been blocked with just 14 minutes on the clock and though George Nurse and Jamille Matt went close in the second half, County could not find an equaliser.

Newport boss Michael Flynn feels his side are lacking in confidence as they slipped to a fifth match without a win.

“We battled well, we tried everything we could. When we got in the final third we lacked confidence if I am being honest,” he said.

“It is what it is. It was positive in that they worked together and kept going as a team.

“I have got no arguments about the result because we didn’t really create enough although, when Lewis Collins came on, he did really well.

“He was close to coming on at half-time but he started to feel his quads in the warm-up. We have got what we have got at the minute.

“We are on a bad run at the minute, I am not going to deny it. We have got to snap out of it because we have got ambitions to do well in this league and at the moment we are not helping ourselves one bit.

“I am frustrated and the buck stops with me. We have got a really tight group and it will turn. I have seen enough positives where the players have stuck together and backed each other that we will turn this corner.”