‘We had enough chances to win’ – Matt Taylor bemoans missed Exeter opportunities

Posted Sunday, December 27, 2020 by PA

Exeter manager Matt Taylor felt his side did enough to beat Forest Green but bemoaned their failure to take chances as the top-of-the-table Sky Bet League Two clash finished as a 1-1 draw.

Aaron Collins’ precise finish, sidefooting the ball into the bottom corner from 20 yards out, put Rovers in front before Exeter’s Archie Collins levelled things with a rocket that crashed in off the underside of the crossbar.

Exeter created the better chances throughout the game but had to settle for a point, with Jack Sparkes and Joel Randall missing the best opportunities either side of the two goals scored.

“Looking back at the game, I think we had enough chances to win,” Taylor said. “I thought we were the better team, although it was two very good teams and I really enjoyed watching that game, especially in the first half.

“The ball didn’t quite fall for us and, certainly in the first 15 to 20 minutes, we felt we had enough chances and it was so disappointing to concede that first goal.

“We deservedly got back in the game and, with no disrespect to Forest Green, it felt like we were the team on the front foot looking to win that game of football.

“They are a possession-based team and I think we forced them into playing direct, into their centre-forward, and we had to handle that, so we forced them into changing the way they played, but we didn’t quite have it in us to find the second goal. You look at the chances we had at the back post and we have to hit the target in those moments.

“I can’t fault that too much. It was two honest teams and two honest groups of players.”

Rovers boss Mark Cooper felt he had too many players off their game.

He said: “I am delighted with a point. We had too many players under par today, big players. Sometimes you have to give the opposition credit and I thought they were on the front foot.

“But saying that we went 1-0 up and if we don’t make a horrendous mistake for their goal, we probably win the game 1-0 without playing well. But we take the point and move on.

“We have done our job and stopped the attack and then not cleared it. We give the ball away on the edge of the box and their lad has hit a great strike.

“We should just clear the ball and we don’t and we end up losing two points from it.

“If we have seven or eight players under six or seven out of 10, it is impossible to win the game. Bar one or two, we were under. But it is finished now, we move on to Tuesday and it is a brilliant point if we get a good result on Tuesday.”