Our first-half performance was abhorrent – Derby boss Paul Warne

Derby head coach Paul Warne blasted his team’s “abhorrent” first-half display after they were held 0-0 at home by Exeter.

County improved in the second period but Warne pulled no punches when he looked back on the first 45 minutes.

“I’m hugely frustrated, disappointed and a bit hurt,” he said.

“I just thought our first-half performance was abhorrent. We moved the ball way too slow, we pressed way too slow, we weren’t aggressive enough and didn’t give ourselves a chance to win the game.

“I thought second half we were significantly better and it looked a bit more like us, or how I’d like us to be, but the first half was difficult for me to accept.

“I’ve told the lads straight, I’m disappointed and I hope we will see a response on Saturday. Standards have to improve and sometimes that comes from a desire and I just didn’t see any desire first half.

“Whether the players thought they could just turn up and pass it around freely and win comfortably, I don’t know – but if they do think that, it’s a problem because this league just bites you all the time.”

Chances were few and far between, with the main incident Jamal Blackman’s challenge on William Osula early in the second half. The Exeter goalkeeper raced out of his area and clattered into the striker but referee Adam Herczeg did not give a free-kick.

Blackman remained in the spotlight, turning over a deflected free-kick from Conor Hourihane in the 77th minute.

Blackman was injured late on in a challenge by Osula when he dived to cut out a low cross from David McGoldrick and had to go off.

His 16-year-old replacement Harry Lee made a crucial punch clear as Derby pressed hard in seven minutes of added time but Exeter deservedly held on..

Exeter manager Gary Caldwell was delighted with the way his team performed in his first game in charge.

“The players have had a big change recently in terms of a manager who was here a number of years (Matt Taylor) leaving so for them to produce that performance, I have so much pride and admiration,” he said.

“We have a committed group of players who will give everything, the energy they showed, the application and a real desire from them to try and implement certain things. Second half we had to really dig in and I thought we did that incredibly well.

“I said to the players, as proud as I am and happy as I am with that performance, I know and they know they can be even better but that will take time.”