We were really poor – Gary Caldwell unhappy with slow-starting Exeter after draw

Posted Sunday, January 15, 2023 by PA

Exeter manager Gary Caldwell could not hide his frustration at the first hour of his side’s performance after City were held to a 1-1 draw at home by League One’s bottom club Forest Green.

The Grecians were really poor in that time and fell behind when Rovers forward Jordon Garrick, making his debut on loan from Swansea, ghosted in at the far post to tuck in Jamie Robson’s cross.

But the introductions of Jevani Brown and Newcastle loanee Joe White off the bench livened Exeter up with the former curling in a delightful 75th-minute equaliser.

“I think we could have had all three points off the back of the last 20 minutes because I thought we were outstanding, but I was very disappointed with how we played in that first hour to 65 minutes,” Caldwell said.

“We guarded against it all week in training and we warned the players what could happen after winning two games and playing against bottom of the league and our message as a coaching staff didn’t get through.

“We were really poor. We didn’t show any life, didn’t have great body language, but I still don’t think we deserved to be 1-0 down. We gifted them a goal and then we made the substitutions and we started to play.

“It was a poor goal from our point of view, we weren’t aggressive enough, didn’t stay with runners and didn’t mark in the box. It was something we spoke about all week.

“We were able to have a word at half-time to pick players up and in hindsight, we probably should have made a sub at half-time to affect the players because when the players did come on, I think we looked a different team.”

The draw was not enough for Forest Green to move off the bottom of the table and manager Ian Burchnall said: “I am pleased with a point but, of course, being in a leading position we hoped to see the game out.

“There was two brilliant goals. I thoughts ours was a really well worked team goal and it was a wonderful strike for their goal. I thought it was fairly quiet in the first half, we were working each other out a little bit and our shape was very good without the ball.

“In the second half, the game came to life, there was tackles flying in, plenty of energy and it was lively on the touchline and lively on the pitch. It was an entertaining game, I am sure people liked to watch it with two teams trying to win the game.

“Exeter have been in great form so to come here and take a point is something to now build on. Being away from home I thought we contained them pretty well.

“Our structure off the ball was vastly improved. We started the second half brightly and, from that point, the game came to life.”