Gary Caldwell admits Exeter draw with Charlton was fair outcome

Posted Saturday, March 30, 2024 by PA

Exeter manager Gary Caldwell felt the draw was a fair result as his side failed to capitalise on a near-perfect start in the 1-1 stalemate with Charlton.

Ben Purrington’s sixth-minute goal against his former club was the first time Exeter had scored in the opening 15 minutes of a home league game since October 2021 but they let Charlton off the hook by sitting on that lead.

It came back to haunt them as Chuks Aneke’s header went in off Grecians defender Cheick Diabate with just three minutes remaining and it could have been worse for Exeter had Alfie May’s stoppage-time strike not hit the upright.

Caldwell said: “I think it was probably a fair result. I think both teams might think they could have won it.

“I want us to be better over the course of the game; I thought our start in the game was fantastic and the personality we showed right from kick-off, the bravery to play our way, the patterns of play we had worked on all week were killing them.

“We scored a brilliant goal and then we stopped doing what we did to get in front. We made it a 50-50 game. We lost our composure.

“When we give it away playing out, we then become edgy at doing that. I think it’s a lesson that we have to stick to the process. We have to keep doing the things that got us in front in the game and not turn the game into a 50-50 game.

“We’re four games unbeaten but we need to be better.”

Charlton boss Nathan Jones was left with mixed emotions.

He said: “I am just disappointed. If we had started the game better and just been a bit more front-footed and cleared our lines a bit and taken the game to them in the first 10 minutes, we wouldn’t have lost the game.

“We were good first half and created enough chances and moved the ball well but 1-0 puts a different spin on stuff.

“Second half we came out and went after it in the first six, seven minutes and then the game evened out and it wasn’t until I made the changes that we looked like we were going to score.

“Then we finally get the goal and continued to go for it, we went for the win and should have won it at the end. The positives are that we are another game unbeaten, it is another point and we will keep going.

“I wanted us to be front-footed and come out of the blocks but we were a mile off what we have been in recent weeks. Now we have got three home games where I really want us to be front-footed.”