Exasperation in Exeter City after a super star was a victim of a smash-and-grab to…..
“We have to be better in final third and more clinical. 29 shots and only four on target tells the story of the game, and we cannot concede as easily as we did. They didn’t come to score but we gifted them the opportunity.”
Exeter City manager Gary Caldwell was left disappointment and frustrated after his Grecians side slumped to a fifth successive loss. Wigan Athletic came away from St James Park with all three points after a smash-and-grab win.
Martial Godo put the Latics ahead in the eighth minute when he slotted home from close range after City were caught out by a long ball over the top. But that was pretty much all Shaun Maloney’s side offered as an attacking threat as they sat back deep.
The Grecians but failed to make the most of their pressure. City had 72 per cent possession, 29 shots, 17 corners – but failed to force Sam Tickle into a single save until stoppage-time – when a whole flurry of chances went begging – where City hit the post and had one cleared off the line.
They were costly as on the break, Jordan Jones saw a deflected effort sneak home – it went down as a Will Aimson own goal – to seal the victory and a 2-0 triumph. It is now five defeats in a row for Exeter in League One, and seven in eight in all competitions – but Caldwell was happy with 99 per cent of what he saw on Saturday.
“We performed very well, but gave away a terrible goal early in the game, and then Wigan sit it and camp,” he said. “We control the game, create crosses, opportunity shots, but we have to be more clinical in the final third and we can’t give teams a goal start. ,
“It is very clear on what happened. The effort, application, desire, I felt it was outstanding, I can’t fault that, but what we can fault little details in the final third and not conceding first which is a habit we have got into and then we are chasing the game.
“We are all disappointed and we need to change this run and we need to stick together, look at moments to be better in both boxes. We still have belief in what we try and do, have to turn the opportunities into goals and get clean sheets like did earlier in the season
“We have to be better in final third and more clinical. 29 shots and only four on target tells the story of the game, and we cannot concede as easily as we did. They didn’t come to score but we gifted them the opportunity.”
Caldwell made three changes from the last League One outing a fortnight ago, the 1-0 home defeat to Barnsley. Into the starting line-up came the fit-again trio of Ryan Trevitt, Tom Carroll and for a full debut, Admiral Muskwe, for Harry Kite, Reece Cole and James Scott. Jack Fitzwater and Caleb Watts were also fit enough for a spot on the bench.
After a bright City started, in the eighth minute, and with their first attack of the game, Wigan took the lead. Stephen Humphrys got his head to a bouncing ball on the half-way line ahead of Pierce Sweeney, nodded it into, and sped into the acres of space created. He squared the ball to the unmarked Godo, who slotted the finish past Vil Sinisalo.
City had a series of half chances to draw level, with Zak Jules poking into the side netting and Demetri Mitchell curling just wide as close as they came before the interval. Trevitt slicing wide after a poor punch from the goalkeeper landed at his feet and Aimson heading over from a free-kick the best of the second half chances, before the chaos of the eight minutes added-on.
In the first of them, after the ball pinballed around the box, Watts’s snatched shot was well kept out by Tickle, his first save of the afternoon. He then made another one, tipping a Mitchell effort onto the roof of the net which looked to be creeping in.
Yanic Wildschut then saw an effort come back off the post after a mazy run into the box, and he headed the follow-up over, as the kitchen
