Turned Out Nice, Didn't It

Back at The Valley for a game which nobody would have felt confident predicting the outcome before the start – or as it turned out an hour into the game. We went into it notionally on the back of four unbeaten, but with Saturday’s game having poured some cold water on the rate of improvement. Exeter came along having seemingly gone from glowing praise and topping the table a few weeks ago to three defeats in the last four, slipping out of the top six, their manager having said after the last one that they were “nowhere near good enough”. In the end, we got the breaks and ended up comfortable winners, having managed to avoid going 0-2 down in the first half, equalising at a good time just before half-time, then nicking a penalty followed almost immediately after by them going down to 10 men curtesy of a misjudgement by the ref, going on to score two more against by then spent opposition.

After Saturday there were decisions to be made on the team/squad, including taking into account those returning from injury and those who took a battering against Shrewsbury, with another game at the weekend also in mind. In the event Appleton opted for some changes and was forced into others. Isted and Thomas were both unavailable, Maynard-Brewer and Watson(L) starting in their places. In addition, Leaburn and Campbell(T) were moved to the bench with Aneke and Tedic starting, along with Blackett-Taylor and May, offering plenty of forward potential. And Campbell(C) was back in the squad. It was flagged on the website as a ‘possible’ 4-2-3-1, but you can call it 4-3-3 if it were assumed that May would occupy the position behind a front three (the BBC marked it down as a 4-4-2 with Aneke and May up front but it didn’t look like that).

The first half you’d say wasn’t as bad as many we’ve seen of late, with Aneke presence enabling us to compete better going forward we created chances. But through it we struggled to contain Exeter, who made good use of the long out ball to speedy wingers. We might have taken the lead on 18 minutes as the impressive Watson(L) deftly brought the ball out of defence and dinked it over their defensive line for both Aneke and Tadic to run onto. Aneke decided it was his – not for the last time in the game when he might have left it for someone else – and took it forward, shooting under the keeper and into the net. But he was flagged for offside. Whether or not he was seemed a close call; it did appear that Tedic was onside and that if he’d put it in the net it would have counted. The TV replays I saw weren’t much help.

Instead a few minutes later Exeter were ahead, exposing our defensive frailties. There seemed nothing untoward going on as their defender brought the ball out, but a well-timed run from deep was spotted and suddenly their guy was clear with a run on Maynard-Brewer, our advancing back line having been dissected. The shot might have been saved but wasn’t.

Aneke shot over from a good position around the edge of the box, as he had done against Shrewsbury, then we almost went 0-2 down as a ball down their right found someone in space. The cross to an onrushing forward was delivered but he curled it just beyond the corner of the post and bar. A let-off. Back up the other end and Hector up for a corner turned well and shot just wide of the post.

Approaching the break and even watching on the TV in France you could sense growing unease among the crowd. But before that could take root we equalised. May found the space between the lines and from the right side sent in a hanging cross for Aneke to attack. That he did, but having beaten the defender to the ball he sent his header crashing against the bar. Fortunately for us the rebound dropped kindly for Blackett-Taylor who was able to hit it home. It meant a very different feeling than would otherwise have been the case as the players left the pitch.

The nip and tuck continued early in the second half. A cross to the far post found CBT, who beat the flailing defender to it but clipped it just wide, then he turned provider, for them, as he lost the ball, enabling their guy to run on and get in the shot, palmed away by Maynard-Brewer. Then a Tedic shot was turned over for a corner.

The game really turned, with a vengeance, just after the hour. Tedic was fouled but an advantage played, his one-two with Watson(L) creating the opening. The ball in was headed away but Watson with Watson(T) was able to get to it just before a guy Exeter had brought on a few minutes earlier. There was contact and the ref pointed to the spot. You thought May would take on the responsibility, being the main taker, perhaps Blackett-Taylor, who had scored well at Stevenage. Instead Aneke seemed to make it clear that he was in charge. His spot kick wasn’t the best, the keeper guessed right and turned it onto the post, only for May to pounce on the rebound. Our second goal of the night resulting from a rebound off the woodwork and a case of May having the last laugh.

Almost immediately after Exeter’s race was run. Their guy around the centre-circle took a heavy touch and went into a 50-50 with May. May ended up clutching his foot/ankle clearly in pain and the ref obviously interpreted the challenge as late and reckless, perhaps studs up and off the ground, and pulled out the red card. The replays pretty much confirmed that their guy had in fact got to the ball first, in a reasonably controlled fashion, with May ending up kicking his trailing foot. One of those where you could see why the ref viewed it as dangerous play, but still amounted to a bad decision. The card will presumably be overturned on appeal.

That was the cue for Leaburn to replace Aneke. And with a little over 10 minutes of normal time left he cemented the points he collected a ball across the box (perhaps a pass from Watson, perhaps a defender’s intervention), took a touch, then rifled it into the corner of the net. All could relax then and more changes were made: Fraser, Campbell(T) and Asiimwe for Watson(L), Tedic and Watson(T). We added a fourth with around five minutes left on the clock, a ball over the top for CBT to collect. He beat the defender, took it around the keeper, but with the angle tight pulled it back. Leaburn couldn’t get there but once more the loose ball found May, who shot fiercely into the roof of the net. Campbell(C) on for Dobson and we were able to stroll through the nine minutes of stoppage time.

Nobody’s going to complain about a 4-1 win, one that means we can talk now of an unbeaten run (five games, three won, including the first overseen by Pearce). The question marks of course remain: how to get the defence tighter, how to make the most of the attacking options we now have. Starting with Aneke and Tedic, with May in the hole, can be said to have worked in that through the game we created chances, while Leaburn was available as and when Chuks could do no more. Whether May can continue as a No.10, as Fraser gets back to full fitness and hopefully Camara becomes available, are let’s face it the sort of selection problems we only dreamed about not long ago (no doubt Holden does too).

Only disappointment is that I thought this was a league in which you could string together a few results and go shooting up the table. We are up to 14th, but it is a bit of a struggle it seems. No matter, bring on Blackpool on Saturday. Confidence should be high, see if we can keep this run going.