Gary Caldwell upset over ‘joke’ decisions as Exeter City beaten at Charlton Athletic
“The sending off is a joke. Will takes a heavy touch and toed the ball away and Alfie was bought one there, he has dived and made the most of it and the referee fell into the trap and made it a red.”
Exeter City manager Gary Caldwell felt that the big moments went against his side as they slipped to a 4-1 defeat away to Charlton Athletic. The Grecians had taken an early lead and were the better of the two outfits at the Valley until two controversial refereeing decisions in a matter of moments took the game away
With the score at 1-1, Yanic Wildschut was adjudged to have fouled Louie Watson in the box and referee David Rock awarded the penalty – having waved away an almost identical incident in City’s favour in the first half. Then seconds after the restart, Will Aimson was shown a straight red card for a lunge on Alfie May, and while his studs were showing, contact with the Addicks striker looked limited, if at all – the manager calling the decision ‘a joke’.
James Scott had put City ahead on 20 minutes with a calm finish having been played through on goal, and Exeter were on top, but in the 44 th minute, Charlton levelled when Corey Blackett-Taylor reacted quickest to poke home after Chuks Aneke’s header came back off the crossbar.
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May put the Addicks ahead midway in the second half, following up to turn home the rebound after Aneke’s penalty had been saved by Vil Sinisalo. Things went from bad to worse in a nightmare two minute spell for the Grecians when Aimson was shown a straight red card for a late lunge on May.
Myles Leaburn sealed the victory with a powerful strike from the edge of the area in the 78 th minute, before May got his second of the night late on to round off the 4-1 win. City tasted defeat for the fourth time in their last five in League One and dropped down to 10th – in what was a 13 th defeat in the last 16 visits to the Valley. The hosts rose to 14th with a third straight home win and extended the unbeaten run to five.
“I am disappointed with the result,” Caldwell said. “The game plan was working but we are getting moments wrong and it is costing us. First half could have been 2-0 up and it would have been just as we controlled the game without the ball, caused them real problems, and still created the best chances, and conceded a sloppy goal just before half time which we didn’t deserve. But the big moments in the game went against us and cost us and for me it is no
On the refereeing decisions which in a matter of moments changed the complexion of the contest, Caldwell was left unhappy. He said there was no consistency at all in the decision to award the penalty when City didn’t get one of their own, and felt that the red card was a ‘joke’ and blasted May for ‘diving’.
“If it is a penalty for Charlton, then it is a penalty for Vinny Harper first half,” he said. “It is the exact same incident when someone comes and it is a coming together.
“The sending off is a joke. Will takes a heavy touch and toed the ball away and Alfie was bought one there, he has dived and made the most of it and the referee fell into the trap and made it a red. For me it is never a red card. He toed the ball, it wasn’t reckless, player used the momentum and bought the red card. Then 2-1 down and ten men it is difficult as up to then we were very much in the game. The big moments went against us.”
Caldwell made four changes to the side who were beaten 2-0 at home by Northampton Town on Saturday. Back into the starting eleven came Jack Fitzwater, Harry Kite, Scott and Demetri Mitchell, with Pierce Sweeney, Kyle Taylor, Wildschut and Sonny Cox dropping to the bench.
Charlton thought they had taken the lead in the 20 th minute when Aneke got on the end of a long through ball and slotted through the legs of Sinisalo. Thankfully for the Grecians, the offside flag was raised, and it seemed to be the correct decision.
Two minutes later though, in an almost identical move, but at the other end of the pitch, City took the lead. Reece Cole picked up the ball in midfield, threaded the ball through the lines and Scott stayed onside. The attacker bore down on the Charlton goal and from the edge of the box, drilled the finish past Ashley Maynard-Brewer for a third of the season and to make it 1-0.
Scott came close to doubling the lead, but just before half-time, Charlton drew level. A cross from the right from May was met by Aneke. His header came back off the crossbar and bounced right into the path of Blackett-Taylor, who fired home
Zak Jules, Mitchell and Harper all had chances to restore the advantage in the second half before the game turned. Only minutes after coming on, as Wildschut tried to clear a bouncing ball, he caught Watson with the follow through. Referee David Rock took his time before pointing to the penalty spot.
Up stepped Aneke to take the spot kick. He went low to Sinisalo’s right, and the Finn did brilliantly to guess correctly and tip the effort onto the post. Unfortunately though for the Grecians, it ricocheted back into the path of May, who tapped into the unguarded net to put Charlton 2-1 up.
It went from bad to worse for the Grecians immediately from the restart. Aimson took a heavy touch and in his desperate bid to win the ball back slid in high with his studs up. The City skipper seemed to win the ball, but he clattered into May on the follow through, and Rock immediately went to the back pocket and showed the captain the red card. He protested the decision, but had to depart, and it left City with a mountain to climb.
Any hope of getting anything from the game was extinguished ten minutes from time. The ball was worked to Leaburn on the edge of the area, and he rifled home first time finish which had too much power on it for Sinisalo to keep out. In the 85 th minute, it was four, and May did get his second. Blackett-Taylor should have got it, after some silky skills saw him dance past Sweeney and Sinisalo, but unselfishly squared it with the goal gaping. City failed to clear at the first attempt, and it broke to May, who smashed it into the roof of the net
“We were organized, had a game plan to sit deeper and frustrated them and caused them problems on the counter attack,” Caldwell added. “We could have scored another goal, had chances, and then conceded a poor goal as coming in at 1-0 was the least we deserved. I can’t fault the effort and the way we went to try and win the game in the first half but moments hurt us and we have to be better and make sure moments go in our favour.”
Exeter City are back in action on Saturday when they host Barnsley at St James Park.
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