Exeter City again aren’t ruthless and clinical enough
“I thought the game should have been finished at half-time, but we aren’t ruthless enough, we aren’t clinical enough and we don’t recognise the moment to kill the opposition off,”
Exeter City manager Gary Caldwell called on his side to be more ruthless after failing to make the most of their first half dominance against Fleetwood Town. The Grecians produced one of their most comfortable halves of football of the season and made the Cod Army look woeful on Saturday at St James Park, but ultimately failed to put the game to bed.
Vincent Harper’s first goal for the club had broken the deadlock on 24 minutes when he finished from close range having been picked out by a Reece Cole cross. But that was all that they mustered from a half where they could and should have been out of sight.
Too often good opportunities to put the ball into the box were wasted – Ilmari Niskanen was culpable of hitting the first man countless times – while Exeter only had three shots on goal to show for their total dominance.
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Charlie Adam’s side only had one shot in the first half, and less than 30 per cent possession, but were a different animal after the break. By full time, they had 15 shots, and probably did enough in the second half to claim the victory. In the end, they had to settle for a point through Promise Omochere’s strike 15 minutes from time as the game finished 1-1.
“I thought the game should have been finished at half-time, but we aren’t ruthless enough, we aren’t clinical enough and we don’t recognise the moment to kill the opposition off,” Caldwell said.
“It was 1-0 when it should have been 3-0 or 4-0 and that is something we have to learn very quickly in the last 11 games. “We absolutely dominated them in the first half and I think everyone in the stadium could see who the better team was. But from that, we don’t get enough shots, enough final actions, we don’t get enough goals.
“That game should have been finished at half-time – and the players have to learn the game is about scoring goals and winning football matches and today we let a team off the hook. We made them poor in the first half, we were outstanding in the first half. We absolutely killed them but from that you have to score, you have to kill the game off. The game should have been finished but we weren’t ruthless enough in the final third.”
Harper’s goal was remarkably only the second City had scored in the first half at St James Park in the league all season – Will Aimson got the other back in August against Reading. But having just six shots all game when the balance of play is considered is a disappointment that left the manager furious post-match.
The point keeps Exeter 14 th , seven clear of the relegation zone. But given Fleetwood stayed 23 rd , seven points from safety, it was a clear missed opportunity to really ease any relegation worries.
It could have been nothing, as Brendan Wiredu had what he thought was an equaliser ruled out for the softest of fouls on Vil Sinisalo. That said, there was a tinge of controversy about the actual equaliser, as replays are inclusive as to whether Ronan Coughlan, who was in clear offside position, got a touch on the ball after Omochere’s shot, before or after it crossed the line.
City now have a week to prepare for their next outing, a trip to Peterborough United on Saturday, who ended a four game losing run with a win at Cambridge United. Exeter’s record at London Road is miserable with no win in 36 years, and they will have to do without Cole, who is suspended for the next two games after a tenth booking of the season.
