Exeter manager Gary Caldwell hailed his side’s character as they climbed to seventh in the League One table with a hard-fought win over luckless Cambridge at St James Park.
Ryan Woods struck his first goal since November 2017 to earn City the win, but they were far from their best as energy-sapping away trips to Wigan and Leyton Orient in the past week showed.
“I thought we were very good in the first half and we need to understand that, in that moment against a team that is struggling, we need to put the game to bed and we should have been two or three up,” he said.
“Our final third play was a little bit loose and we weren’t as incisive as we wanted to be, but we had total control of the game. They came and set up 5-3-2, played very direct, so we had to deal with a lot of long balls, which I thought we dealt with really well.
“Some of our build-up was extremely good without doing enough with it and that is one area, along with other areas, we have to improve as a team.
“Second half, I thought we looked tired. A lot of players have played more minutes than we would have liked, but the character, the spirit and fight to keep a clean sheet and get another victory was incredible. It was a fantastic week from the players, time to recover now and time to address certain things that we have to get better at to keep that run of form going.”
For Cambridge, it was another hard luck story and they remain without a win this season in League One.
“How many hard luck stories can we have?” bemoaned manager Garry Monk. “I thought the first half was quite even, but their goal, there was a clear foul on our ‘keeper and I am bemused by some of the decisions. I don’t know what else you need for it to be a foul, he is being dragged down by his shirt. If I say anything, I’ll get in trouble, but I think it’s glaringly obvious and it’s bemusing.
“I thought the first half was even, the second half was dominant. All the play was in their half, but we just couldn’t find that breakthrough. A lot of endeavour, a lot of good attitude and hard work and energy. I can’t fault the boys on that front.
“The flip side is that you would expect to see a team in disarray, disorganised, a lack of energy and get beaten off the park, given our results, but I really don’t feel that’s the way at all. We lack in certain moments, but we feel hard done by. It has to change, I know that, but we are doing everything we can to turn it round.”
[(Racing Club de Avellaneda) Strength]: 1. Racing Club de Avellaneda lost their first encounter 0-1, so they cannot afford any loss this time and must go all out to win, fully motivated.2. In the last domestic league game, Adrian Balboa performed well and scored the first goal to put the team ahead.3. Racing Club de Avellaneda scored 5 goals and conceded 5 in the last 5 games with good performance...
[(Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors) Strength]: 1. Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors performed stably across all competitions this season. Since April, the team have remained unbeaten in the last 20 matches.2. Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors scored at halftime in 4 consecutive games, getting into form quickly on offense.3. Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors scored at least 2 goals per game in 5 consecutive matches, showing strong attack.4....
[(Velez Sarsfield) Strength]: 1. During their first encounter, Velez Sarsfield played a goalless draw. In this home game, they vow to grab a win and advance, with full motivation.2. Braian Romero withstood the pressure in the last game and scored a penalty in the final moment, helping the team seal a last-gasp victory.3. Velez Sarsfield defeated Club Atletico Independiente 2-1 in the last game, wh...
[(Ferencvaros) Strength]: 1. Ferencvaros are motivated to win this home game and take the lead in advancing.2. Cadu scored a goal in the last game, once helping the team tie the game.3. Ferencvaros received 3 wins and 1 loss in the last 4 home games, revealing outstanding home performances.4. Ferencvaros scored 11 goals and conceded 3 in the last 5 games, boasting excellent attack and solid defens...
[(Gwangju FC) Strength]: 1. The first leg of the Semi-finals will see Gwangju FC play at home first. They hope to grab the advantage, with full motivation.2. Gwangju FC forward Reis scored twice in the last game, being in good form.3. Gwangju FC performed well and scored a 2-0 win over Daejeon Hana Citizen in hte last game, thus getting back on the winning ways.4. AH market provided home team a -1...
[(FC Machida Zelvia) Strength]: 1. In the last league game, Korean internationals Oh Se Hun and Na Sang Ho both scored in open play, showing decent performances.2. This game is FC Machida Zelvia's fourth consecutive home game, which is in favor of them.3. FC Machida Zelvia won 3-0 over Cerezo Osaka in the last league game, securing a 10-game winning streak across all competitions.4. FC Machida Zel...
[(Crvena Zvezda) Strength]: 1. Crvena Zvezda vow to win this home game in order to grab the advancing advantage, with full motivation.2. Aleksandar Katai performed very well in the last domestic league game. He scored a hat-trick in a win for the team.3. Crvena Zvezda defeated Mladost Lucani 4-1 in the last domestic league game. They achieved 7 wins and 1 draw in the last 8 games, being in red-hot...
[(Sao Paulo FC) Strength]: 1. Sao Paulo FC drew with Atletico Nacional in the first leg on the road. They will advance to the next round if they win this round at home, indicating full motivation to win.2. Sao Paulo FC signed Serie A team Atalanta BC captain Rafael Toloi recently. He is expected to make his debut in this match.3. Sao Paulo FC drew 2-2 with Sport Club do Recife in the last league g...
[(Chengdu Rongcheng FC) Strength]: 1. Chengdu Rongcheng FC drew 0-0 with Qingdao Hainiu F.C. in the last Chinese Super League, ending their winning streak. However, the team were unbeaten with 5 wins and 1 draw in the last 6 games, showing commendable performances.2. Chengdu Rongcheng FC scored 12 goals in the last 5 home games, revealing outstanding attack at home.3. Chengdu Rongcheng FC are now ...
[(Sanfrecce Hiroshima) Strength]: 1. Sanfrecce Hiroshima have achieved 14 wins, 4 draws and 8 losses in the league so far this season. They have scored 30 goals and conceded 18 goals in 26 league matches, and currently rank 5th in the league standings. The team will play at home in this game and have a strong desire to win.2. Naoto Arai, the main defender of Sanfrecce Hiroshima, has performed stea...
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