Quick summary.....

[FleetFanatic]

.....thought we shaded the 1st half, unlucky to be 1 down at half-time. Inept referee, their penalty was a dive, we could have had a minor penalty shout when a foul was given against Manny (apparently it's a foul to let your opponent pull your shirt).

 

Right with the excuses out the way, new players, same old habits. We faded away in the 2nd half, started playing more longball. We created plenty of chances yet seem unable to put them away.

 

Note to Daish: Manny on as sub might have been a good idea when Exeter went down to 10 men, not when we're 2 nil down with only a few minutes left.

[DarrenGNFC]

Who pitch-invades when your team goes 2-0 up against a mid-table side? <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

 

I thought we were better than them.

[EUFC FAN]

The ref had a really poor game. It's about time the Conference got it house in order with regards to the officials. <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/angry.gif" alt="" />

 

On a completely different topic. I though the crowd (numbers, and voices) was a bit disappointing today.

 

[FleetFanatic]

Quote:

DarrenGNFC said:
Who pitch-invades when your team goes 2-0 up against a mid-table side? <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

And why weren't they ejected from the ground?
It appears that if you stand in a yellow box you face eviction,
but not for running on the pitch.
You can bet that if we had gone 2 nil up and run onto our own pitch,
the stewards wouldn't hesitate to chuck us out!

PS Don't shout nasty names at the ref either. <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

[DarrenGNFC]

Lol yeah. I saw you on the bus, I think. Then you got the train, or so I heard. I recognised you from that Shrek animation. <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/afro.gif" alt="" />

 

Anyway, hmm I actually thought we did quite well today. Reminded me of the Charlton game. Outplayed them then get done by a dodgy penalty.

 

I thought Ross Smith was a very strong contender for man of the match before he got sent off. Grant looked good, as did quite a few actually. Jacko, Skins etc. etc.

[EUFC FAN]

Quote:

FleetFanatic said:

And why weren't they ejected from the ground?
It appears that if you stand in a yellow box you face eviction,
but not for running on the pitch.
You can bet that if we had gone 2 nil up and run onto our own pitch,
the stewards wouldn't hesitate to chuck us out!

Probably because there was no police back up. Anyway they will not be back here again this season unless we meet in one of the cups. (Which could be played behind closed doors, away fans Exeter excluded).

Quote:

FleetFanatic said:
PS Don't shout nasty names at the ref either. <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Kill joy! You spoil all our fun! <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

[FleetFanatic]

Oops sorry, that last instruction was for me.....

[Hannah]

I think Gravesend were a little unlucky today as I thought they were the better side and the exeter goals were nothing spectacular, a freak goal because of poor defending, and a penalty. It's early days and I think Gravesend look good to do quite well this season. The new players are great too, especially McDonald.

[DarrenGNFC]

BBC Report...

 

Gravesend 0-2 Exeter

Lee Phillips' brace gave Exeter the win at Gravesend in a game which saw both sides have a man sent off.

A minute before half-time Phillips latched onto Andrew Taylor's right-wing cross to slam home from close range.

 

The visitors started to dominate but then had Les Afful sent off for a crunching tackle on Danny Slater and Gravesend came back into the match.

 

Phillips doubled the lead from the spot after Ross Graham-Smith was dismissed for bringing down Jon Challinor.

 

-----------------

 

They were beginning to dominate? Hardly...

 

Is Ross Smith's name really Ross Graham-Smith?

 

EDIT - Attendance: 1,578

[EUFC superb]

I was standing behind the goal when the penalty was given and for the life of me I couldn't see why. I presumed it was handball.

[EUFC FAN]

Quote:

gnfc superb said:
I was standing behind the goal when the penalty was given and for the life of me I couldn't see why. I presumed it was handball.

I though the penalty was at the away end! <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" /> What was you doing up there?

(I was otherwise engaged at the time making some room for more beer). <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

[EUFC superb]

I ment behind the goal we were shooting in. (Note to self be less vague <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />)

[Graham S]

Generally optimistic. Thought we looked stronger all round than last season. Thought Grant & MacDonald both looked pretty useful & Slatter gave their midfield the runaround in the 1st half, which is why he got the crunching he did & go frustrated in the end.

 

Having said that, I felt we played route 1 too much. When we were on top, all through the 1st half, it was very direct stuff all the time. Nothing wrong with it, at the right time, as Chelsea showed with their goals last week, but not exclusively. Also very badly caught for pace on the 1st goal. Just a punt forward which caught out the last man (Bowry or Gooding, couldn't be sure.)

 

When they went down to 10, thought we had a real chance, but the penalty & sending off (for what?) ended it. However, to be fair, I thought Exeter looked pretty good when they were running the show for most of the 2nd half. They passed better than we did & got the ball into dangerous positions more quickly as a result.

 

Exeter will be challenging for promotion, I reckon. Have a physical edge they've lacked before. We'll be ok. Obviously need a bit more time to gel. Might well lose the next one too, but expecting 3 points at Canvey.

 

Graham S

[EUFC FAN]

Re: Pitch Invasion (if anyone is interested):

 

http://www.exeweb.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=9574

 

(Exeter City Forum)

[Stu M]

I thought that was a very promising performance but, as FF said, with some old habits dying hard (not killing the game off when on top). Let's not forget, there were six or seven debutants there today who haven't played together in a competitive fixture before. Thought MacDonald held the ball up well, Grant looked good in the first half, and Slatter and Smith both had good games.

 

There wasn't much to choose between those two teams, bar Exeter's first goal (I'll discount the penalty since it was awarded by one of the Conference's four most twattish officials in Mr Lee).

[EUFC FAN]

Quote:

Stu M said:
There wasn't much to choose between those two teams, bar Exeter's first goal (I'll discount the penalty since it was awarded by one of the Conference's four most twattish officials in Mr Lee).

Well the first goal started from a foul on one of our players that Mr Lee, conveniently did not see (which wasn’t the first of the afternoon either).

[Robbo]

Thought that we started off great and looked well up for it in the first half. Was impressed by Bowry, Slatts, Grant and until he got muscled off the ball for their first -Gooding. After Exeters two goals we turned back into the team we were last season. Lets just hope the confidence isn't drowned out of us now.

 

One point. The Exeter defence were disciplined like they were last season and we didn't have much room to attack. And something I noticed was that Bowry plays a very deep holding midfield position like Makelele does for Chelsea. Therefore we need the likes of Saunders to really do their best to get forward in the attack. Otherwise our strikers become isolated. <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/top.gif" alt="" />

[Robbo]

By the way, the ref was rubbish. Someone said he was the same one that added the 8 mins stoppage time away to Farneyboro couple of years back. That true?

[FleetFanatic]

re: ref

 

quote from exeter forum:

 

The ref was terrible, i cannot comment on Les's 'foul' as i did not see anything but a bit of 'argy bargy' between the two. I dont like to say this but sometimes i think that our players should fall down more often. Both sides were very physical yet G&N made the most of this better by falling over! <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

[Fleetbabe]

I thought that we were unlucky not to get a draw out of them. We should have had a penalty when Charlie Mac was forced down, and their penalty didn't seem justified. Ross Smith was unlucky to be sent off, and I think we'll miss him at Grays.

Was really impressed with Danny Slatter, Charlie Mac, Kim Grant, Scott Gooding and Ross Smith. Let's hope we can get a result at Grays on Tuesday.

Agree the ref was diabolical, the worst we've had, surely?