Paul Tisdale delighted to see Exeter keep play-off chase on track

Posted Wednesday, March 21, 2018 by PA

Exeter manager Paul Tisdale was delighted with his team’s 1-0 win at Port Vale which boosted their League Two play-off hopes.

Jordan Storey scored the only goal of the game in the first half to move the Grecians up to sixth in the table.

Struggling Vale lie 20th in the table, seven points above the bottom two, after a result which did nothing to ease their relegation fears.

Tisdale said: “I’m delighted. It was a pretty ugly game all round really from our point of view.

“We sort of nicked a goal from a set piece and we hung on,” added Tisdale in an interview on the club’s Twitter account.

“That wasn’t the plan, that wasn’t our intention before the game but (it’s a ) very, very energy-sapping pitch here.

“I think the game just descended into a rhythm where we were defending our back line.

“We managed to get over the line. Delighted with the effort. It was a really important three points. We managed to score and they didn’t.

“I would like to think our clean sheet was a lot of application and a lot of detail.”

The visitors took the lead in the first half when Storey poked the ball in from a Ryan Harley cross.

The home side responded well straight after Exeter scored with a long-range effort from Tyrone Barnett that just flew wide.

Exeter goalkeeper Christy Pym then tipped a Barnett header over the bar.

Exeter’s Taylor headed off the line to keep City ahead after Barnett’s header looked destined for the corner.

In the second half with David Worrall created a number of chances for Vale, including a 69th-minute cross shot that was tipped over the bar by Pym, who also pulled off an excellent save to deny Barnett’s header and then Luke Hannant’s powerful follow-up.