Paul Tisdale calls for Exeter to dust themselves down and prepare for play-offs

Posted Sunday, April 29, 2018 by PA

Exeter manager Paul Tisdale has asked his players to keep their spirits up after their hopes of winning automatic promotion from League Two were ended by a 3-1 loss at Stevenage.

After a hat-trick from Stevenage’s Alex Revell saw them slump to defeat, the Grecians needed favours from elsewhere, but third-place Wycombe’s victory at Chesterfield means they can no longer be caught.

Tisdale must now prepare his players for another tilt at the play-offs, after falling at the final hurdle against Blackpool last season.

Tisdale said: “I’ve just asked the players to have some context of where we sit and it’s been a long season, but it’s not finished yet.

“We’ve got another three or four games to go and we have to rise to that challenge, so it is what it is.

“I thought we gave everything today. Again, it just hasn’t gone our way, so we’ve just got to get ourselves prepared for what’s coming next.

“We had enough [chances] in the game, from start to finish. We were purposeful and determined from start to finish.

“We conceded the first goal, but then the second goal was really a crucial moment for us – a mistake at the back and then it was a long way back.

“But we tried from the first minute to the very last minute and I really liked us today, so we’ve just got to raise ourselves now for the next two or three weeks.”

Stevenage went ahead after 14 minutes when Revell rounded off a lovely move involving Ben Sheaf and Matt Godden before the same man doubled the lead by taking advantage of a mistake by Exeter goalkeeper Christy Pym.

Revell completed his hat-trick four minutes into the second half, with the Grecians eventually grabbing a consolation through Pierce Sweeney’s penalty.

Stevenage manager Dino Maamria said: “I think this was the most enjoyable game since I took over, despite everything.

“We had so many problems at the training ground this week, but the lads were terrific, absolutely brilliant to watch.

“That’s the type of football I want – on the front foot, attack after attack after attack. We were relentless going forward.

“As you’ve seen, defensively we tried to shuffle the pack and play a few players out of position and we gave three debuts today, which is brilliant for the academy and brilliant for the football club.

“I’m lucky to have Revs, and a few others as well to be fair to them.

“He works so hard and he covers the most distance in training day in and day out and in games as well.

“He’s got his reward – the harder you work. He’s 34 now, but you wouldn’t believe it by the way he was running.”