I hate people who post the same thing on several threads and all the forums, so I will copy and paste what I wrote on RageonLine.......................................................
Paul Tisdale, the answer to all of our problems, the person many are hoping is the manager in waiting. Half time change of formation. Then a TRIPLE substitution. To no decent effect. I'll stick rather than twist right now.
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At around 12:30 on the M5 it was hammering down, but Exeter seemed to be dodging the rain and had blue skies at around 2pm although clouds were racing past, and as I had already bought a terrace ticket, stuck with it. The Wells Inn outside the ground was a little back street boozer, but they surely missed an opportunity by not filling up their hot display with some local pies or pasties, advertised at £2 each. Also this was the first pub I have ever seen with pebble-dash on the windowsills / lavatory cistern top in the gents to dissuade any drug taking.
I've never been to St James' Park before. But from what I can gather, the following has changed:- The pitch has retreated from the away terrace, so instead of being pressed up against the goal, there are now several yards of tarmac in between. Similarly, the hedge at the back has been fenced off by a couple of steps with a 6 foot high metal barrier. I can only imagine this is some planned redevelopment whereby the impressive all standing home terrace built a few years back has moved backwards, to allow more space to redevelop the away terrace. The sooner they get started on the 'facilities', the better. But as a trust run club, I can see the problems in never being able to lose money in a season, because there is no-one to fund those losses.
The starting line up was pretty much as expected, the injured Chapman being replaced by Lee Cox. If we only keep one loan player, it would be Cox for me - our midfield is light in numbers.
Clarke
Batt, Raynes, Wright, Davis
Cox, Leven
Potter, Constable, Craddock, Rigg
The first five minutes we were OK, then Exeter found their form and we were on the back foot for ten minutes.
Then the dark clouds appeared, and it started to rain. Earlier I had taken off my jacket and jumper and was down to yellow home shirt, but they all came back on again and I retreated to the metal fence at the back as the wind was blowing the rain in from that direction.
Rigg tore their right back apart again and again, going past with ease. And then a cross went in, I thought Craddock scored, but it was Constable.
Liam Davis later went down injured, to be replaced by Tony Capaldi. The referee insisted that Davis left the pitch round the back of the home goal, when normally L2 refs allow players to hobble the whole length of the pitch (particularly when it is an opposition player, and Oxford are losing).
United made it through to half time with the one goal lead, and we started the same again second half. In the far distance, Constable scored again, and before I could even text through to a friend without radio commentary, Leven had scored a third. Ryan Clarke was by now (about 20 mins left) asking how long to go, and in a Turley-esque moment, when asked for "Clarkey give us a dance", did a brief Gangnam Style prance. Even at three goals up, 'jingle bells' songs were hushed down, such is the superstition involved.
The triple substitution mentioned at the start included a big lad up front - something I think we will need with the state of our home pitch. He caused us several problems, and then we gave away a penalty. Damian Batt has committed far worse fouls in the past, and I think was slightly unfortunate to be penalised for a ball against arm. Cureton scored, and it was game back on as far as I was concerned. Exeter basically needed to score one, whereas we needed to not sit back and defend. We continued to attack albeit less throwing everyone forward than previous games, and Exeter therefore had to keep men back, and hope to counter.
Our new 'striker', Josh Parker, came on for exactly the reasons I hope we signed him: to let players have a rest. Craddock had had a decent game and looked most likely to score, perhaps this distracted their defenders into concentrating on him rather than Constable or Leven. When I say striker, a lot has been made that Parker hasn't scored yet in the league, but a lot of his games have been in midfield, so I won't take much notice of that. Late on, JFC came on. I don't think he has done too badly this half season, and perhaps we are under instruction not to let him get injured before he returns to Brighton (or onto Gillingham if some rumours are true).
So three points away, against a team we haven't beaten in the league for 30 years (not that that really means anything), and we are building a run of eight games with four wins and four draws. I was told it is now four defeats in 19?
I am looking forward to the AFCW game on Saturday, a bit of winning momentum always helps.
And thank you to all the players and staff who gave up their Christmas Day for training and travelling down to Taunton. Well worth the three points.
Happy Oxmas!