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Interviews

Post Exeter | Steve Cotterill

13 September 2022

Interviews

Post Exeter | Steve Cotterill

13 September 2022

Steve Cotterill spoke to the club after tonight's victory over Exeter City.

Town went 2-0 down at home after The Grecians made a fast start but Matt Pennington pulled one back instantly to make the score 2-1 after 20 minutes.

Tom Bayliss equalled the scoring before half-time before Chey Dunkley poked home a late winner in the 93rd winner.

Cotterill praised tonight's goalscorers and discussed the game as a whole.

On the game:

“It (the win) was going to come late after the start. They started the game brighter than we did and got their noses in front deservedly. I think the balance of play started to even out a little bit and then they go and get a goal from a deflection which Marko (Marosi) can’t do anything about, so we're right on the back foot at two-nil down.

“What we needed to do is get a quick goal back and thankfully that's what we did do and then it was quite a ding-dong game. Like I said before, they would be very dangerous as they're a good team and everything that we spoke to our players about going into this game didn’t disappoint us in terms of what we thought might happen during the game.

“I think their two forwards have been incredible for them this season and our three lads back there won’t have too many more difficult games against two strikers. I think their strikers were excellent and led the line very well and like I said, it put us on the back foot. But we managed to get ourselves all level by half time thankfully, and then the second half was about making sure we kept a clean sheet.

"By doing that, it enabled us to grow into the game again and then to make another couple of substitutions, that goes to show what a squad game it is and maybe without the changes we might not have gone on and got the win. Thankfully we did, and I think in the second half we created enough chances to get the win anyway.”

On Matthew Pennington’s goal:

“He ran off celebrating against Forest Green Rovers and has had the mickey taken out of him a little bit as I think he thought that one went in. I did say to him before the game that I fancy him to score a goal and it wasn’t necessarily how it came about, I just thought he would get his head on something in their box.

"We hadn’t had anywhere near enough corners in the first half or set plays because they had them all, but it was funny because at two-nil, it seemed the turning point in the game for them. But I'm delighted for Matthew (Pennington)."

On Tom Bayliss' contribution:

“I think that was his best game for us tonight but I did think he was good last game. I did say at half-time that I think he could win us the game but we have just got to get Bayliss doing all the mucky stuff because we all know how good of a footballer he is. He carries and glides with that ball and he just looks majestic with the ball, but he knows we have to make sure he does all the horrible stuff in the game as those would be the things that would be thrown at him over the years. Well, he has me on him every day about all of that stuff but I'm really pleased for him."

On Chey Dunkley:

“He is a tough boy and he is always in and around the box and it's brilliant that he has scored and he's a great lad. We just need Flanno (Tom Flanagan) in with the scoring but I'm sure he will try a little bit harder knowing the defender's goal-scoring column is racking up.

"It does not matter who scores the goals as Christian Saydee got a couple blocked and Ryan (Bowman) had that one that he takes early towards the end. With the chances we had, we deserved to win."

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