Richie Wellens: Swindon got what they deserved with late equaliser

Posted Sunday, August 18, 2019 by PA

Swindon manager Richie Wellens felt his side got exactly what they deserved as debutant Eoin Doyle’s late strike earned a 1-1 draw with Exeter.

The Grecians went ahead when Lee Martin’s drilled cross was turned in from close range by Matt Jay after 72 minutes.

Jay almost added a second before the Robins levelled two minutes from time as Zeki Fryers’ cross was turned in by Doyle, who only joined the club on Friday afternoon.

“The way we played in the first half was very good and I wanted to continue that,” Wellens said.

“Eoin Doyle does what Eoin Doyle does and then we got our belief back. But I don’t want us to lose that belief. At the very least, we deserved was a point today.

“We should have had a penalty. Lloyd Isgrove was about to shoot and was pushed in the back.

“He is saying the lad has made a good tackle, well he has, he has come and taken the ball. We have not got a problem with that, but the reason why Lloyd did not get his shot off was because he has been pushed in the back. It is blatant.

“Then we get through and Keshi (Anderson) hits a great strike and fair play to the lad (Exeter’s Aaron Martin) because I don’t know how he has cleared that off the line. It was great defending, but we probably should have scored.

“We were pretty much on top in the first half. They play a certain way, they go long to Bowman and he is a threat. The game in the second half got a little bit too end to end for my liking and when they scored the game was turning a little bit in their favour.

“I didn’t question my team, but I didn’t like what I saw because I felt we lost our nerve a little bit. We started to go too long and taking the easy route. I don’t like that.”

Exeter manager Matt Taylor was happy with a point.

Taylor said: “You are always disappointed when you concede so late, but overall, I think it was a point gained.

“Swindon put us under severe pressure and their speed on the counter-attack was outstanding in the first half, but it was as much down to us not finishing our attacking moments in that first half.

“We have to be better in those moments but we stayed in the game and got better and better and better. We made a couple of changes, one enforced with Jake Taylor and one tactical in terms of the shape and that just seemed to stir us up in the second period and we got stronger and stronger once we got the goal.

“We probably didn’t deserve to win the game but if you defend like we did in that first half, then you give yourself a chance.

“They will feel hard done by today in terms of the chances they created, but the ball has to go in the back of the net and MJ came on and did that. I was disappointed with their goal because that wasn’t one of their better opportunities in those closing minutes.

“It’s something we have been on the other end of in recent weeks, but that’s football.”