Exeter City show outstanding character to come away with a point at Stevenage

The Grecians had gone a man and then a goal down at Stevenage before Yanic Wildschut’s second half strike gave them a point.

Exeter City manager Gary Caldwell hailed the outstanding effort, commitment and character of his players as they valiantly fought back to earn a point away to high-flying Stevenage. The Grecians had gone a man and then a goal down at Boro before Yanic Wildschut’s second half strike gave them a point.

Jack Aitchison had been shown a second yellow card and then a red for dissent at the end of a first half City had shaded. Things then went from bad to worse for the under pressure City side when in stoppage-time, Carl Piergianni put Steve Evans’ men ahead.

But Wildschut, just off the bench, levelled things up two minutes in the second half when he turned in a Dion Rankine cross to make it 1-1. And that was how it finished as Exeter ’s rearguard defensive action stayed strong, never looking like conceding, despite being a man lighter than a side who are now unbeaten in 13 and are fourth in the table.

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For City, it is now 12 without a win - their longest since the club record 18 game winless streak between February and August 1995 - but in the circumstances of coming from behind with a man down, it was a creditable point. They ended a run of 406 minutes in League One without a goal, and while they stayed 20 ^th , the gap to the bottom four is now three points.

“I think the effort, the commitment, the character the players showed today, playing against more than 11 men today, and we were absolutely outstanding in the second half,” Caldwell said. “In terms of working for each other, fighting for each other, fighting for this football club, putting our bodies on the line in one box, showing quality to counter attack when running out of legs, I can’t speak highly enough as we were understanding and thoroughly deserved the point.

“The players have been fighting, and it is not for want of trying on this run, and things have gone against us, and things went against us today, but the character they showed, the togetherness was incredible, how we defended the box was incredible. The biggest thing was character, the biggest thing we stood up with ten and put bodies on the line. The way we defended the box was back to our early season form and we didn’t look like conceding even with ten men and wave after wave of attack.”

Caldwell made four changes from the side who were beaten 1-0 at home last Saturday. Out went the suspended Will Aimson, while Harry Kite, Tom Carroll and Wildschut dropped to the bench. In came Cheick Diabate, back from illness, and playing in his natural centre-back role, Alex Hartridge, Reece Cole and Kyle Taylor. Sonny Cox, recalled from a loan at Yeovil Town, was on the bench.

Chances in the opening 45 minutes were few and far between. Ryan Trevitt curled an early effort wide, but there was barely anything in the way of goalmouth action. Aitchison was then arguably lucky to stay on the pitch after a reckless lunge on Louis Thompson that was only punished with a yellow card. But just before the break, the Grecians went down to ten men in needless fashion.

Taylor had gone into the book for a poor challenge, and Aitchison decided to argue the decision with the referee. Already on a yellow card, referee Ross Joyce pulled out a second and then the red card, sending the Scot off for dissent.

“I can’t speak about referees as I am not allowed to and do a job they are not accountable for,” Caldwell said of the red card. “But some of the decisions, I can’t get my head around, well, I can get my head around as I know why they happen here, but we are having to play against that

“We are in an industry where we are accountable and referees aren’t and we have to live with it. When we aren’t winning at home, there’s never nine minutes that go up, but we have to put up with that. There are decisions that we don’t agree with.”

Seconds later after the sending off, Stevenage took the lead. Dan Sweeney swung in a cross and Piergianni rose highest to head the ball back across Sinisalo and into the back of the net. It seemed set to be another long afternoon.

But Wildschut, who replaced Taylor, at the break, made an immediate impact as Exeter levelled up moments into the second half. Rankine went on a mazy run, seemed to be fouled, but still managed to get the cross in, and Wildschut nipped in at the front post and got enough on the ball to poke it into the net and make it 1-1. It was the attacker’s second goal for the club.

Stevenage pushed for a winner and should have got one when Jamie Reid cut the ball back to Jordan Roberts, six yards out, who really should have found the target. Thankfully for Caldwell’s men, he skied the attempt over the crossbar – and that was about as close as they came to finding a winner.

It may be now three months without a league win for the Grecians, but this felt like a very vital and well-earned point. Now it needs to be something they build on, starting with the trip to Cambridge United on Friday night.

“It has to be a springboard going forward,” Caldwell added. “There is much to build on and to be better at, and the way we worked for each other, it has to be the minimum.

“This should give us confidence, we have quality players, and there is loads the players can be proud of, and they fought for the football club to get something here.”

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