Grecians have to wait for fitness verdicts before settling on side
Manager Matt Taylor has shed some light on the debilitating injury list which is threatening to derail Exeter City’s season.
The Grecians crashed out of the FA Cup at the first round stage last Saturday with a 3-2 home defeat to Blackpool. City found themselves 3-0 down at half-time after a bad first half before showing the kind of determination that Taylor himself often displayed as a player for the club.
Jordan Tillson reduced the arrears, following up after Pierce Sweeney’s penalty was saved – his third spot-kick miss in succession – and then Tristan Abrahams set up a frantic finale with the hosts’ second goal as the game drifted into stoppage time.
The defeat was the third in a row for Exeter, whose task is not being helped by the unavailability of several players. While there is some good news, with loan signing Chiedozie Ogbene set to return from Brentford, there is plenty of concern for Taylor and the Grecians as well, with Sweeney limping off last Saturday and Nicky Law struggling come full-time.
Christy Pym, Troy Brown, Dean Moxey, Hiram Boateng, Lee Holmes and Lee Martin all missed the FA Cup game, with Boateng and Brown out until the New Year at least.
Taylor said: “Hopefully, Lee Holmes will be back in training this week and Chio [Ogbene] will be back from Brentford. Lee Martin’s injury is like a dead hamstring and the bruising on the back of his leg is absolutely brutal, and we hope that is all it is.
“The moment the bruising passes, and he can straighten his leg properly, then he’s back in training, so it’s those short-terms ones that we are looking at. Christy Pym has had a scan, Dean Moxey has also had an X-ray and the long-term ones we can do nothing about, so I have to use Tuesday’s game in the right way and use it as a method to get us right for Saturday.
“It’s a frustrating one with Christy, because we feel he was getting closer to training again and, when he tried to do a bit of training, he broke down again.
“We will get the results at the start of the week in terms of Christy. As for Dean’s X-ray, I have not spoken to the physio yet, so we will see off the back of that,” the City boss added.
“Pierce going off is a worry. It seems as though it’s a back injury and I don’t know where that stemmed from, but we will have to assess that and see what comes up. Players carry niggles, and I’m not going to wrap them in cotton wool because they have to train and they have to play.
“If I have not got a squad capable of playing three games a week in League Two, then there is something wrong.”
The Grecians entertain Bristol Rovers tonight in their final group game in the Checkatrade Trophy having already sealed qualification.
The incentive for victory is a home tie in the next round and the £10,000 prize money but, while that would be helpful, ensuring he has a competitive team and options on the bench for Saturday’s League Two home game against Northampton Town is likely to be the priority for Taylor.
Bristol Rovers have also made sure of Checkatrade Trophy progress. Former Exeter striker Marcus Stewart is the Pirates’ assistant manager, and he said: “If we finish top of the group, we will have a home tie in the next round. There is a reason for us to try and win the game.”