Exeter City manager Gary Caldwell said that the Grecians ended up getting what they deserved for a lacklustre performance as they slipped to defeat at Lincoln City. Exeter had won three successive games on the road, but never got going against the Imps and were beaten 1-0 by Joe Taylor’s second half strike.
After a first half short of any real action, City came close to breaking the deadlock on the hour. Dion Rankine’s cutback found Jack Aitchison, and his powerful effort looked for all the world to be heading in, only for Lukas Jensen to tip it onto the crossbar.
The save was vital as on 67 minutes, Lincoln won it. Pierce Sweeney gave the ball away, Teddy Bishop slipped Taylor through, and he clipped the ball over the onrushing Vil Sinisalo.
Exeter tried to find an equalizer, but never came close, as they dropped down to 14th after a second defeat in a row. The gap to the bottom four is now at seven points, although everyone below Exeter has at least one game in hand, with five teams having two or three, and Port Vale four. Lincoln rose to tenth after claiming the three points.
We made a bad error for the goal but didn’t create enough chances, forward runs, and when we don’t play at our best, then we can’t expect to win. There was nothing much in the game even though we didn’t play at our best.
“I pick the teams, so I take responsibility, and we have to see a reaction from the players. We have a big squad now so people need to be ready in training to get in the team and be ready against Fleetwood.”
After the 3-0 defeat at home to Derby County on Tuesday night, Gary Caldwell freshened up the side and made five changes. Sweeney returned into defence, and wore the captain’s armband, with Dion Rankine and Ben Purrington as the wing-backs, the latter back in action for the first time in three weeks.
Yanic Wildschut and Sonny Cox both came into the side in attacking roles, with Luke Harris dropping slightly deeper into midfield. Will Aimson, Ilmari Niskanen, Vincent Harper, Reece Cole and Mo Eisa were all on the bench.
The Imps had the first chance with six minutes on the clock when Ethan Hamilton saw a free-kick from just outside the area deflect inches wide of Sinisalo’s post. It took 40 minutes for City to have a shot on goal, Harris firing high, wide and handsome from 25 yards.
Just before the hour, the Grecians really should have taken the lead. Rankine danced the right, he pulled the ball back to Aitchison, who let fly with a brilliant strike, but Jensen got a touch on it and pushed it onto the crossbar, and it bounced to safety.
Michael Skubala’s men went straight up the other end and they nearly broke the deadlock. Hamilton and then Dylan Duffy forced Sinisalo into a vital save from close range as the game began to spring into life.
