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Photo: Alan Howarth

NO WAY THROUGH: Matt Smith is denied by the heroic Artur Krysiak

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Exeter 2, Athletic 0
No away-day justice as match ends in frustration
SOMEBODY must have adjusted a big knob in the sky over the weekend, because the world wasn’t quite right at Exeter.

For starters, the heat was stultifying. Pitch-side, it must have easily hit in excess of 30 degrees Celsius, which is as unusual for the start of October as it gets.

Then there was the plague of dead and comatose flies inside the press box at St James Park, creating the impression that the end of days was upon us.

And as for the football itself, the fact that the ball didn’t strike the back of the Grecians net, despite a huge patch of pressure in the second half from Athletic, suggested divine intervention was at play.

Nathan Clarke hit a post, two penalty shouts as sturdy as the proverbial dry stone wall were denied by referee Iain Williamson and Reuben Reid, twice, and Matt Smith forced home ’keeper Artur Krysiak into brilliant, athletic saves.

In fairness, all of the above occurred with Exeter sitting back on what was for them this season a rare lead.

While it is going a step too far to suggest that Paul Dickov’s men had left themselves a task of biblical proportions to get something from the game by that stage – even two goals to the good thanks to Daniel Nardiello and Guillem Bauza, Exeter’s players would have had in mind their own three-goal comeback at Boundary Park last season – the self-inflicted wounds that led to the two goals for Paul Tisdale’s men were ultimately to blame for this, a first defeat in three away games.

Clarke could easily have given away a penalty in the first minute, seemingly hauling down Nardiello in the penalty area in clear-cut fashion, before the home side took the lead through a surprisingly intricate passing move involving Bauza, James Dunne and the former Athletic loan striker.

This was another awfully slow start, to file alongside Leyton Orient and Colchester in a folder marked ‘danger: not for those of a nervous disposition’.

Perhaps those executive coach seats are a little too comfortable; Athletic must start getting off them properly.

Three minutes in, Dunne hit a low shot which didn’t trouble Alex Cisak as much another effort from Jake Taylor seconds later which the Athletic ’keeper palmed out at his near post.

The visitors struggled to string more than a couple of passes together in the opening minutes, despite a superb playing surface and clear conditions.

After the opening goal, converted coolly by Nardiello after a move containing a lovely flicked pass from the influential Bauza, Chris Taylor was booked for a late challenge and then, unwisely, got involved in a minor shoving match with Steve Tully which was looked upon with leniency by referee Williamson.

Reid’s break downfield briefly threatened for Athletic but was betrayed by a poor pass to the streaking Tom Adeyemi and, at the other end, Bauza hammered a shot over after the visitors failed to clear their lines.

Ten minutes before half-time, Kieran Lee flicked a dangerous David Noble free-kick narrowly wide of his own post, before the best chance of the half presented itself for Athletic.

Robbie Simpson had a difficult game, but produced a terrific far-post cross which arrived at the feet of the onrushing Reid, the striker unable to get over the top of his close-range half-volley which flew way off target.

To get back on level terms, Dickov’s men simply had to improve after half-time – and they did just that.

But the pressure exerted in the opening minutes of the second half was released by a second strike for the home side.

Exeter cleared from defending a corner, another ex-Athletic loan player Scott Golbourne crossed deep from the left wing and Jake Taylor rose above Diallo to nod the ball down into the danger zone. Bauza peeled off Clarke and hammered home his finish to give Cisak no chance.

Chris Taylor felt he had been tripped when twisting just inside the area after 53 minutes and appeared to have a good case against Tully.

Krysiak then produced two world-class saves in quick succession; first, when Reid cut inside to shape a left-footed curler which was heading in but for a flying right-handed stop; and then from an Adeyemi cross, tipping a powerful Reid header from eight yards spectacularly over.

Smith and Filipe Morais both gave a big injection of fresh impetus to Athletic’s attacking effort, pinning the home team back for the majority of the remaining half-hour.

Hard-working Reid hit another left-footed attempt narrowly wide and James Wesolowski forced the busiest man on the pitch into another excellent tip around the post with a deflected strike from the edge of the area.

Zander Diamond – partnering Clarke in defence, with Jean-Yves Mvoto absent with an ankle injury – then charged forward and fed Lee, whose low centre was met by Smith. The striker’s close-range attempt was superbly blocked at his feet by Exeter’s inspired Pole, deflecting the ball over.

In the last 10 minutes, Morais let fly from 20 yards to force Krysiak into pushing the ball out at his near post, Clarke’s excellent angled header from a Morais cross hit the inside of Krysiak’s left-hand post before being cleared to safety and Diamond looked for all the world to have been felled in the area when trying to find room for a cross.

It simply wasn’t Athletic’s day, but there is no doubt that far poorer performances have brought three points already this season – and will do so again.