Exmouth Town boss Richard Pears

Exmouth Town boss Richard Pears on the latest from Southern Road.

Exmouth Town boss Richard Pears lauded his side after the 2-1 success over Sidmouth Town.

The Southern Road boss said: “I truly believe that to be one of our best displays of the season so far. Not the prettiest by a long way, but there are times in football when you have to ditch the nice part of the game and get stuck into both conditions and opposition, and that’s what the team did to a player at Manstone Road.”

He continued: “The surface was very heavy and it’s always a ground that the home side play so well with Saturday being no exception. They were pumped up for the game and, having not played for so long, clearly had the bit between the teeth! How they are struggling when they play their home pitch as they do is beyond me, they made life tough for us. That’s what I wanted though for as I have been saying in recent weeks, it’s important for the team to be able to learn how to adapt to certain situations. We were disciplined and controlled throughout and I saw a real desire throughout the team to get a job done.”

Pears then spoke of the individual stand-out performance of the game saying: “For me that came from Lloyd Gardner. We all know that he is a very accomplished player and I think that now he has learnt to trust the players around him he is becoming so much more of an all-round team player. I had worried pre-match when I walked on the surface and saw how wet it was that the more skilful players might be drawn into a battle of midfield attrition. However, in reality the team showed that, despite the conditions they were still able to first combat the home side, take the sting out of them, and then get on the front foot to win the game.”

He continued: “It keeps the run going and I have told then players that how long this current uneaten run continues is in their hands. There’s only one team in the Eastern Division who can end this splendid run we are on and that is Exmouth Town. That’s not said to sound arrogant, quite the opposite! It is a fact that we have assembled a set of players that we believe would serve us well a step up the football pyramid. That was the thinking behind my taking them to Weymouth for a midweek friendly against their full-strength Southern League side. We were not overrun in any shape or form (Town were edged out 1-0 in the friendly), and that showed me that we are capable, with this set of players, of stepping up. We have held our own this term with three Toolstation league sides and also have the 90 minutes against Weymouth in the experience bank. What I honestly feel is that as long as the team keep doing the things they are good at, not try to over play it and don’t get above themselves, then there is no reason they cannot go on and see the season out unbeaten in the Eastern Division. Of course, the longer the run goes on the harder the opposition are going to battle to try and be the first to end it. It was mentioned to me that our position was strengthened further with none of the mornings top six, apart from us, winning last Saturday, but you know that bothers me not because I am not looking at what other teams are doing. My single focus is on my squad and the fact that as long as we keep doing our jobs it doesn’t matter what the others are doing for we will continue our march towards the outcome we all hope to see come early May.”

This Saturday Town entertain Galmpton United at Southern Road (3pm) and Pears says: “It’s another tough game. It might be our toughest yet, though that will depend very much on which Galmpton United side pitches up at Southern Road. They have the potential, on their day, to beat anyone in the Eastern Division, but they have also slipped up in what I’d call silly games. It was certainly surprising to see them beaten and conceding so many goals against Alphington last time out. That result suggests to me that we may face a tougher Galmpton side than the one we might have met had they turned Alphington over.”

In terms of team news the only injury problem is the one that struck the unfortunate Jamie Moore in the friendly at Weymouth. Pears’ says: “That was tough on Jamie (Moore) as he was given the run out to pitch for his place in the side and it looked, at first sight, a bad one. Thankfully it seems he will now miss weeks as opposed to months and that’s good for we are going to need all the squad as the games come thick and fast between now and the seasons end.”