Tisdale hails Grecians desire

Exeter manager Paul Tisdale hailed his side's battling qualities as they fought back to claim a well-earned 1-1 draw against promotion hopefuls Southampton. City captain Matt Taylor powerfully headed home Scott Golbourne's corner four minutes into the second half to salvage a point after Adam Lallana had given the Saints a deserved half-time lead. The Grecians had failed to muster a shot on goal in a scrappy first 45 minutes, but they raised the tempo after the break and were unlucky not to claim all three points after Bertie Cozic struck a post late on. "The game was dictated by a very soft pitch between two very competitive sides and I think a draw was a fair result," said Tisdale. "I'm pleased with the character the team showed, especially in the second half. "We had a very sensible first half. I think they had perhaps more chances to score, but we feel their goal came from a dubious foul in the lead up and probably their best player had the finesse in the box to score the goal. "But I think we deserved the draw. From the moment we got the equaliser until the end of the game, I think we had the flow of the game and the impetus, although it was very close."

Source: PA