Ahead of the all important home match last weekend City were looking for a home win against Cheltenham to take the promotion chase to the last game of the season, writes Gareth Hughes.

Many fans will have been going to the game travelling in hope rather in belief given this seasons home form and the injury crisis that has plagued Paul Tisdale’s team.

To be fair though City gave their all and we will never know how the game would have panned out if City keeper Artur Krysiak had been beaten by a wicked bobble of the ball in his attempt to save a more than hopeful strike in the first five minutes of the game. As we know it ended with a 1-0 defeat for the Grecians, with the result leaving them just one point from the 18 available from previous games. City have now also lost to Cheltenham in the last seven games played.

Overall, City played well given their record and absentees, and it was good to City youth players Jamie Reid and Jordan Moore Taylor acquitting themselves well, giving hope for the future. As the game progressed Exeter, as one would expect played with more movement throwing caution to the wind.

Jimmy Keohane as substitute had to great chances blazing one over the visitors bar and then forcing the Cheltenham stopper to pull off a stunning save and just tipping his shot over the bar.

Guillem Bauza had an opportunity to atone for his poor season but blazed his effort in front of goal way over the bar into the stands.

After the game Paul Tisdale commented: “I thought we played well, especially in the first half, but it sort of summed up the season as we lost to Cheltenham twice –we played really well but didn’t score against them on either occasion. I thought it was a fantastic effort today from a group that’s been depleted with half a dozen definite starters, with young players coming into the side. It was one of the best first-half performances of the season from us. We thought we had a chance. If we look at where we were three or four months ago, we were an automatic promotion team. The injuries have cost us too dear. If you’re going to be a serious promotion team, you can’t be guessing on young players.. It doesn’t hurt any less, what people’s pre-season expectations were or what the bookies had us down for or thought we were capable of. It hurts all the same. We have no back-up. We played a team today that were largely full-strength with a strong bench, and it’s like getting blood from a stone at times and trying to conjure up different situations. It probably sums up the last couple of months. We’ve done really well with what we have at our disposal.”

The East Devon Grecians voted Youth player of the year was youth keeper Christy Pym. Pym was called onto the bench for February’s trip to Burton Albion when Artur Krysiak was injured and has recently been given a pro deal with the Club. Also this Sunday City Fan Roger Constable will be presenting a first team player with the East Devon Grecian main player of the year award at the Clubs end of season Gala Dinner.

The last game of the season is the away trip to Chesterfield. With nothing in it for either team apart from it being a straight fight for eighth place. A draw puts Chesterfield in the first non –play-off position, and a win for City will give the Grecians the honours. With many fans who anticipated that this will be a playoff battle travelling, let’s hope for a win, and dare I say an early springboard for a great 2013/14 season! Come on you Reds.