Exeter manager Gary Caldwell shares honest verdict after draw with Charlton

Exeter's boss, Gary Caldwell, has admitted that his side's draw with Charlton was a fair result. His team had a great start but failed to take full advantage of it in their 1-1 draw with Charlton.

Ben Purrington scored against his old club in the sixth minute of the League One encounter, marking the first time Exeter had netted so early in a home league game since October 2021. However, they let Charlton off the hook by not building on that lead.

This decision came back to bite them when Chuks Aneke's header bounced off Exeter defender Cheick Diabate and into the net with just three minutes left. Things could have been even worse for Exeter if Alfie May's last-minute shot hadn't hit the post.

Caldwell reflected: “I think it was probably a fair result. I think both teams might think they could have won it.

“I want us to be better over the course of the game; I thought our start in the game was fantastic and the personality we showed right from kick-off, the bravery to play our way, the patterns of play we had worked on all week were killing them.

“We scored a brilliant goal and then we stopped doing what we did to get in front. We made it a 50-50 game. We lost our composure.

“When we give it away playing out, we then become edgy at doing that. I think it’s a lesson that we have to stick to the process. We have to keep doing the things that got us in front in the game and not turn the game into a 50-50 game.

“We’re four games unbeaten but we need to be better.”

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Charlton's manager Nathan Jones had a lot to say after the match.

He stated: “I am just disappointed.