JOHN Coleman told his players they’d be having extra shooting practice this week after last Friday’s 3-2 loss to Exeter.
Stanley had more chances but the Grecians’ clinical finishing proved to be the difference.
And while Coleman accepted the efforts by John O’Sullivan and Shay McCartan were “great goals”, the rest of Stanley’s finishing left a lot to be desired.
“Some of the football we played was good, it’s just a pity we were very wasteful with our shooting,” he said. “It was appalling, there was no conviction in it.
“We’ve got to work on being more ruthless in front of goal. We’re looking to score the perfect goal at the moment and they don’t always materialise.
“You’ve only got to see that the more shots you have, the more chance you have to score them.
“We delay our shots so often and if you go back to Piero Mingoia’s goal (against Cambridge) – it gets a deflection and goes in. Shay McCartan’s against Morecambe was similar. But we just seem to have a reluctance to shoot. We’re looking for the perfect opportunity and sometimes they don’t come.”
Referee Andy Haines had to be replaced in the first half and Coleman felt his replacement erred by playing advantage in the second half, only to blow for a foul moments later when the Exeter player had run into a dead end.
“They scored with their first three strikes on target,” added the Reds’ boss. “But they scored a free-kick which wasn’t a free-kick.
“The first referee, who went off injured, he wouldn’t have played advantage for the first foul – he would have given it, which means their lad is shooting from 50 yards, rather than 30.
“That’s some of the luck that goes against you but you’ve got to make your own luck. You’ve got to occupy the opposition in their half and we did to a certain extent.”
