Tisdale confident Exeter won't freeze at Fratton
Thursday, 31st Oct 2013 09:04 by pompey-fans.com staff

Exeter boss Paul Tisdale is wary of the threat Pompey pose in Saturday's clash at Fratton Park and is looking froward to playing in front of a big crowd.

League 2 is extremely tight this season, underlined by the fact just nine points separate 17th placed Pompey from leaders Oxford, and Pompey have a home match in hand over all the teams above them.

Exeter have made a bright start to the season and sit fifth in the league, so Pompey will be looking to catch up some lost ground on the leading pack.

But Tisdale is looking forward to the occasion and trust his players won't freeze on the big stage.

“It is something they should enjoy and relish not to be intimated by. I don’t think that will be a particular topic of conversation for us going into the game, I assume it is only going to bring the best out of us," he told the Express & Echo.

“And I expect 100 per cent from the players regardless of the atmosphere or location of the game and where they are so I will be disappointed if we are intimated by it.”

Tisdale is also wary of Pompey's threat. Guy Whittingham's side have won three and drawn two of their last five games after a slow start to the season.

“They have got some good players and like a lot of teams they have been making mistakes, but winning games and learning from their mistakes and that is really what happens this time of year,” he said.

“I’m convinced they will be tough opponents, but it is a game we are looking forward to notably because it is being playing at Fratton Park, playing in front of big crowd.

“There are elements of the game that make it appealing and make it a stand-out game for us regardless of the actual match on the pitch, but we have got a job to do and we need to win games, so regardless of the fact that it is an interesting game it is still three points at stake for us.”