Grecians must make St James' a home from home, declares Gow

Exeter City have to put their home form right if they are to have any promotion aspirations this season, according to forward Alan Gow.

The Grecians have lost five of their ten npower League Two games at St James' Park this season, including a 1-0 defeat against Rotherham United last Saturday.

Having picked up back-to-back away wins at promotion-chasing Bradford City and league leaders Gillingham the week before, the result was a frustrating one for City, even if the performance deserved a point out of the game.

The home defeat saw Paul Tisdale's men drop out of the play-offs zone and Gow admits their form at St James' Park is something they need to fix. "We need to get results at home if we want to have any aspirations this season," he said.

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"We want to win at home for the club, stability-wise, because it is good to have a good gate and people are not going to come and watch if you are not winning games, so it is also important for that side of it."

Gow was left frustrated by Rotherham's tactics at St James' Park last Saturday as they sat back and defended in numbers and wasted time throughout the second half.

He admits that can sometimes be the game plan of opposition teams when they visit the Park and it is difficult. "I thought we were the better side, but unfortunately the better side doesn't always win in football," he said.

"We were slack in defending a set-piece and that kind of cost us the game as they sat in and wasted time for the full second half. I think that is a plan.

"Teams think we are a footballing side because we have gone away and beaten better teams, much better sides than that," the Scotsman said. "Rotherham got an early goal and then sat in and wasted time and it worked, unfortunately."

City, who are without a game this weekend as they are out of the FA Cup, go into December a point outside the play-off places. However, with three matches to be played at St James' Park over the festive season, the month offers City a good chance to right the home wrongs and cement a position in the promotion hunt.

The Grecians also travel the short distance to Torquay United's Plainmoor on December 22 – a week after facing another Devon derby against Plymouth Argyle at home.

City manager Tisdale feels it is a run of games he and the players are really looking forward to. "I think we have got some terrific football coming up," he said. "We have got two derbies, followed by Oxford and Barnet [at home]. I think we can be optimistic, but we need points.

"We need to work towards points regardless of performances or entertaining matches. But I hope the fans will be looking forward to those games over the next few weeks and will be coming to support us," Tisdale added.

"Our travelling support has been so good, anyway. I don't think there are many clubs that have taken the kind of numbers, the distances we have [this season]. I believe we are going to take well over 1,000 to Torquay, so that will be a terrific game."