LEE CLARK reviewed Town’s 4-0 home win over Exeter City and beamed: “The players did exactly what I asked of them.”
Jordan Rhodes’ quickfire all-headed hat trick, which came after Lee Novak’s opener, put Town back up to eighth in League I.
And manager Clark, whose team tackle second-placed Charlton Athletic down in London on Saturday, said: “We started at a high tempo, and kept going.
“We passed the ball the way I wanted and our widemen, Anthony Pilkington, Gary Roberts and later Lionel Ainsworth, played with a lot of confidence.
“But to be fair, all the players did positive things and contributed towards a good result.”
While skipper Peter Clarke returned from a one-match suspension, Clark handed starts to Novak, whose goal was his second for the club, and Robbie Williams, in for Joe Skarz.
It was Town’s first win in seven matches in all competitions, and Clark added: “The changes made were all by choice rather than enforced.
“Lee Novak gave us a lot with his workrate and energy – his runs really unsettled Exeter.
“And with Michael Collins, I noticed that he was getting back to somewhere near his best at Chesterfield last Tuesday, while Nathan Clarke has done well since he came back in, so he kept his place.
“I expected Exeter to come with more of a defensive formation, similar to the way Brentford and Stockport approached the games here.
“That’s why I picked Robbie Williams. I expected our full-backs to see a lot of the ball, and he has comfort in possession and good crossing ability.
“But Exeter came and played 4-4-2, and that showed that if teams come here and try to take us on, there is a strong possibility we will give them a good game.”
Clark continued: “The start of each half was vital. If we start both well, we have the chance to play the rest of the game the way we want to.”
l Leigh Franks scored as Town juniors drew 1-1 in their FA Premier Academy League match at Sheffield United.
