Opposition view: Taylor 'embarrassed' as Exeter 'disintegrate' at Wembley

Exeter City manager Matt Taylor admitted he could have 'absolutely no complaints' after his side were 'bullied' and 'physically dominated' by the Cobblers during Monday's one-sided play-off final.

On paper, there seemed little to separate the sides, but it was a very different story once the action got underway at Wembley as Northampton dominated virtually the entire contest.

Ryan Watson's 11th minute goal set the tone and from there Town never looked back, with Callum Morton adding a second late in the first-half.

"We were second best and we were physically dominated throughout," said Taylor. "Absolutely no complaints.

"Fair play to Northampton for the way they went about it but I really did not like the effect it had on the personality of my team.

"The ball was going into our box and unfortunately we didn't cope with it all night long and then we had no defensive platform.

"They won every single first contact and they were able to win the second ball off the back of that and the early goal just gave them more confidence and took away our belief.

"They got us on the back foot but we knew what to expect. I picked the most physical team I could have picked tonight but we still couldn't cope and it was just wave after wave of ball into our box and we kept crumbling under pressure."

Exeter made a decent start to the second-half but their hopes of fighting back were effectively ended when Dean Moxey saw red for a rash challenge on Watson.

Taylor added: "I felt we actually had a chance at half-time if we started passing the ball but we disintegrated and the red card is embarrassing to be honest, but that's what they turn you into and the personality of my team was fragile tonight.

"I've not seen the red card back but it looked a poor tackle. Deano's apologised but we needed to be a team of men. We started out as a team of men but unfortunately we quickly turned into boys.

"The referee's got a job to do. I don't have any qualms because it looked like a poor tackle and with 10 men at 2-0 down, at Wembley, you've got no chance.'

To rub salt into the wounds, Sam Hoskins and Andy Williams both scored in the final 10 minutes to complete a resounding victory.

:The last half-hour was brutal," admitted Taylor. "Northampton turned us into a poor team and we were physically dominated.

"Anyone who has watched Northampton this season would have known it would be difficult, but it was a collective inability to deal with direct play. It certainly wasn't rocket science.

"That is no disrespect to Northampton because if I was preparing a team to play Exeter, I would do exactly the same. There was a weakness in the middle of the pitch and no-one stood up and took responsibility.

"Their bodies at the top end of the pitch absolutely bullied us and I felt powerless watching that game."