Experienced Exeter City midfielder Ryan Woods said that the Grecians have to stick to what they are doing after ‘going away from the plan’ having taken the lead against Bolton Wanderers. City looked to be on course to do the double over the Trotters until two late goals from the visitors stole the points at St James Park.

Demetri Mitchell had put the Grecians 1-0 up early in the second half when he pounced on a defensive error. But Aaron Collins though levelled up in the 88 ^th minute when a City error was pounced up in the same way.

Aaron Morley then won it for the visitors in stoppage-time when his curling cross went all the way into the City net. It was a frustrating result for City, who dropped down to 14 ^th in the League One table, who had looked for almost the whole afternoon to be on course for victory, and was the second game in a row they suffered a stoppage-time defeat.

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“We are extremely disappointed and frustrated,” Woods said. “That was a game we felt comfortable in, both in and out of possession. We were comfortable, took the lead, and could only see one winner. But we have conceded two really poor goals on our behalf, so we are really disappointed to not come away with three points let alone one.

“When we play our way we are a real match for anyone, we have proved that, but for some reason when we take the lead we come away from that. We have to find the reason for that as we are playing in a way that puts the lead. We are really disappointed in the way we have lost today. We controlled the game for large parts, were comfortable, and we take the lead when we do things our way and we can’t come away from that as it has cost us points.”

The back-to-back defeats meant that Gary Caldwell’s men ended up taking seven points from 15 over the Christmas and New Year period, but in truth, it should have been more. City deserved at least a point from Saturday’s clash with Bolton that ended in a 2-1 defeat, and it should have been a point from Wycombe on New Year’s Day as well. And despite being 4-1 down at home to Crawley Town, City created more than enough in the second half that day to have won the game rather than just taken a point.

For only the second time since mid-November, City have a midweek off now – the last they will have for a while with three Tuesday night games in January – and Woods said that this week will be a chance for those who have featured heavily over Christmas to get some recuperation before the big FA Cup tie with Oxford United on Saturday.

“It has been a tough period and we have played a lot of games and the lads need a little break before we play Oxford in the FA Cup,” the 31-year-old said. “It can be a good time for a break and to give the lads that need a rest a rest as we have covered a lot of distance, played good teams, but frustrating to come away with seven points when it could have been 11 and that’s a really good return.

“We can be pleased with 90 per cent of the game but that last little bit we need to get right as it is costing us at the end of games. We are looking forward to Oxford, confidence will be high, we can cause them problems and hopefully make it through to the next round.”