Stevenage manager Steve Evans says his side will not give up the fight for a Sky Bet League One play-off place despite going down to a 1-0 defeat at Exeter.

An error by goalkeeper Taye Ashby-Hammond, who saw his clearance charged down by Exeter striker Sonny Cox and finished off by Reece Cole, led to the only goal of the game and the defeat leaves Evans’ men six points adrift of the play-off places with four games remaining.

“It’s a harsh result,” he said. “The goalkeeper has made a huge error, he got away with it twice with a lack of focus, lack of concentration. He’s been very good for us, but that wasn’t his normal self today.

“We are chasing the game then, but we create wonderful chances. (Alex) McDonald is through one-on-one and puts it in the keeper’s arms; Jamie Reid, who has been phenomenal for us, misses what you’d call a simple header and we have had two or three off the line.

“We have dominated the whole second half and it is disappointing, but it is not just today where we have dropped out of the play-off race, it’s been over four or five weeks because if you don’t score goals, you don’t win football matches.

“Football is a strange game and if someone had said to me when I joined this football club two years ago we will be five games from the end of season at Exeter and disappointed not to put yourself back in the play-off group in League One, you’d have thought you’re in dreamland. But when you have achieved something, you always want more.”

Exeter boss Gary Caldwell was delighted as his side moved into the top half and, with 54 points, they are all but certain of playing League One football again next season when things looked much bleaker for the Grecians just before Christmas.

“It takes time and fortunately, this football club understands that because this season has not been a linear process, there have been highs and lows and I think if you give people who are working extremely hard the time to make it happen, then you can see the results,” Caldwell said.

“I did my pro licence with Steve Evans, I know how competitive he is, how many promotions he has won and he always builds successful teams and they have had an incredible season.

“We knew we were in for a tough day and had to stand up to their physicality and they are pushing for a lot in terms of what they can achieve this campaign, but I thought we stood up to it and our character, our determination and our team spirit was incredible.

“But we have to be better. There are areas of our game where we have to improve and recognise where the space is, where the free player is. But to be able to do that from a winning position is far better than losing, so full credit to the players for that.”

Exeter moved into the top half of the Sky Bet League One table with a 1-0 win that dented Stevenage’s hopes of making the play-offs.

After a cagey opening, it was Boro that created the first chance with Alex MacDonald finding himself with only Viljami Sinisalo to beat, but Exeter’s Finnish goalkeeper was equal to a shot that was straight at him.

Exeter responded with Luke Harris sliding in at the near post to poke a Dion Rankine cross at Taye Ashby-Hammond, while Reece Cole was off target with a curling shot from 20 yards out.

However, the deadlock was broken in the 39th minute when – for the third time in the game – Sonny Cox charged down a clearance by Ashby-Hammond and Cole cleverly guided the ball into an empty net from 25 yards for his seventh goal of the season.

Former Grecian Jamie Reid almost equalised at the start of the second half, but Sinisalo made a brilliant double save, while Rankine smashed a good chance into the side netting from an acute angle for Exeter.

Reid was off target with a glancing header as Stevenage pushed for an equalising goal, but other than a cross that flashed across the face of goal, they rarely threatened Sinisalo in the Exeter goal.

Exeter manager Gary Caldwell hailed a terrific team performance as his 10 men took a giant leap towards League One safety with a 1-0 win over Burton at St James Park.

Reece Cole struck the only goal of the game, in the 41st minute, before Exeter’s Zak Jules was sent off as the players walked down the tunnel at half-time for an incident unseen.

But Exeter dug deep and held firm as Burton pressed for an equaliser, although the Brewers were just as vulnerable on the counter-attack in an end-to-end encounter.

“I thought we started the game really well and we should have scored in the first 15 minutes, we created real clear-cut chances and if we score one of them then the game is totally different,” Caldwell said.

“We then got a bit frustrated midway through the half before we picked it up again and scored an amazing goal with how we wanted to play.

“I didn’t see the incident at half-time, I didn’t see that, but we lost a player and in the second half, the character, the determination and team spirit and understanding of how we wanted to play the game and see the game out was absolutely outstanding.

“They had one moment where they hit the bar, but they didn’t create much else and the way the people inside the stadium stood up in that last 15 minutes when everyone was on their knees – myself included – was fantastic. The players on the park were putting everything in and they needed the supporters to get behind them and they certainly did.”

Deji Oshilaja and John Brayford both hit the bar for Burton, while Antwoine Hackford passed up a good chance.

Frustrated Albion boss Martin Paterson said: “It’s very simple to explain – it was one of the softest goals I have ever seen conceded, a simple give-and-go that can’t happen in professional football; wing-backs getting done on the inside, a cut-back and people not tracking their runners.

“All of a sudden, we are 1-0 down and the problem then is that we don’t score goals. I don’t know the statistic or how many opportunities we had inside the six-yard box to put the ball in the back of the net, I have to be careful I am not hanging anyone personally out to dry, but it will be me that has to take it in the chin.

“I have no problem with that, but the issue is that we don’t take opportunities to score goals. We have to find a way and it is hard to explain because we had, in my opinion, five or six clear-cut opportunities at goal and have not scored one.

“It’s unacceptable from myself and from the team. We broke them down, we had a one-v-one, John Brayford hit the bar and there were crosses that should have been converted but we didn’t score and it’s hard to defend that.”

Ten-man Exeter gave their League One survival hopes a huge boost with a hard fought 1-0 win against relegation rivals Burton.

Reece Cole scored the only goal in the 41st minute but City had to play the entire second half with 10 men after Zak Jules was sent off for an incident in the tunnel as the players made their way off at half-time.

Exeter started well and should have been in front inside four minutes, but Luke Harris skied Ilmari Niskanen’s pull-back over the bar.

The deadlock was broken in the 41st minute after a lovely Exeter move. Jack Aitchison played a fine ball to Niskanen and he picked out Cole with a perfect cut-back, and he made no mistake from 12 yards for his fifth goal of the season.

Burton responded well with Deji Oshilaja’s header crashing back off the crossbar, but it took the Brewers 25 minutes of the second half to really get going and when they did, Antwoine Hackford was put in on goal but shot wide when under pressure from Niskanen.

John Brayford crashed a shot against the underside of the crossbar but despite eight minutes added at the end, the Grecians held firm for a deserved win.

Exeter secured their first win in six League One games with a 3-0 victory over 10-man Shrewsbury.

Referee David Rock showed a red card to Shrewsbury winger Jordan Shipley for a two-footed challenge on Ryan Woods in the sixth minute.

And the Grecians took full advantage with Will Aimson, Luke Harris and Jack Aitchison all scoring before half-time.

Exeter’s Reece Cole was played through in the 33rd minute but his goalbound effort was blocked for a corner.

From the resultant set piece, Aimson put the Grecians ahead by flicking in at the near post.

Exeter doubled their advantage in the 41st minute. Aitchison drilled a cross into Harris in the middle of the box and after Marko Marosi parried away the midfielder’s first attempt, he reacted quickly and fired home from close range.

Aitchison was in the thick of the action again in the fifth minute of first-half added time and the forward hit a fantastic strike from just inside the box which rippled the back of the net.

Shrewsbury substitute Aiden O’Brien went through one-on-one with Viljami Sinisalo with just over 10 minutes remaining, but the goalkeeper parried it clear as the visitors completed a comprehensive victory.

Derby boosted their League One promotion hopes with a comfortable 3-0 victory at Exeter.

The Rams created the first chance with James Collins firing straight at Vili Sinisalo from 10 yards, while Exeter’s Reece Cole was off target with a shot from distance before sending a free-kick straight at goalkeeper Joe Wildsmith.

Derby took the lead in the 24th minute. Ilmari Niskanen lost the ball to Max Bird, who drove forward before firing past Sinisalo from distance as his shot bounced over the goalkeeper’s arm and into the net.

Jack Aitchison fired against the base of the post for Exeter, but it was Derby that ended the first half on top with Bird twice forcing Sinisalo into saves with long-range shots.

The Rams doubled their lead after 52 minutes when Nathaniel Mendez-Laing burst onto a ball over the top and had too much pace for the Exeter defence as he slammed it past Sinisalo and into the bottom corner.

The Rams completed the scoring in the 62nd minute when Tom Barkhuizen received the ball wide on the left and cut infield before curling a delightful shot into the far corner.

Exeter manager Gary Caldwell hailed his side’s comeback as they stunned promotion-chasing Peterborough 2-1 at St James Park.

After Harrison Burrows converted a first-half penalty, Posh missed several chances to increase their lead before they had Michael Olakigbe sent off after picking up a second yellow card.

That galvanised Exeter, with Reece Cole’s free-kick ending up in the back of the net off some combination of goalkeeper Nicholas Bilokapic and Dion Rankine before Jadel Katongo headed a superb Cole cross into his own net to complete a remarkable comeback for the Grecians.

“They are a very good team and asked a lot of questions of us in the first half,” Caldwell said. “I thought defensively we were good and restricted them to little, we had a problem down our right-hand side where we were a bit loose and that led to the goal.

“We didn’t have a lot of shots to defend, we were patient in how we pressed and asked them to build up with lots of passes, which kept them in front of us, so I was happy with that, but I thought we could have been braver in possession and quicker with our passing.

“Too many times we passed back and put each other under pressure, but I think it is a fantastic win and the first time we have won ugly.

“The sending-off had a big impact in the game but in the second half I thought we were a yard quicker, we had more impetus in that second half and that led to the red card, so all credit to the players for changing that mentality at half-time and coming out and making the game different in the second half.”

Posh boss Darren Ferguson was left to rue his side’s profligacy as he said: “The game changed when we didn’t kill them off, we had so many opportunities to kill them off at the start of the second half – and the end of the first half – and even with 10 men, we had the better chances with our pace on the counter attack.

“The sending-off is naive and the young boy is distraught in there because he feels like he’s let his team down – which he hasn’t, we win and lose together. It’s a silly challenge, a naive challenge and I thought it was a soft sending-off but it’s irrelevant, he’s given it.

“I thought we were comfortable with 10 men and it took a free-kick – a good free-kick – to get them back into the game, but they weren’t hurting us. Our shape was good, we looked the more threatening team with the better chances.

“I am repeating myself because in so many games this season we are missing chance after chance and it is catching up with us now.”

Exeter manager Gary Caldwell hailed a superb team performance as the Grecians climbed out of the League One relegation zone with a deserved 2-1 win over Carlisle at St James Park.

Second-half goals from Reece Cole and Sonny Cox gave Exeter a 2-0 lead after they had been in almost complete control.

Dan Butterworth then pulled one back for Carlisle in the 86th minute, which led to a nervy finale, but City held on for a deserved three points.

“I thought we were outstanding right from the start, and in complete control of the game,” Caldwell said.

“We spoke yesterday about how we needed to dominate possession, but that possession had to have a purpose to it and I thought it did from the very first minute.

“Luke (Harris) almost scored with his first touch in a red and white shirt, but they are always a threat with the long balls they play and from set-pieces and throw-ins. We had to defend those moments, but I thought we totally dominated the first half and created chances without scoring, which can be frustrating.

“We added some bits in the second half and scored two brilliant goals. It could have been easier, but I think that is the next step for us because it could have been three, it could have been four, and they scored a brilliant goal when he hits one on the half volley from 20 yards.

“We need to be better and we had to dig in and defend the onslaught that would come. But it’s a fantastic three points and I think a fantastic performance and a big step forward.”

Carlisle boss Paul Simpson was critical of his side’s display and said: “I am hugely disappointed, obviously, to have not taken anything out of the game. Unfortunately, we only started playing with any meaning when we were 2-0 down and it doesn’t matter where you are playing, you can’t do that.

“You have to have a belief that you are going to win the game and I don’t think we had that. I think we turned up today expecting it was going to happen and, unfortunately, you can’t do that. You have to be right from the first whistle.

“I thought we had chances today, particularly towards the end of the game, but if you don’t do those simple, basic things well – tracking runners, getting shots in, passing the ball better and locking on to players – you don’t get anything out of the game.

“We got into some good areas but our quality was really poor. It is really simple, basic things and everybody has to take it, everybody has to deal with it. We have to be better because this was a game there to be won today and I think we have let Exeter off the hook.”