TOWN boss Danny Wilson last night backed the decision of referee David Coote to call off the League One clash at Exeter.

After a 6pm pitch inspection at St James' Park, the soaking surface was deemed to dangerous to proceed, sending the 300-strong travelling support home disappointed.

With the pitch in general extremely wet and one of the flanks particularly badly affected, Wilson felt Coote's verdict was the correct one.

“It's the right decision, you can't do anything different than that,” revealed the Swindon boss.

“We didn't want the game called off, but do you want the game called off or do you want to witness a farce?

“The ball will not run and as the night goes on the pitch is going to cut up badly. It's still very heavy, very watery, from the side it looks okay but when you get on it, it's completely the opposite.

“There's lots and lots of incidental things that have to be taken into account here, and I think the safety of players is paramount.

“Also there's a risk of more heavy rain coming. It would have been very difficult, should we have started the game, to finish it.”

With Town still very much fighting a relegation battle, Wilson added that staging a game of such significant magnitude on an inappropriate surface would have been folly.

“This is a game that from our point of view is very important to us, as it is with Exeter as well, it's a West Country derby,” said Wilson.

“So there's a lot riding on the game and we don't want it turning into a farce and that's what it would have done had the game gone ahead.

“I think the way the game is at the moment in time, you don't want to be losing a game and then blaming the pitch later on.”