Exeter boss Paul Tisdale happy with Graham Cummins debut

Cummins is the first new player to transfer to Exeter permanently since Danny Butterfield signed in September 2013

Exeter City manager Paul Tisdale says he was encouraged by the start Graham Cummins made to his career at the club.

The striker after their transfer embargo was lifted and came on as a half-time substitute in the 3-0 loss to rivals Plymouth Argyle.

"It was a very encouraging start so that gives me some optimism going forward," Tisdale told BBC Radio Devon.

"It was a bright start and he hasn't played much match football, but he made a decent start today."

Tisdale says the former Preston forward, who spent last season on loan at Rochdale, gives him a new dimension in attack.

"He's a strong, athletic, mobile, handful type of a centre-forward.

"He gets into good areas, gets on the end of things in the box and will be hard to play against.

"We have to make sure we feed him with balls into the box and he will be successful for us."

But Tisdale was less happy with the rest of his side after their biggest defeat at their fiercest rivals since they lost 3-0 at Home Park in February 2002.

"We played poorly and we had two or three players who are weak.

"I'm not talking about physically weak, I'm talking weak performance-wise but we have to learn from it.

"I can learn from bits and pieces, I'm sure I didn't get it all right, it took me time to adjust things.

"There are players that need to learn from today, but we will. It's a long season ahead of us, and at the end of the day we have to move on."