About a quarter of an hour into today’s top of the table clash with Lincoln City, I thought it was going to be a long, long afternoon for us. Despite changing from their usual four at the back to a three centrebacks formation, Lincoln were comfortably keeping us at arm’s length and were causing us problems with their method of play which is almost a complete opposite of ours.
Now, it should be said here that I am very much the pessimist when watching us play (I’ve always believed that the vast majority of people who watch their teams while sober are, but maybe I’m wrong there?). Very often down the years, I’ve started fearing the worst early in a match only for City to prove me wrong as they won quite easily mind, but today, I was right – Lincoln were worthy winners and, in the end, it was quite comfortable for them.
I must say Lincoln impressed me, they were very hard to play against and, for me were a much better team than they looked when they beat us at Sincil Bank just before Christmas. Although I thought the Imps just about edged it that day, there was very little between the teams and luck was against us with the own goal Alex Robertson scored to put them 1-0 up – on another day, we definitely could have got something from that match.
Today though it looked like a bunch of individuals against a proper team. Many of City’s individuals are gifted at this level and it was significant that, a frantic minute in the first half apart, the little bits of eye catching skill by the likes of the Colwill brothers and Amari Kellyman which drew eager applause from the home crowd, came to nothing as City never built up a head of steam to get the big crowd really involved.
It helped Lincoln that whenever they attacked in open play, it was far less congested in the final third than it was when we did, but they were organized in a way that we weren’t and let’s be frank, we’ve been pretty open when we played at home all season.
Lincoln have the lowest percentage possession figures in the division, while we have the highest and the gap between the two of us only grew on an afternoon when it was 77/23 in our favour, but Lincoln were happy to let us have the play as they are so well drilled out of possession.
I’m sure Yousef Salech would have started today if he was fit because, while they had prospered without an attacking focal point in his absence, this was a day when City really needed one – for the first time since his injury six weeks ago against Stockport.
In straightforward terms, City needed some more height in their team against such tall opponents and, in terms of the aerial challenge, it also didn’t help that Perry Ng cried off this morning with an illness to be replaced by Ronan Kpakio – although, to be fair to the teenager, I thought he was maybe our best player on the day.
Other changes saw Will Fish replace Dylan Lawlor and Kellyman returning instead of Cian Ashford, while Lincoln’s Jack Moylan, widely regarded as their best player, was only on the bench after being an injury doubt through much of the preceding week.
Lincoln’s switch of formation may have been viewed as something of a risk, but it didn’t work out that way as City spent much of the first half an hour trying to come to terms with it – in fact, i can’t remember a single goal attempt from us during this time.
That all changed around the thirty five minute mark when Ollie Tanner, struggling to make the same impact as he does on the right as Kellyman was being used on that side of the pitch, came infield to hit a right footed effort from twenty yards that drew a fine save out of George Wickens as he pushed the ball over for a corner.
Seconds later, Wickens was less impressive as he shovelled away a Rubin Colwill effort as his brother closed in and when the ball was half cleared to Rubin his shot was this time deflected not far wide for another set piece.
City had a few more corners as they finished the half on top, but they’d had their best period of the match and the second half was to prove a disappointment as they finished second to a team who must be favourites to be Champions after they snuffed out any momentum City had.
By starting with Osho and Fish, City were arguably using the pair of centrebacks best equipped to deal with the physical challenge Lincoln posed and they both did well enough in the first half, but it proved to be different on fifty five minutes when the vicitors scored what was always going to be a vital first goal.
Osho got first contact on a long ball forward as he challenged with Rob Street, but it turned into an assist as Ben House got away from Fish and played in Street who shot home from eight yards.
Rather surprisingly, City took longer than normal to bring on substitutes as Callum Robinson and Chris Willock replaced Kellyman and Joel Colwill. The changes soon brought a second goal, but not in the right net when Tanner, now on his favoured right side, carelessly conceded possession to give Lincoln the chance to show their speed on the break. In no time at all, sub Dom Jefferies was running at Fish and he had few problems cutting in and firing in low from twelve yards.
Dylan Lawlor came on for Osho and Ashford for Tanner and maybe there could have still been something for City from the match if Rubin’s shot had found the corner rather than flying a foot or two wide.
There was also a well struck effort from Robinson which was saved, but the closing minutes were generally comfortable for a good Lincoln side which presented City with problems they just couldn’t solve.
As I type this, the 3 o clock kick offs are coming to an end and it looks like Bolton are not taking advantage of our slip as they trail 2-0 (they ended up scoring three times after the eighty eighth minute to win 3-2, an outcome which will give them great momentum) at home to in form Wycombe who suddenly look real Play Off contenders (or maybe they don’t!). Bradford are edging to a 2-1 home win over Leyton Orient and with Stockport not playing, Huddersfield beat Rotherham this lunchtime, while Reading are winning at under achievers Luton, as are Stevenage at Burton.
There was an amazing game involving our under 18s at Watford this lunchtime where Paul Moreno and Harry Watts both scored twice and Axel Donczew and Jack Sykes weighed in with one each in a 6-4 win.
