Strangely enjoyable game today...last gasp equaliser aside I thought we showed spirit & unity that has been missing for some time, everyone worked for each other. Lincoln are a horrible with Matt Rhead lead thug, epitomised by their failure to return the drop ball and almost getting through!
Utter howler by RCC imo, judging by the way the rest of the team berated him & I didn't see a foul (could be wrong?).
Felt a bit sorry for Norris who had a great start to the game & thought Richards & Banks candidates for MoM.
Good point, but feels like a defeat.
To be honest Norris was playing the best he had all season when taken off, very unfair on him but something had to be done I guess and he was the obvious choice, he won a couple of headers and passed the ball well till he was taken off.
Lincoln had at least 8 thugs playing, they are a bullying team and I am so happy that we stood up to it, last season our boys would have crumbled under that sort of bullying and fouling and the constant hooooooofing of ballls into our box.
Great defensive performance all round right up till the fumble at the end, I haven't seen it again yet but my first thoughts were he was pushed but he certainly should have punched the ball not tried to catch it, but he did make a couple of good solid saves before that.
Banks is a great find, looks perfect sat in front of the back 4/5 protecting them and can make runs, tackle, head and pass the ball. Sign him on asap.
Elsnik is the best player at the club by a country mile, his shooting and passing skills are exceptional, my only slight complaint is that he has a great shot so please shoot more often! their keeper was dodgy as fuck with long ranger shots so we should have peppered his goal a bit more.
The whole defence looked solid and working as a unit when we had 4 or 5 at the back, Purkiss has come back transformed in confidence and his versaitlity at the back is a major asset, comfortable at CB or RB and making runs with the ball. Lancashire played his best game in a Town shirt too IMO.
The new lad Mayo (as I still can't spell his name unless I google it!) is huge and mobile and can head and pass and a fair bit of pace for a 6 foot 3 defender, would like him back next season if we could in whatever division we are in, bags of potential and not scared of upsetting the more seasoned pros of other clubs, he bullied Rhea as good as he got and stood up to another Bully in Bostwick...who took one look at his eyes and backed off when face to face near the end!
Taylor was a bit off the pace at LB but he was up against one of the best wingers I have seen this season and Anderson gave him little cover, most of their attacks when they did came down that side, Taylor is good attacking but defensively still a little weak.
Gordon needs to improve his delivery on crosses, he doesn't have the pace that he thinks he has so rarely can beat a defender for pace but looked better when we went 4 at the back and he was pushed up, still not 1st team standard yet IMO more of an impact sub.
Lincoln, for a team so many fancy for promotion, looked a one trick pony side, bully, bully, bully, kick, bitch, dive, kick it long to the target man (Green) who was the only player I would have out of that whole team, he has pace and control and a good target man but dives a little too easily when challeneged as did all the Lincoln players TBF.
They had one outlet, the right wing, otherwise it was just a massive boot into the box at every chance they had, they looked lost when we played it on the floor against them.
A good result though no matter what and I would have taken a draw before the game so am not unhappy but it could so easily have been 3 points.
Oh and drums and sirens do NOT belong in a football ground, sorry.