A beautiful drive to the city of Lincoln which is about equidistant as the Kenny is from my home. Firstly on very early arrival parking by the attractive South Common before a few hours enjoying the sites of Lincoln’s Cathedral area and a couple of pre-match pints with mates down by the canal. You know, immense credit has to go to the often criticised developers who have done a great job of creating a vibrant waterfront area that has many similarities to Melbourne’s Southbank. Well done guys, you have created a good addition to this very attractive historic city.
Our hosts for the game Lincoln City: well firstly a bit of praise for Lincoln and their young management duo; Danny & Nicky Cowley. Brothers in their early 30’s who played their football in non-league and whose management experience stretches no higher than Braintree. Their style of football is possibly not the most attractive to watch as they play a long-ball percentages game but real credit to them in bringing together an effective side that has excited the city of Lincoln and almost fills the stadium with passionate supporters. Yes, it was great to see such a big crowd for a L2 game on a beautiful late summer’s day. The game itself: overall a fairly forgettable game that unlike a visit to the lovely city of Lincoln, will not linger long in the memory. Unlike last week’s epic fight back which I am sure we will still remember at the end of the season, memories of yesterday’s affair will fade rapidly. Well, maybe we will remember that persistent drummer of the wailing siren that preceded every Lincoln corner but that’s about it. The first half was quite entertaining with the Hatters giving as good as they got and to my tally having about four decent to mild attempts on goal with possibly the closest being a good effort from Pelly who was having a very mixed first half with some typical good work but overcomplicated play letting him down when a simple ball would have sufficed. Collins and Hylton were looking dangerous with Stacey absolutely storming down the wing like a sprinting bull; he is just so hard to knock off the ball once in full stampede. Unfortunately, Collins picked up a hip injury early on and despite trying to play through the discomfort, had to be replaced after less than thirty minutes to be replaced by young Cornick. Cornick does not possess the like for like physical strength of Collins and plays naturally wider but he did well and gave the Lincoln defence some worry with his skill and pace. In that first half Lincoln had their efforts on goal and perhaps the closest they came was a shot from mid left that went narrowly past Stech’s post. So half time arrived with the teams about equal after a fairly entertaining first half. Certainly, that first half performance was a marked improvement on our first half showing the week before at Mansfield. Sadly the second half drifted away in comparison as did our own effectiveness which seemed to be compounded when the tiring McCormack, bless the old boy, was replaced by Cook. I am all for trying to build Cook’s confidence by gradual reintroduction from the bench when we are in a dominant winning position but maybe yesterday's tough scrap was not the best time. However, to be fair to Cook, he did nothing to warrant criticism in the game and actually committed a naughty “professional” yellow card foul to prevent a dangerous situation late in the game: well done on that one Cook. I suppose the closest we really came to a goal in the second half were two slightly comical situations when firstly Stech dropped a cross that was then cleared and when Hylton got possession in the area with the Lincoln goalkeeper racing around after him like a demented clown. Another pleasing moment in the second half was the applause given to Ollie Palmer when the former Luton Loanee came on as a sub late in the game. So there we are a hard fought but fairly forgettable 0-0 draw that produced some entertainment in the first half but drifted somewhat in the second period. To my mind, it was a good point against a well organised direct Lincoln side and to top it all a great day out enjoying the beautiful city of Lincoln. Overall Impression: Those Hatters fans who followed the club in the 70’s will have come across the Lincoln City style of long ball play from Graham Taylor who managed Lincoln before going on to success with Watford: what glorious days with Pleat & Taylor! Like Taylor’s sides, it would be a touch unfair to say Lincoln are just a crude hoofball, yes they do get the ball high and into the penalty area at every opportunity but their also try to get the ball out to their two wingers and launch crosses from out wide. Ok, not the most attractive football to watch but this is L2 and I am sure it will be successful for Lincoln just as it was for them last season when they won 30 games in the National league. We do try to play football yet there are very few footballing sides as such to play against in L2 and that’s something that does not readily help us in our quest for L1 a place where our football will possibly flourish a touch more than in the league's basement. On the day I am happy with a point and don’t see any need to be overly critical of our teams play or the performance of any individuals. A Few Thoughts on Individual Performances: Stech: his kicking was sometimes poor and he did make a mess of a fairly easy cross in the second half but those aspects apart, he played well. Sheehan: like Rea, I feel he is best suited to playing in a back three rather than one of two centre backs. A much better game than he had last week at Mansfield. Rea: he looks very comfortable playing in a back three and overall had a good game. Cuthbert: totally brave in the entire game; he just won so much in the air. Stacey: excellent signing and continued to prove what an athletic, strong and determined player he is. I did read an interview with Stacey where he said he felt he was really a midfield player who could also play at right back. JJ at the back with Stacey in front of him, that would be interesting and really powerful I suspect. Potts: did quite well but a touch short compared to the previous two away games: quality defender in my opinion. McCormack: decent game and I thought we went downhill a touch when he was substituted midway through the second half. Pelly: after been our outstanding player in the last two physical away battles at Barnet & Mansfield, he had an inconsistent afternoon. At times simply over elaborating in our half of the field then at other times delivering the good stuff few are capable of doing at this level. Berry: a great little skillful battler in midfield; not outstanding but reasonable yesterday with plenty more to come I suspect. Hylton: overall a good game from Hylton who tried just about everything to get a way through the Lincoln defence. He tired late in the game but will soon be back to his best. Collins: looked good until he picked up that hip injury fairly early in the game and despite trying to play on, was replaced by Cornick before the half-hour mark. The Subs: Cornick: he had a fairly impressive game and it’s easy to see why Nathan signed him. I am sure he will develop into a more consistent tormentor of other sides as he continues to develop. Cook: yes, he has had a lot of stick in the past but that stick should really have been directed at Nathan for simply selecting a player who was way out of form. Yesterday he came on as a late substitute and sadly for his critics, did little wrong. In fact to use that terrible football phrase, “he took one for the team” in fouling a very forward Lincoln player late in the game.
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Hi there, welcome to my site where I chronicle various things about the Hatters, a team I have followed since the mid 60’sArchives
December 2017
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