I feared for the second half, I’d seen little to suggest we’d win the game and plenty that made me wonder if they might. I commented that something had to change, even if it was just the ferocity with which we went at the Stags. From minute one of the second half, it did.
I’m not going to claim we tore them to shreds, it would be inaccurate, but we started to make our mark on the game. The wide men got into proceedings more and as we stretched their midfield opportunities began to present themselves, albeit half-chances and openings. I’ve seen this morning Harry Anderson got a lot of stick yesterday, even he has tweeted to say sorry, but at one stage I suggested he might be a potential Man of the Match! I got that his end product wasn’t the best, but until he tired he gave a good account of himself.
I’m genuinely surprised at the clamour to offer negative opinion after a game. Look, I’m all for opinion and I know mine will differ to yours sometimes, but there does seem to be a mentality that after any game we look for the negatives, not the positive. I’m not telling anyone they can’t offer critique, but I would like to know why some are so keen to do that and never give praise when it is due? Why, when we’ve got a decent point against a top side in the division, are we instantly texting into BBC Radio Lincolnshire to say Harry Anderson was shit? What about praising O’Connor or Pett, Bozzy or Shackell?Why must analysis always, always focus on the negative. It truly galls me.
For what it is worth, I don’t think Harry had a bad game at all.
On the other flank, Bruno was causing his usual menace and Harry Toffolo put in another good performance too. I had feared we might get done from that flank and although their equaliser came from their right hand side, overall the two players linked well. If we’re going to be promoted, Bruno Andrade is sure to be a deciding factor. He’s got a bit of everything, a trick, a cross, pace and belief he can strip a full back.
As the game wore on I felt we were going to settle for a point, but the atmosphere truly developed as the game wore on. The visiting fans found their voice (no doubt read my tweet), plus our own support were driven passionately too. It felt like a completely different game to the first half, a flying Lincoln City desperate to grab a win, with the Stags keen to eat up time and hold on for a point.
There was the free kick excellent saved by Olejnik, John Akinde brought a long ball from Bozzy down superbly and was eventually thwarted by two defenders and the keeper and Bruno Andrade jinxed into the area only for his effort to be saved. Chances, not clear-cut but all that might have led to something. Anything.
The changes did make a difference, but again I’ve seen criticism for them being made too late. There’s little point in bringing devastating pace from the bench after 50 minutes because the players we’re looking to expose won’t be tired. Isn’t our habit of scoring late goals testament to the fact we get those changes right, not wrong? When Rhead came on the defence were so tired he even went on a run with the ball! I know that it isn’t easy for Matt Green to make an impression in ten second half minutes, but to make changes on the hour when, in the main, our game plan is working would be baffling.
I do agree that Kellan Gordon needs more game time and if that comes at the expense of Harry it only underlines our strength and depth. I’ve said all along Gordon isn’t a right back and that is evident whenever he comes on. I don’t buy the argument he played well their against Scunthorpe reserves either. League action is different and I know a right winger when I see one. Gordon injected fresh pace and endeavour on the right and along with Green and Rhead gave Mansfield a different problem to solve.
They failed.
Gordon took his goal well but if you watch it back, all the subs were involved. Fresh legs, late on, working their magic. Who is to say if they’d come on ten minutes earlier they would have been able to cause the same trouble? Who is right, the manager who made the switch that brought the goal, or the fan who just thinks if it had happened earlier we would have got two? My money is on the man in the dugout.
I made reference to five minutes injury time which I thought was a little over the top, but Jacob Mellis only needed three to bring the visitors level. Danny believes the ball was well out before Danny Rose kept things alive, I couldn’t comment and the video I’ve seen of it is inconclusive. If it was we could have a bit of a moan, but on the whole the officials did well and that sort of decision will, hopefully, even itself out. It isn’t a blatant handball like the Carlisle game, nor a foul on an advancing players like at Port Vale or (again) Carlisle. It’s contentious, sure, but it’s not blatant and in those circumstances you get some and not others.
It hurt though. A win would have been just the thing to give us a kick going into the festive period, but seeing the visitors celebrating so passionately was a real kick in the love eggs. Our joy turned to desolation, not at losing the game, but at failing to secure the win. That said, how many times have we done the same to others? How many times have visiting fans sat in the Stacey West and watched 8,000 Imps celebrate a last-gasp winner, deserved or not? MK Dons and Northampton spring to mind, but Bury fans will have felt the pain too, even if it wasn’t late. That is football.
The little bit of argy bargy at the end wasn’t needed. I think the Mansfield bench celebrated a bit too close to Danny and when he took it up with someone they stuck their chest in looking for a response. That is how David Flitcroft and his team conduct their business, much the same as Evans and Raynor did. Danny and Nicky are no saints, they’re not the sort to get involved in embarrassing scenes if they can help it, but their touchline demeanour isn’t without its controversy. Still, I’d like to see everyone shaking hands once the whistle is blown, not some fitness coach or other wanting to make a name for himself by going for a future Premier League manager like Danny. Needless.
Coming out of the ground I had to placate my mate Dave who feels we don’t score enough goals (most in League Two) and that we need to win our home games. It was a typical response from someone who had been elated one minute and seen victory snatched away the next. By the time our car got back to Wragby the mood had changed to us getting a decent point, still being five points clear of arguably an automatic promotion contender and having a game in hand. Stevenage taking the lead against MK Dons helped the mood too, even though by the time I was back in Withcall Tisdale’s side were winning.
Football deals you surprises though and at 5pm we were all delighted with the point that put us back on top. One late equaliser had left us feeling empty, but a late winner elsewhere put that into perspective. From joy, to dismay and back to joy in just two and a half hours.
I love football.
Almost all the criticism yesterday post-match, that I heard, was aimed at Akinde. Not Harry or Shay, who were both underwhelming yesterday,but Akinde.
I actually thought John did well yesterday. Despite being isolated, he managed to create a couple of chances for himself and constantly occupied 2 or 3 of their defence.
I notice no-one called out any of the defenders for not clearing the ball when Mellis scored.
Anyway, it’s Oldham Tuesday and another 3 points to contest.
Spot on Gary – second half we put in a really strong performance. Until we scored. We weren’t troubled by Mansfield through the whole half until we stopped playing our system and tried to keep the ball in the corners. We immediately looked fragile and tentative rather than keeping shape. We were the only team who looked like scoring until then.
On the subject of individual performances, I don’t think we had a weak link. I thought John Akinde had one of his best games – some lovely close control when receiving the ball – perhaps just missing the final touch. Similar with Harry Anderson – he played really well – just missing the final ball. He’d done all the hard work most of the time. Everyone played their part. It was nice to see Neil Eardley back. We look much more solid.
Best team at the Bank this season. You can see why they have such a long unbeaten record away from home in the league. We were 2 minutes shy of ending that run after a dominant second half display. Very impressed with Khan, Bishop and Mellis in particular. Title contenders. We all said we would have settled for a point before the game…….
“For what it is worth, I don’t think Harry had a bad game at all.”
Come on Gary, you really do need to go to Specsavers where Harry is concerned. He is becoming the nearly man….he nearly did this, he nearly did that. He nearly did, but that lack of the telling pass, that lack of getting a shot off, that lack of keeping the ball at the end of his impressive runs are letting himself and the team down. Yes, I’ve said it before, he is young but he doesn’t seem to have improved season on season . To my mind, it’s time to let him go in the January window or loan him out. I don’t dislike the lad but the improvement when Kellan came on was noticeable. Playing Harry doesn’t give us the cutting edge we need down that wing and to push on to promotion we need that and the goals that should come with it……
I tend to agree with Harrow’s view of Harry. Thought he had his best game for some time against Northampton but yesterday was back to running into cul de sacs.
Can’t fault his attitude but not enough end product I’m afraid.
On the game we were definitely the better side in the second half and I think 1-0 would have been a fair reflection but we’re often protecting narrow leads in the closing minutes and eventually you’re going to get caught out..
Mansfield came to the bank with a reputation for good attractive football but instead were underwhelming , workmanlike as a team but not anywhere near some of the other teams that have been here before- Bury, MK Dons and dare I say FGR. I think they set out to contain without being defensive.
Think most Imps players were 7 out of 10 in various phases of the game, some marginally better, but it is a good point certainly in light of all other results yesterday. We have to have a sense of perspective here, when we have been scoring those late winners the stags have not been able to find one hence all of those 11 draws they have made. They also have to get a sense of perspective as well it was an EQUALISER not a Winner. I like the fact we are under their skin as well as being six points ahead with a game in hand, where would we rather be.
I have to agree with Harry comments but he is young and the end product will come with experience maybe he is overtrying.
Finally I just wish people would get off Big Johns back we are top of the league and in a very good place, with our players ready for the four games in 12 days fully charged and having had a well earned rest.
The campaign restarts here.
Ps I didn’t believe a word of Flip crofts post match interview – tonsillitis etc felt it was all kidology
Football will always be a game of opinions I thought big John was a handful again yesterday and was a real threat in the second half as Mansfield tired.
However I do agree with other comments about Harry. He didn’t have a ‘bad’ game yesterday, but certainly didn’t have a good one either. I’ve posted here and elsewhere about Harry before, but Harrow is right when he says he is a nearly man. I can’t criticise his work rate or endeavour, nor his attitude or ability to pop up with an odd goal but his overall effectiveness in games is held back by poor decision making, shooting when he should pass and passing when he should shoot etc.
Interesting times as Danny has shown in the past he is not afraid to take Harry out for a few games and then bring him back fresh and hungry. He is also young and will undoubtedly improve, however just like Gary I also know a good right winger when I see one and I am not convinced we are seeing the best of ours at the mimute.
Although I don’t fully understand modern day tactics etc at a professional level it is evident to me that a significant number of fans both at Lincoln City and probably every other Club have a very simplistic view of the game. On Saturday the reason why Mansfield weren’t able to play neat triangles let alone create chances was down to how hard the midfield and forwards worked to force them into errors especially in the first half. Creatively I am afraid we are a man short but in defence of H his defensive side has come on leaps and bounds from a year ago and he was out on his feet with ten minutes to go. This allowed Gordon to come on and bring his attacking attributes to bear. Football these days is a 90 minute game involving more than 11 players but all playing their part. Lets leave the tactics, formation to the Management team but who ever is on the pitch at anyone time lets give them our utmost support. That’s our job!