Imps Rewind: Grant’s Goal Could Cost Posh Play-Off Spot

I wasn’t entirely sure there was anything in the game for us, purely because of how resolute I felt Posh looked, as well as their threat going forward. They came to win the game and that plays into our hands; sides who come for a draw pose a real problem but when an Ipswich or Peterborough roll into town we’re allowed a little more freedom. I’ve noticed a classic approach is to come down one flank, usually the left, then instead of finding the overlap dropping the ball into Joe Morrell in the centre of the park. He then has three options, all of which the opposition have to consider. The obvious ball and the most effective is a cross-field ping to Harry Anderson in acres of space. That’s not by accident, it’s by design. If the opposing left back steps out to cover Harry, then his centre half will have to do the same to cover the gap. That presents Morrell with another option; Hesketh or Walker, who will have more space as a result of the defence being stretched. All of that could be pointless if Morrell chooses to go back down the left where Grant and Toffolo, or whoever is on the flank, is waiting to pounce.

That all stems from playing out from the back, drawing the opponent into the press to create space. It’s beginning to reap rewards and when a team comes to attack us, it is very effective. Let’s hope Bristol City feel they can leave Joe Morrell in situ for another five months.

I wondered if the change at half time was through injury; O’Connor took a shot in the back in the first half and I thought he’d had a good game. MA suggested after the match he wanted to have a different approach in the middle of the park, giving Jorge Grant license to get on the ball and stuffing Payne on the flank. Again, a bold tactical move by the manager to go and win a game against a very good side. Mind you, when you’re at home in front of 10,000 you’re not going to settle for defeat.

It worked a treat, we began to get forward and probe a little more, but as we attacked it gave space for Peterborough to do the same. Marcus Maddison had two decent chances, both long range, but both sufficient to have me draw a little breath as they dropped wide. With few clear-cut chances, the game still had an ebb and flow that marked it out as a great advert for this level. The minutes ticked away though and Pym hadn’t made a significant save in the second period. Jake Hesketh, who I felt didn’t hit the heights of his Ipswich outing, came off for Big John and the game began to turn.

John was involved in the goal, putting himself about enough to allow Tyler walker to pick up possession and have a stab at goal. A truly wicked deflection took it up, over Pym and into the back of the net. Cue delirium, the Imps were level. It was merely the catalyst for thirty minutes of real derby day passion, just without the actual derby element.

Posh fans had been misbehaving all game and I’m told a few objects were thrown into the Imps’ fans; coins and a hip flask (which I believe had blue WKD in it from reports online…. wow). Something sparked an incident in which they tried to get ot our fans, stewards and police waded in and everything just got turned up a little more. If the game had been simmeering on gas mark 5, it just went up to 6.

Siriki Demebele came on and again, I had a deep sense of concern. He changed the game at London Road and his skills were something very different for our lads to consider. Eisa, who had been poor all afternoon, trotted off and the former Grimsby man rushed onto the field Within a minute, he trotted back off again after another moment of madness from an opponent at the Bank.

Tranmere had Corey Blackett-Taylor sent off for a stupid block on a free kick a couple of weeks ago and Dembele had clearly felt the need to be even more stupid. His tug on Joe Morrell barely warranted a free kick, the incident as nothing at all, but the two players came together and in went the Peterborough man’s head. Yes, Morrell went down a bit after but I didn’t feel he dived as a reaction to the ‘headbutt’, but because of the general tussle they were still involved in. The Peterborough man was immediately dismissed and the pendulum swung our way, again.

After that, there was only one side in it. I confess I’d have been happy with a draw at that stage, but my mate Matt felt it was there for the taking. Pym made a routine save from Jack Payne, then Harry Toffolo struck the woodwork. Big John was proving to be a real handful and Tyler Waler always seemed to be lurking, looking for a chance. The visitors retreated further and further, but it looked destined to be a draw, despite our expected dominance against 10 men.

Cian Bolger lashed a shot at Pym who saved with ease, but with just seconds left on the clock, the former Exeter man made a wonderful stop to prevent Harry Anderson’s header creeping in. With the pressure increasing more and more, a big finale felt like it might be in the offing; would we commit too many men forward and suffer late heartbreak? Or could all the time MA has spent with the players finally see us convert a deficit into a win?

We all know what happened next. We were given a free kick (correctly) on the edge of the area and Jorge Grant’s exquisite strike finally beat the impressive Pym. I would say I felt for their stopper who was beaten by a deflection and a moment of absolute wonder, but I don’t. The unbridled joy with which the goal was greeted will stick with me for as long as Sam Habergham’s against Torquay, or Neal eardley’s strike away at Cambridge. It was the perfect free kick, struck with the style and panache we know Jorge Grant is capable of. Let me tell you this; he’s coming on in leaps and bounds under Michael Appleton. If it wasn’t for the fact Joe Morrell was unstoppable all afternoon, the former Forest man would have been my Man of the Match.

That really was that. The approach to the final few minutes differed to that of the Ipswich game and we held the ball up in the corner, ran down the clock and managed a game against a tired and deflated opponent. When Chris Sarginson, who had a good game in the middle of the park, finally blew his whistle we had done what I never thought we could; won against a very, very good Peterborough side.

I couldn’t help but think back to the Burton game as we left the ground. That morning I felt something had changed and I stand by that; we’ve won four in six and whilst I don’t pay attention to form tables, we are top of the six game division. The extended break through November clearly gave the manager time to put work in on the training ground and it is paying off. we can all see the difference between this side and the one that struggled to a 0-0 draw with Shrewsbury and whilst I won’t get too carried away (by mentioning play offs) I feel we’re in a great position to settle into the middle of the pack and remain there.

We move on to a big month now and I feel there’s an important point to be made before I sign off. I keep hearing talk of what we need to add to the side, who we need to bring in and what we need to strengthen. I think it is as important to consider what we need to keep from the current crop as well. The last two home games have shown resilience and character, losing leads and bouncing back, going behind and bouncing back too. This hasn’t come against average sides, it’s come against arguably the most equipped squads at this level, players who have price tags that would sit around the £1m mark. I know Posh and Ipswich will talk about injuries or whatever, but we all have them; where’s Bruno and Freck for instance? No, there are no hiding places, no reasons why we’ve achieved tow great results other than our own endeavour and spirit. We have to keep that; getting defenders who can play the ball out from the back would be on many people’s wishlist, but will you get someone who crunched Toney in a fair challenge like Bozzy did? His return has coincided with our upturn and for me, he is as important as anyone in our squad.

We must keep the patterns of play, the focus on being ourselves and letting the opposition be whatever they want. My fear, albeit a small one, is we find ourselves going down the Sutton route; bringing in new players and losing part of what has made us strong. Ok, we weren’t strong before under Sutton, but I’m sure you see my point here; we have the nucleus of a good side. This squad, as weighted as it was towards Danny’s methods, is not a bad squad. yes, MA needs to add to it to make it more flexible for his approach, but he doesn’t need to dismantle and start again.

I’ve seen nothing to suggest our manager is rash, reactive or blind to the talent we do have and I am filled with confidence and belief that when the 2020/21 season kicks off, it will do so with Lincoln City a League One side and perhaps even an outside bet for a top ten finish. That’s my New Year’s prediction, based purely on the progress I feel I’ve seen over the last month or so.

Aaaaapleton, Aaaaapleton.