The Imps came out for the second half all guns blazing, with two great chances in the first minute or so. Michael decided not to make any changes, and as Jones rasped an effort at Kovar, which was tipped just wide, it seemed like a wise move. Not long afterwards, Brennan Johnson picked up the ball 25-yards out, drove a little towards goal before hitting a great drive which seemed to clip the crossbar.
That proved to be a false dawn in terms of the spectacle, whilst we certainly looked busy, little happened in terms of clear-cut chances. Swindon did attack at speed at times, but never truly looked like breaching the Imps’ back four. Anthony Grant did get a drive off at goal, which palmer held with relative ease. Immediately afterwards it was the turn of Matt smith, another relatively weak effort saved by Palmer without fuss.
Just before the hour mark, tom Hopper was fouled to draw the fifth yellow card of the evening for the home side. They hadn’t been cynical as such, but going into the last half hour the whole back four were on cards. It might have been tempting to get pace on to run at them, but instead, Michael went for guile, with McGrandles swapping places with Anthony Scully and Jorge Grant pushing out on the wide left.
That certainly brought some balance to the Imps attack and for the first time since those early chances, we sprung into life. Grant played a smart ball to Edun whose cross was lashed out for a corner – from that corner a loose ball dropped to Bridcutt who fired well over Kovar’s goal.
Finally, with 16 minutes left to play, the deadlock was broken. A nice move down the right saw a teasing ball evade Hopper and Grant and get touched out for a corner. Grant’s delivery had Kovar rush of his line with a weak punch, and the loose ball dropped to Lewis Montsma, who headed at goal. Kovar recovered and tried to claw the ball out, but it had already crossed the line and the Imps had the lead.
Credit to Swindon, after that they pushed hard for a leveller. Liam Bridcutt gave away a free kick on the edge of the area causing some panic, but Dion Donohue fired well over. Shortly after, a move down the right-hand side saw a ball flashed across goal where Jordan Stevens saw a rebounded effort go wide.
There were no chances left for City as we looked to close the game down, a couple of corners were kept in the corner to wind down the clock, whilst Robbie Gotts took plenty of time to come off as he was replaced by TJ Eyoma.
There was still a little late drama, and typically it involved former Imp Jack Payne. He whipped a cross in as we entered injury time, which Tom Broadbent flicked on. His header found Baudry, all alone in the six-yard box with the whole goal to aim for, but he headed over.
In truth, it should have gone in. In truth, it would have been no less than the home side deserved in what was an equal encounter. However, they didn’t get the goal and the game finished 1-0, pushing the Imps into third.
Michael Appleton was happy with the result, if not the process, as he spoke to BBC Radio Lincolnshire. “We were far from our best tonight, it wasn’t a particularly eye-catching game from both sides really,” he said.
“To come here and get the three points is the most improtant thing. Don’t get me wrong, the players are frustrated and expect us to be better, but there is more than one way to win a game of football. We didn’t look like we were going to concede again, but we lacked a bit of quality in the final third and we have to get better.”
That said, another clean sheet on their travels is impressive, which Michale was impressed with.
“It’s great. It’s really pleasing the amount of clean sheets were getting. We’re in a really good position, we have given ourselves a great platform to work from.”
On reflection, it was a tough watch at times. Passes did go astray and Swindon operated a high press which forced one or two players into bad decisions. That said, a clean sheet is great, two in a row is superb and I always maintained four points from these two games would be a good haul. It has proven to be, and whilst individuals might not have impressed some supporters, the overall outcome was more than satisfactory.
I think that, more than anything, should be the take-home this evening. It might not have been free-flowing, it might not have been easy on the eye, but the facts are indisputable. 1-0 win, third in the table and ending a three-game winless run in the division. There is now a seven-day break with the FA Cup game, before a crucial double-header against Wigan (24th) and Rochdale (20th), which could well set us up for a tasty tie against Sunderland, maybe in front of fans.