City needed a big performance in the second half, but with tired legs, we got the opposite. We did get the first chance of the half, a quick free-kick worked its way to Edun, but his powerful cross was controlled back to the keeper by Scully. sadly, the Imps just couldn’t get out in the early period of second half, and leggy players started playing tired balls once again. On 51 minutes it was all too easy for the visitors as they got into the area and fired over, but it was a warning of what was to come a minute later. Callum Camps bagged the second, an easy strike from play which simply carved open the home defence.
After that, the game just seemed to collapse for City, Wes Burn getting a free-kick and curling it straight into the chest of Palmer, who held well. Breaks forward were rare and easily snuffed out, whilst the opposition seemed to be a yard quicker and sharper than we were. it made a frustrating watch, something that feels like a recurring theme over the last few weeks as we struggle to get to grips with two games every week, and the injury crisis.
On 62 minutes, City made a triple change, Poole, Edun and Scully coming off, with Cohen Bramall, TJ Eyoma and Callum Morton coming on. Morton, a surprise inclusion amongst the subs, made his first appearance since we beat MK Dons in September. Whilst the subs did have a part to play in a decent final thirty minutes, City didn’t immediately react to the changes. we did look fresher though and it felt like we might get back into the game, but instead Vassell was the player creating a chance to make it 3-0, he found space in the right channel but nobody picked up his deep cross.
The Imps made another change with 67 minutes gone as Max Sanders replaced James Jones and if anything, that finally changed the game in the Imps favour. Sadly, the lax defending early in the second half meant we had a mountain to climb. On 71 minutes, the Imps were handed a lifeline. Palmer plucked a ball out of the air at the back and quickly delivered it forward for Morton. A Fleetwood defender slipped affording Morton the chance, and he pulled the ball to the right before slotting past Cairns in goal.
After that, if anyone was going to score, it was the Imps. Bramall looked lively after coming on and he knocked a ball into Rogers on the left flank. The Man City man cut back inside and opted to shoot, rather than find a pass. It didn’t trouble the keeper. On 78 minutes Fleetwood hit us on the counter, but a super tackle from Jackson set City away. McGrandles burst down the right and after a blocked pass he found Eyoma. The sub delivered a sharp cross into the six-yard box, which Cairns collected.
With just six minutes left, City got the best chance of the closing period, courtesy of Max Sanders. He whipped a cross in from a quick corner, and Montsma lurked to head home but was just beaten to it by the defender. It was frantic from Fleetwood, with the Imps in the ascendency. Rogers had time for another weak long-range drive that should have been better before a late corner saw Alex Palmer. Clever game management from the visitors meant there was little of the five minutes injury time that could be exploited, and eventually the referee ended the game with Fleetwood winning 2-1, probably the right result.
I despair a little because, despite the injuries we have, I still think we could have been better. We certainly seemed more at ease with Sanders in the holding role and Morton helping out Hopper, but I’m not sure Michael will go two up top in future games, and Morton is likely to be a late sub again this weekend.
This is the Imps slump, the loss of form that everyone else has had, but we have not. The key is bouncing back, which I keep saying at the start of each game, but we needed a reaction after drawing with Swindon and instead, we have lost two on the spin. If anything, the side looks tired but the changes do suggest in Morton and Sanders, we may have a couple of players who can step up in the coming weeks.
I won’t write too much more right now, mainly because again I feel the pain of defeat. It’s easier to take than Saturday, because we got what we deserved after a poor spell either side of half time. We went into the game with low expectations as well, but we do need to find form, quickly, if our automatic promotion charge is to be maintained.
I will finish with this, as a bit of perspective. If someone had told you we’d be heading into the play-off places on March 2nd, with games in hand that could put us in the top two, then I think we’d have taken that. Well, if we can address the run of form over the next couple of matches, there is no reason why we can’t get back to where we were before kick-off and keep up the pressure on the teams above us. 15 games to go, 15 massive games in this club’s history.
This one, we’ll just have to forget.
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