If the first half was solid, but ultimately disappointing, then the second was certainly worth the iFollow fee alone. Lincoln weren’t exceptional, but it was the sort of performance we became accustomed to in the early parts of the year, matching our opponents and looking dangerous at time, rather than the last few weeks where we have shrunk away.
I wonder what Michael said at half time, because within a minute of the restart we’d won our third corner of the game. It was wasted, as most of our corners were, but I did feel we made an early statement. This was a game few expected us to get anything from, especially not when we had gone 1-0 down, but we showed the same commitment as we did in the first half. In the past, conceding first against Sunderland and Portsmouth, as well as Fleetwood, Rochdale and Swindon, has shaken our confidence and the football became hurried. Not this time, and dare I say, I think Liam Bridcutt is the reason why.
Praise should also go to Montsma and Jackson, both of whom have struggled in recent weeks, whether for injury or form, but both were solid today. Montsma took a whack from Charlie Wyke early in the half, leading to a five-minute break in play, and for a short period after that, Sunderland seized the initiative.
There were few clear cut chances in the first 15 minutes of the half, Adam Jackson had to get behind a McGeady cross on 56 minutes in a moment of danger, but the game exploded on the hour mark. Firstly, Rogers was penalised for pulling one of their attackers and a free-kick was awarded in a great position. It was one of the numerous decisions I thought the referee got wrong, for both sides I might add, and it could have cost us. Palmer was forced to parry McGeady’s effort and eventually, the Imps lines were cleared and the pressure alleviated.
Three minutes later, we got back into the game. Bramall found some space on the left-hand flank and delivered a ball into the area, which was nodded out, and then back into Morton in a quick game of head tennis. The on-loan striker, anonymous for the opening 60 minutes, controlled well, held off his defender and slid the ball past Burge with consummate confidence. From nowhere, the Imps were back in it.
I get the feeling we’re a side that thrives on belief and confidence because the goal changed the complexion of our play. Just three minutes later a free-kick for Sunderland was cut out, Morton nicked the ball off McGeady’s toe and ran the length of the pitch, earning us a corner. Of course, the corner came to nothing, but the wind was certainly behind us. Suddenly, from looking shot-shy and a little apprehensive, the old Lincoln began to show a little.
With 20 minutes left on the clock, City should have led 201. Morgan Rogers, frustrating and brilliant in equal measure, skinned Dion Sanderson and pulled a superb ball back for Bramall, arriving from the left. The full-back had a gaping goal to shoot at, but went for power over placement and put it back towards Burge, who pulled off a really good stop. Bramall made it saveable, but hat’s off to the former Colchester man as I thought he had a solid game.
Charlie Wyke should really have seen red on 71 minutes, already on a booking he went in late again and had a long talking to from the referee. For an official who seemed fussy in the first half, it was a let off. Boyeson just annoyed me throughout the game, he gave one free-kick against Morton after O’Nien held on to the striker’s shirt and both went down, and he missed Bridcutt being completely taken out on an attack too. I’m sure Sunderland fans will have moments they shook their head, but my rose-tinted spectacles didn’t pick those moments up. I know how bad Boyeson was though, so I know there will be something we did that he missed.
The Black cats are no mugs and despite us getting back into the game, they threatened. They brought on Ross Stewart, a £300,000 buy from Ross County in January, and his first touch was a free header at goal. It was a rare lapse at the back (rare in the second half, not any other time) which saw him free to nod up into the air and watch as the ball dropped into Palmer’s waiting gloves.
Palmer earned his wages this afternoon, that’s for sure. On 76 minutes McGeady sent a defence-splitting pass through to Wyke. The striker had dropped off the shoulder of his marker and turned to go in on goal, but hadn’t banked on Palmer who came diving out and claimed the ball almost on the edge of the area. Palmer was almost beaten with 12 minutes remaining. Sunderland’s deep free kick dropped back on to the edge of the area, but Maguire’s volley was deflected up and over the goal. From the camera angle, I briefly thought our hard work had been undone, but no, we stayed level. It impressed me, not only how quickly we shrugged off the one moment the concentration dipped, but how against the most potent attacking force in the division, we kept our calm, even with two patched up defenders and two new signings still feeling their way in. Dare I say, Bridcutt is the difference.
Before I go into the last ten minutes, I take my hat off to the skipper, who I saw filling in for Bramall after the full-back chased Gooch across the field, who I saw drop into the centre back when Montsma strode out and who popped up in attacking moves too. Say what you want on social media, but if the midfield didn’t have Bridcutt in today, my gut feeling is we don’t get a draw. He’s a top player and brings real calm to the midfield. He freed Edun up too, and he turned in a really solid performance, getting forward and backwards with consummate ease. Until Grant is back, Bridcutt, Edun and McGrandles is my midfield trio.
In the last ten minutes, we looked likely to go on and win the game. Anthony Scully came on as a sub, and his tenacity saw him keep a bad ball in on the right hand side, then snatch it away from his defender and lay it back for Poole. His delivery was snatched at first time by Rogers, drawing a wonderful save from Burge. After a first 60 minutes where we barely troubled the keeper, he’d now made tow great saves to stop us going ahead. If Sunderland deserved to win the first half, and they did, then we certainly deserved the second period.
It could have been worse for the home side on 86 minutes as Bramall put his foot to the floor and left Mclaughlin for dead in the middle of the park. The defender had to cynically trip our man from behind, drawing a yellow card. Whilst it was no more than a yellow, it was a tackle from a rattled and worried defender, one you might call a necessity.
The game ebbed and flowed in the final stages, but we could have snatched it just as the clock ticked over into injury time. The excellent Edun found Scully, he took his time before slotting the ball into the feet of Rogers, and his vicious effort was blocked with Burge committed to the dive.
It was an exciting end to the game, one in which I always felt we might concede, probably because it is what we do of late, but in the end it wasn’t the case. Instead, we came back from a goal down against arguably the best squad in the division (albeit one decimated by injury too), and a game we probably should have won on the balance of second-half chances. What was nice is both keepers had saves to make, and although Palmer made more than Burge, I think our two second-half chances were better than the efforts they had from range. However, a draw was certainly a fair result.
We have proven, time and again, we can go away to the big clubs of the division and get a point, or more (Hull, Ipswich, Sunderland, Portsmouth). What we now have to do over four games is try to pick up two wins, hopefully against Oxford and Charlton, which would go some way to cemented our place in the top six. We’re still in there, still fighting hard and hopefully, after what can only be described as a bloody horrible week, today’s draw is the platform we can build upon and move forward. Only one team in the top ten won, and whilst we match the results of others, we’ll stay where we are and ensure we are still in the mix for a Championship spot going into the final couple of matches.
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