As the players came out for the second half, I fleetingly had a moan at Michael. Yep, that’s right, Mr Happy Clapper sighed as I saw no changes. I felt we were never going to get anywhere doing the same things as the first half, and for the first time this season, I had a brief moment where I just wondered if maybe Michael was getting things wrong. You see, I don’t buy into the ‘he’s the coach, it’s his fault’ mantra. He sets the team up, yes, but he can’t get the players to do the right things. You could see how angry he was in the first half, he was quite animated, and his post-match interview revealed how upset he’d got. Still, just for a moment, I felt doubt set in.
Within ten minutes, that doubt was dispelled. We started just as badly as the first half, and were on course to get the same from this game as we’ve got from 90% of the others we’ve gone 1-0 down in; nothing. Michael, who has made good tactical decisions against teams such as Sheff Weds, Sunderland and Charlton in recent weeks, made a bold change; the wandering strangers of Hopper and Marquis came off, with Ted Bishop and Liam Cullen coming on. The sighs weren’t from me at that point, I dare say they were from the glass-half-empty brigade thinking Cullen coming on would be as effective as throwing a cup of water on a house fire. They’d be wrong.
As soon as we made the changes, shuffling the pack, things altered. We found time on the ball in the middle of the park, with lewis Fiorini turning from struggling deep to striding forward with an air of cocky self-assurance. When he’s in top gear, he purrs like a tiger, and hunts like one too. Liam Cullen turned in his best minutes in a City shirt, mainly because he did on his own what two hadn’t done in the first half; he gave us a presence. Also, whereas Chris Maguire isn’t a playmaker, Ted Bishop is, and he was full of spirit as well. Hell, you know what? I thought Maguire even came alive more in the new shape.
Suddenly, City looked like scoring, and immediately Ted Bishop had a glorious chance. He’d just come on when a wonderful Maguire ball freed him, one-on-one with Cairns in goal. I felt there was a chip on the cards; there was no covering defender and the keeper came way out. Perhaps having just come on, Bishop didn’t back himself, but he’s got great technique and he didn’t quite use it. He tried to round the keeper, who got a vital touch to send Bishop out wide. The ball was quickly recycled and Poole whipped in a super cross for Scully, who had also found a new lease of life in the new shape. His header was superbly saved by Cairns, who perhaps should be the opposition Man of the Match.
Within seven minutes of the changes, a rampant City were level. It was a goal made by the sub Liam Cullen, who played a ball across goal to Bishop, with his back to goal. He tapped it back to Fiorini, who we know can strike a beautiful long-range effort. He did just that, beating Cairns and restoring parity for the Imps. I genuinely felt there was only going to be one winner after that. It was just reward for Fiorini, who thrives with the freedom afforded in the setup we used later on. He’s got some real grace and style, if only we’d seen it all season. Just like this Imps team, when he’s good he’s very good, but when he’s not, it’s disappointing because you know what he’s capable of. By the way, I think that’s five goals for him now, and I’d say his loan has been a success.
It all began to get a bit frantic after that. Fleetwood went three up top and began to get forward quickly, demanding more of Jackson and Walsh. When they were beaten in the air, it fell to McGrandles to pick up the pieces, hacking a good effort off the line. Tempers began to flare as well, with Toto Nsiala (remember him from Wembley in 2018?) getting cramp, rolling off the field, then rolling on for treatment. I don’t get it, they needed more than a point, so why hold the game up like that? Anyway, David Kerslake had a word, then the Big Apple got involved. I’ve heard he shows no passion, but he certainly looked up for the fight with a much bigger man; I know who I’d be backing.
Entering the final ten minutes I felt City were more likely to win, but I wouldn’t have put money on it either way. Fleetwood had chances, or rather half chances, from loading the box, but with Jackson and Walsh in I don’t feel as worried as I did earlier in the season. We had opportunities too; Scully curled his trademark effort at goal after cutting inside, but it dropped wide. With four minutes remaining, we perhaps should have won it, Lewis Fiorini finding space to shoot from inside the box (unusual for him), with Cairns pulling off a great save he knew nothing at all about. Still, he took the plaudits from his teammates, as you do.
Late on, another moment summed up our season. We got a free kick in a great position, loaded the box with the big men and waited. With Jackson and Walsh we do have an aerial threat, and with Bishop (for one) we have a player with a great delivery. What happened? Maguire lofted it high and over everyone, wasting the chance. I’m not looking to scapegoat anyone, Maguire had a decent second period, if not spectacular, but his delivery is awful. He takes the corners, plays most short, and when he does whip one in it’s as good as a goal kick to the opposition. It’s been the case all season though, and he’s not the only culprit, but it just sums up the campaign. We had them on the rack in those moments, Fiorini’s effort had just been saved, but we didn’t turn the screw from a set-piece, whereas every time they got anything, they looked threatening. Something, perhaps, for Michael to consider over the summer.
That was that; we got the 1-1 draw, a game we deserved to lose in the first half and win in the second, so a draw is a decent result. We’ve now got 46 points, the same tally as we had last time we were relegated from this division, but I’d be very surprised if the team finishing fourth from bottom get more. Remember, Fleetwood have Gillingham and Wimbledon to play, so not everyone can pick up points. Whilst 46 should be enough to stay up, I think we’re on win (or three draws) from safety, and that could well be clinched this weekend. Why? Because we playing the team at the top of the table, and that’s just the sort of game we love to be involved in.
Either way, it’s one step closer to safety, and one more lesson for Michael to observe before he starts making big calls for next season. Despite four points from two away games and despite the superb second half showing, he does have some big calls to make as well, because there are one or two, contracted for next season, who I feel are holding the team back.
Still, let’s focus on the positive, eh? Up the Imps.
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