The second half started in much the same vein as the first – albeit with four different players. Lavery had made way before the half-hour mark (and he did not look happy about it), whilst at half time Ekpiteta, Beesley and Dougall all went off at the break. One player who came on that I liked the look of was Owen Dale, formerly of Crewe – he’s got a bit about him on the ball and certainly had an air of menace if not actual menace.
The key was to keep it tight until 60 minutes. I felt if they scored (which would be their first league goals in three matches, remember) then they might find their shooting boots and grab a couple. If we could get to 60 minutes, I felt we’d have enough to stay resolute. Hamilton’s well-struck effort on 53 minutes should have been better but wasn’t. Sonny Carey, one of the halftime subs, had a decent strike at goal too, but Jensen saved easily down low.
A word on Jensen – a few sitting around me feel the jury is still out. There’s zero doubt he’s a good keeper, and his command of his area is impressive. There was an early corner he punched further than I could kick it, and I never feel worried when he comes to make a catch. I think the issue is his distribution – he’s as erratic as Evri when it comes to deliveries. I do wonder if one of his big punts might see him bag a wind-assisted goal in the winter months, but right now, they often gave away possession a little needlessly. Personally, I like him, I like his command of the area and how imposing he is; I just think him toning down those kicks so they drop fifteen feet shorter than they do now might be advantageous.
By his own standards, Mandroiu had a quiet game, but one moment on the hour mark showed what a wonderful player he is. It was a cross, one nobody got on the end of, but it had me applauding. The ball was cut back to him, and he delivered a wicked whipped ball across the front of Grimshaw’s goal but behind the defence. Hackett was inches from poking it in at the back stick for three, and it just oozed quality. I called Mandroiu as a key player for us this season, and he’s already proving that. He’s got an assist this afternoon for Erhahon’s goal, he played the pass that led to House being fouled, and when he came off, he got a standing ovation around me.
Recently, subs have changed the game, and this afternoon, it happened again. We looked comfortable at 2-0, but Mark Kennedy swapped out Hackett and Mandroiu for Bishop and Walker, giving us a solid 3-5-2 and allowing us to get a bit more of the ball in midfield. I thought once those changes were made, the game was gone for Blackpool. Critchley rolled the dice with his halftime changes, and we soaked up a little pressure before pressing home. Don’t get me wrong, it was more like soaking up a little spilt milk with some kitchen roll rather than using fifteen towels on a leaking washing machine, but there was still a bit for us to absorb. Once we did that and made our play, the game was done.
It took five minutes for the changes to have the desired effect. The replay of the second penalty will show House going through on the keeper, but it will not show the flick-on from Tyler Walker. It was perhaps the first flick-on we’d seen all afternoon that took out the defence, and it released House. He got free, saw an effort saved and was cynically pulled down from behind by Norburn. There was no doubt around the outcome – Martin Coy pointed to the spot and dismissed the Grenada international for his troubles.
Following a small dispute between Ted Bishop and Tyler Walker, it was Bishop who smashed the penalty home. I felt a bit for Tyler, if I’m honest. Mark Kennedy said he’s been practising penalties and is excellent at taking them, and I suspect he’d like to register his first goal for the club sooner rather than later. Fun fact: his first goal for us came in our second home game of the season in 2019 (against Southend), the same game Ethan Hamilton made his Southend debut. That would have been worth me writing if Walker had scored the pen, but he didn’t. His chance at goals will come, and he’s going to be a huge asset to us this season.
There’s not a lot to say after that. Alex Mitchell made his debut, and I thought he looked really comfortable. Ali Smith and Dylan Duffy both got a runout, further demonstrating our depth from the bench. Blackpool were a spent force after the third, and Martin Coy could have done us a favour and called time there and then. I thought the referee had a good game, The only thing I disagreed with was the early booking for Jensen for time wasting, but those are the rules, and he’s only doing his job. He was tight on throw-ins being taken from the wrong place, which is now a bit of a thing of mine.
There were two things today that really struck me. The first might be an odd call to make, but it’s Sean Roughan. I’m not sure at what point in the game it was, but I recall looking at Roughan and thinking, ‘that lad is only 20, how can he be only 20?’. Bear in mind we have young prospects out on loan, such as Charley Kendall, who is 22. Roughan looks every inch a League One defender, and he wasn’t at all phased in handling Jordan Rhodes, a player with nearly 600 senior appearances and 229 goals to his name. There wasn’t a bad player on the pitch in red and white today, and whilst Erhahon was my undoubted Man of the Match, I have to confess Roughan is someone I’m beginning to admire a huge amount.
The other thing I noted was more of an alleviation of a concern. After the Bolton reverse and the last ten minutes against Northampton, I wondered if perhaps that solidity at the back we enjoyed last season was disintegrating. With Rushworth and Poole moved on, I feared we might be a little weaker, and today we proved not. Blackpool had chances, without a doubt, but we never really looked like we’d concede. There was no point where I felt we were on the ropes, no moments like Wycombe at home a year or two ago when 27 efforts flew at goal, and we somehow came away with a point. I attribute that not only to the back three and keeper but also to the two in midfield, Hamilton and Erhahon, who work tirelessly. Hamilton is the new Matty Virtue, and whilst our new signing is settling in nicely, I wonder what our former loan player must be thinking, deemed not good enough for a spot on the bench?
I said in our monthly YouTube show that this was the game of the month for me. This was the game where we’d have a clear idea of who we are. As Mark Kennedy pointed out, it was at this stage last season that we went to Peterborough and got rolled out flat, like pizza dough. We didn’t have our identity, we didn’t know our strengths and weaknesses, and we were without key squad players at that stage. Fast forward 12 months, and the identity we have built since then is intact, plus more. We’re still organised. We’re still superb out of possession. We’re still robust and create fewer chances than most. However, we now look like taking those chances. We’re like a good detective – we don’t ask many questions, but the ones we do ask are the right ones and inevitably get us the answers we want.
Blackpool came to us unbeaten and having not conceded a goal. They go home scorned, and the Imps’ bandwagon rolls on, even if it feels like there’s still another gear. Next week, it’s heading down the M5, but not before a nice little end-to-the-month awayday at a Premier League side with zero pressure.
Whisper it quietly – Lincoln City are going to surprise a few this season. Who knows, in six or seven games time, when the league table starts to become relevant, we might just be nestled in the top six, and then teams really will start to take note.