Half time was crucial, because for me, it gave an indicator of importance once more. Ethan Erhahon and Paudie O’Connor came off; our captain and star man. It doesn’t matter who comes on, even if it was two-assist hero Tom Bayliss and the stalwart Adam Jackson. It was planned to save the load on those players; would that be the case in the FA Cup? I’m not sure. Yes, there should have been enough out there to win the game still, but we’ve been here. We beat Burnley because they chopped and changed; we beat Brighton because they did the same. It matters not the face, but also the strategy, and on half time, we took two of the best performers from the first half off, and that disrupts things.
That said, it shouldn’t have disrupted things to the degree that it did. Their goal is a poor one from us – it was a super run from Ellis Taylor, but a tackle could have stopped it, and I felt we stood off a bit. The cross is decent, but I can pick plenty of holes in it. In the first instance, Ben is left behind. Montsma clears the cross to a Harrogate player, and Street is sauntering back slowly – in the league, that doesn’t happen. McKiernan can’t handle Ellis, but his cross could have been blocked and should have been cleared. There’s no blame on Jeacock at all, but it’s a poor goal defensively. I think as they analyse it this morning (or tomorrow, whenever) there will be questions asked of (at least) Benn and Street.
What we needed was an immediate reaction, and we almost got it. Perhaps the best chance of the half for us came straight after, with McKiernan striking a clean, firm chance over from 20 yards. If he hits the target and scores, I think we go on to win the game. However, it flew into the darkening night sky, and with it went our hopes of a third League Cup run in a row.
It killed things a bit, because we immediately started to try forcing it, a few long balls that didn’t land and a reticence to carry it forward. This is where the bad decision-making discussion comes in from after the game, and I noted Jacko and Montsma both being barracked (I won’t call it booed) for aimless long balls. The issue was Jacko isn’t a ball carrier as such, and ahead of him a huge gap appeared. The defence, midfield and forwards began to operate independently of each other, and that was concerning. We had zero cohesion, and those lovely little passages of play from the first half disappeared in a puff of smoke, creating what would be another cup humbling for us.
Their second goal had shades of Arsenal U21s in pre-season, and it’s another error. I noted to Chris on the way back to the car that last season our ‘thing’ was conceding from set pieces. Will it be silly individual mistakes this time out?
It starts with us missing a free header from their throw-in. I’m not scapegoating, and I know it’s only his second game, but I felt Street struggled last night. Maybe it’s because they played deep and he didn’t get to open his legs, thus the game became the sort of encounter not suited to his skillset. By the way, it wouldn’t have been a game to suit a certain man from Luton either, before anyone says anything at all. Still, Street missed a simple-looking header (I won’t say simply because it’s easy to sit and criticise), which saw Harrogate launch a ball forward. It should have been easy for Jeffries to deal with, but he’s made a horrible decision. I can’t really see where he’s intending to play the ball – it’s not back to the keeper, nor away from danger. It went straight to James Daly, and the game was done.
Everything fell into a bit of a lull after that. We huffed and puffed, but never looked likely to get back into it. The players who had struggled looked to struggle more, and I noted one or two exchanging words. Montsma came off to an ovation, but immediately before he wasn’t happy with a run one of the lads didn’t make (I won’t name names as it’s not a witch hunt). Another good ball from Tom Bayliss didn’t hit the mark and got groans, but he’s looked up, seen a run starting, pinged a ball 25-yards over the top only to see the run had been checked and his ball drifted out of play. He may have overhit it, but it was example, in my opinion, of some fringe players not quite being at the same level as those considered first team regulars. Mind you, if that is the case, I’ve just lumped Lewis in with ‘first team regulars’, and that’s despite Chris saying there were no positives as we left the ground.
There were positives – the final ten minutes were all Lincoln. You’d expect that as Harrogate had done their job and needed to defend, and it was up to us to press home. The changes helped – Ben House coming on, albeit in midfield, certainly worked, and when Big Jovon strode onto the field, you felt things were going to get better. Whatever he did over the summer, he should do every year, because he’s gone from fourth-choice to first-choice in no time at all. When those two came on we began to look dangerous, we had two strikers close to each other, and with Dylan Duffy whipping balls in, I felt we might actually get a goal.
When we did it was from 12-yards. I thought it was a clear penalty, but in front of me, Simon Weaver’s team did not. I enjoyed sitting in the library for the game; it’s a decent view, and having the bench close by gives me much more insight into the manager’s personality and happiness with the performance. They berated the fourth official for the penalty, but it was 100% a pen. I did not expect Jovon to step up to take it, and I did not expect him to smash it with the confidence of a man with ten years more experience, absolute confidence to it going in. He followed it in, grabbed the ball from the keeper and came back to the centre circle with it under his arm, again with an air of something different. Last year, we said Freddie went to Walsall a boy, and came back a man. This summer, it feels like Jovon has gone on holiday a boy and come back a man. I here Tendayi has taken him under his wing, and that he now lives with Lewis Montsma and with that sort of experience and sense around him, he’s going to stay on track.
Of all the lessons from last night, I think Jovon’s cameo taught me the most. He’s a big, big prospect. Sadly, his cameo was just a footnote in Harrogate’s big night and fair play to them. I even cheered when Jack Muldoon came on, and there’s not a club inside the Football League I’d rather have beat us. I mean that Simon Weaver is long-serving and was a member of an iconic Imps’ setup, and Muldoon was the same. They’re going about things the right way, and while I despise us losing, especially at home in the cup against lower-league opposition, there’s no other group of former Imps I’d rather take the glory. If we faced Colchester, I’d not feel the same.
That doesn’t mean I stuck around to give them an ovation or anything. We still lost, and they’ll enjoy it with me scowling through applause.
What did we learn? Not a lot. There are a few in the squad who might be a bit behind in terms of quality, but that’s obvious, and even some of the newer signings are viewed as longer-term prospects. Jack Moylan made another statement even if he didn’t score, and Lewis certainly will feel the benefit of his outing. I’ve mentioned Jovon, and Ben House who did change the complexion of the game, and it was more about those who didn’t play or went off; Paudie and Ethan Erhahon are vital, we definitely need Reeco back, Tendayi doesn’t have strong enoguh back up right now… the list goes on.
We’re one league game in, one cup game down, and the transfer window is still open. This is an embryonic Imps outfit, a side feeling its way forward with more to come and lots to work on, but there’s not a team in the Football League that doesn’t apply to. For that reason, I didn’t lose any sleep last night.
No, I’m just looking forward to the ‘erasing 20 years of hurt’ headlines next season. It’s got so much more of a ring to it than ’19’.
Up the Imps.