City earned another statement win at the Bank this weekend, overcoming a stubborn Stevenage side thanks to a composed, well-managed performance.
It was a win that underlined City’s growing maturity under Michael Skubala – a match defined by structure, work rate, and the ability to do the basics better than their opponents.
This is how it looked in numbers, for those who see the function in football over the artistry.
Imps Dictate the Tempo
City finished with 44% possession, completing 229 of 313 passes at 73.16% accuracy. While Stevenage made more passes overall (281 of 360, 78.06%), the Imps were far more progressive with their use of the ball. Of their 135 forward passes, 81 found a target (60%), compared with Stevenage’s 66.9% from deeper, slower positions.
That difference in intent told over the 98 minutes. Conor McGrandles and Tom Bayliss knitted play intelligently from the base. Lincoln generated an expected goals figure of 1.2, compared with 0.2 for the visitors, and their 14 shots dwarfed Stevenage’s 3, with four of those efforts classed as on target, testing Filip Marschall.
Street’s goal on 69 minutes summed up the approach: a sharp transition, a recycled ball after a failed attack, and the striker showing composure in front of goal. It converted one of City’s 12 attacks that ended in a shot out of 28 total positional moves – a 43% success rate that highlighted their efficiency when chances did arise. Stevenage had 25 positional attacks, but just three resulted in a chance.
For the record, a positional attack, according to Wyscout, is an open play attack that is not a counterattack, occurring after a team has established possession in the opponent’s final third
Pressing Superiority and Structure
Stevenage arrived with the same 4-2-3-1 system but rarely imposed themselves. Lincoln’s press, measured by a PPDA of 8.51, was comparable to Stevenage’s 8.43. We matched each other, player for player, we pressed the same, but we just did it better.
City completed 58 progressive passes, more thann Stevenage, and won 16 of 53 offensive duels, reflecting a side willing to commit men forward and play between the lines. An offensive duel is a one-on-one challenge where an attacking player with possession tries to beat a defender to either pass them, dribble past them, or protect the ball from being dispossessed.
Crosses were mixed in quality (16 attempted, eight accurate), but the variety of approach kept Stevenage off balance and better than we faced (11 attempted, four accurate).
Defensive Discipline and Concentration
At the other end, Lincoln’s organisation was near flawless. Stevenage failed to register a single shot on target (Reach’s block classed as a block, not a shot ona target, rather harshly), managing just three efforts all game. The Imps won 43 of 78 defensive duels (55.13%), made 41 interceptions, and executed 19 clearances. Stevenage won 37 of their 53 defensive duels, 69.8%. It wasn’t an easy game by any means.
Here are some interesting numbers. We rave about Piergianni, but he only contested seven aerial duels, winning five, while Tom Hamer and Sonny Bradley contested 28 between them, winning 14. Defensive duels is even more fascinating, and suggests that Ben House should have been Man of the Match. House contested 24 defensive duels, winning nine. The next highest for us was Darikwa (nine, winning five). The best on Stevenage’s side was Lewis Freestone (eight attempted, six won). Ben House, like white dog poo on a Grimsby street, was everywhere.
It was a disciplined, professional and hard working effort that typified the Skubala blueprint – calculated pressure high up the pitch, and calmness when retreating into shape.
Final Reflection
Statistically, this was as controlled as any performance of Lincoln’s season. We out-created, out-passed, and out-pressed a Stevenage side known for their intensity, producing a clean sheet that never truly looked under threat. The xG gap of 1.2 to 0.2 and the shot count of 14 to three said everything about where the balance of play lay.
Street’s goal provided the finishing touch, but the platform was built on collective discipline – from the back four’s composure to the midfield’s positioning and the forwards’ selfless running.
It was not spectacular, but it was the kind of measured, efficient victory that builds seasons. City showed they can control games, defend their box, and find the key moment when it matters most.