City made it four games without a win, and a third league game without a goal in a miserable afternoon against Rotherham United.
Skubala made five changes from the FA Cup tie at Salford City, bringing in Tom Hamer, Sonny Bradley, Tom Bayliss, Rob Street and Justin Obikwu. George Wickens kept his place in goal behind a back four of Hamer, Bradley, Adam Jackson and Adam Reach, while Conor McGrandles and Bayliss anchored midfield. Freddie Draper led the line, supported by Street and Obikwu, with Erik Ring added to the side.
The Imps actually began well and looked dangerous in the early exchanges, forcing a couple of corners and pushing Rotherham deep. In the sixth minute, the ball was in the net when Obikwu turned home from close range, but the flag was up for offside a long while before celebrations could start. Having watched back, the striker does appear to be level with play, but that is a luxury I have and not the assistant referee.
Lincoln continued to look alright, but the game turned on 12 minutes. Rotherham took the lead against the run of play as Dan Gore moved the ball inside to Reece James, who advanced and hit a speculative effort from distance. The shot bounced awkwardly in front of Wickens, skipped up off the surface and flew into the net. That’s perhaps trying to be afir on Wickens, whose anger showed he could have done better.
With a goal to comfort them, Rotherham found their stride, and it felt like there was little doubt about the outcome after that. While the quiet home crowd didn’t feel confident of a win, on the field, the red shirts did what they needed to do.
We tried to respond quickly. Bradley climbed highest to meet a right-wing cross but headed over, while Ring’s attempt to slip Obikwu through just carried too much weight. We weren’t creating anything clear-cut, and it felt like whenever we turned over possession, the swift Nombe would get upfield unchallenged.
Just after the half-hour, Rotherham doubled their lead. Joe Powell’s corner routine was played short and recycled to the edge of the area, where Ar’Jany Martha had space to strike. He had space to write his Mum a letter to tell her what he was going to do and post it, if we’re being honest. His powerful effort flew beyond Wickens from 20 yards, and credit where it is due, it was a cracking strike and a well-worked move by a team unrecognisable from the Evans-stained mob we played last season.
The Imps pressed for a lifeline before the interval. Street met a Ring free kick with a firm header, but the referee had already blown for a foul. A long throw from Hamer caused chaos moments later, Street flicking it on and Draper stretching to meet it, but he couldn’t keep his volley down as it whistled just wide of the post.
Rotherham almost extended their advantage when Jordan Hugill nodded a quick counter into the path of Sam Nombe, forcing Wickens into a sharp low stop. Then, deep into stoppage time, We created their best opening of the half. Obikwu rose well to head down into the six-yard box, where Street met it first time, but Dawson saved. A goal there changes the complexion of the first half completely.
We went in 2-0 down at the break, but the contest still felt potentially alive given our attacking intent. I say ‘intent’ and I don’t mean ‘quality of our chances’, but we did try to get the ball forward. Sadly, the combination of Obikwu and Draper didn’t really cut it for me.
Skubala made no changes at half time and the Imps continued to go quite direct, yet any slight building momentum was halted on the hour mark as Rotherham scored again. A clearance from the left side of their defence dropped kindly to Denzel Hall outside the box. He controlled, steadied himself and drove a powerful low shot across Wickens into the far corner to make it three.
Should Rotherham have had the ball anyway? A free-kick from us saw their keeper collide with Bradley and stay down. Originally, the ref looks and gives nothing, but then, as we win possession with the keeper injured, he stops play. When it resumes, with Dawson miraculously not hurt at all, he gives the ball to the Millers. Skubala was booked for his protests, and probably with some justification.
With the game gone, Skubala introduced Ivan Varfolomeev, James Collins and Oscar Thorn in an attempt to change the flow. It felt like maybe bringing McGrandles off hinted at next week’s game being on, as it prevented him from a booking and a ban. The substitutes immediately lifted the tempo and nearly gave City a route back. Thorn and Street linked up down the right, the winger cutting inside and firing across goal only a yard wide.
Minutes later, Ring’s deep cross was nodded back into the box by Hamer, and Varfolomeev managed to guide a header beyond Dawson, but Reece James reacted quickly to clear off the line. The ball was recycled once more, Jackson rose well to win the next header, but again it failed to trouble the target.
The change in impetus was, of course, too little too late, and driven by game state, but the truth is we finished the game with more shots, higher xG and more possession. They had the thing that mattered, though, three goals. They even sang a bit about it as their manager charged up the touchline, encouraging them to be loud. Imagine needing that at 3-0 up, at home, against a side from an hour down the road.
City kept pushing in the final twenty minutes. Hamer met a looping cross from the left but could only direct his header over the bar. Soon after, Dexter Lembikisa advanced forward and whipped in another cross that found Street, whose flicked header also cleared the woodwork. Despite continued territory and a handful of half-chances, Dawson remained for the remainder of the contest, with our best chance still Street’s opportunity before half time.
Rotherham managed the closing stages well (and the opening stages, and the middle bit, to be fair) and saw out the result without further alarm.