This wasn’t the return to Field Mill that I’m sure David Holdsworth would have imagined. A lacklustre and defensive, or negative approach depending on your view point, performance by the Imps has drawn criticism from the fans. Of which a brilliant away following of 627 Imps made the short trip to Mansfield.
Lincoln made just one change from the line up that drew the previous week at home to Telford. Simon Russell came in to the starting eleven in place of Almond who dropped to the bench. He was joined by new signing Mark McCammon who had finally signed following problems with his registration the week before.
Mansfield started with former Imp Alan Marriott in goal and their top scorer Green started up front, it was he who would have the first chance of the game missing a decent header in the opening minutes of the game. Surprisingly the Imps defence held back the Mansfield attack throughout the first half, there seemed to be little reply from the Imps, who only managed three efforts on target in the whole game, compared to Mansfield’s impressive ten.
It was only a minute after the half time break that Mansfield took the lead, a quickly taken throw in by Geohagon was crossed into the box by O’Neill to Ross Dyer to slot home his sixth goal of the season so far. This lapse of concentration at the back has unfortunately become synonymous with the Imps over the past few years.
Following this strike Lincoln tried to get the equaliser but never threaten Marriot in goal with any saves and as such Mansfield then doubled their lead in the 58th minute with a brilliant 30 yard strike from Gary Roberts which was hit low and hard. Having watched the highlights I’m not sure Anyon can be blamed for the goal and it was unfortunately only what Mansfield deserved.
With the side down by two goals Holdsworth then made two changes with Almond and Taylor taking the places of Russell and Pacquette. These changes did little to stem the flow of the game which had Mansfield in the ascendency and the more likely to get the next goal. With just over ten minutes of the game McCammon was handed his début when he came on in place of winger Peter Bore.
McCammon was soon in the action and came close to getting on the end of a Jamie Taylor cross shortly after coming on. With the game all but over and deep into injury time Lincoln did get a reply through their new striker. But it was far too little too late for the Imps who never really gave the Stags much of a challenge in the final third.
Sadly for the travelling Imps fans the side never gave them much to cheer. Whilst I fully understand that going to a side near the top of the table and looking to take a point would be a good result, as soon as Mansfiled did get the break through goal it was game over for the Imps. It is so hard the completely change the mindset of the team from a near all out defence to then pushing forward to get an equaliser.
With our current form a 2-1 defeat isn’t a terrible result and I fully feel that we should be more concerned about beating the sides around us near the foot of the table. We play Alfreton, Bath, Newport and Hayes and Yeading in the next four fixtures, if we have anything less then seven points form these fixtures I will be very worried. Were it not for the precarious financial situations of Darlington and Kettering we would very well be under more pressure of dropping into the bottom four.
I don’t want our team, manager or board to be of the opinion that we are relatively safe with a five point gap, especially following last seasons collapse where we were much further away from the relegation places in League Two
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