Isn’t perspective great? To cut straight to the chase for once, we beat Aldershot, and we beat them comfortably by all accounts.
Isn’t perspective great? To cut straight to the chase for once, we beat Aldershot, and we beat them comfortably by all accounts. Had the usually deadly Matt Rhead converted his first half penalty instead of passing the ball gently back to the keeper, and had he scored with a sitter instead of finding Row Q with it, we would have been glowing after a 4-0 win. Even the Aldershot fans praised Lincoln’s speed and commitment on the excellent ShotsTalk forum. So, this was as comprehensive a 2-0 win as you will ever see, and everyone in red and white went home happy.
Fast-forward three days (and a bit), and perhaps we were not so good after all. To find yourselves 6-1 down at half time is a tiny bit embarrassing; to rub salt into a gaping wound, Chester striker James Alabi had scored just 5 goals in his career for 8 different clubs prior to Tuesday night, yet he managed 4 in 35 minutes against Aldershot. What amused me most was the fact that manager Barry Smith went to five at the back…when they were already 8-2 down. Talk about closing the stable door after the horse has bolted; couldn’t you have tried that when it was 2-1, Barry? Somehow he has kept his job this week, and perhaps he should be grateful to Matt Rhead for that: had the City striker taken his chances as per usual, and had City beaten the Shots 4-0 instead of a relatively competitive 2-0, would he have been on his way to the Job Centre today after 4-0 and 8-2 defeats? Quite probably.
Following such a dominant performance, it is therefore a little surprising that the defence should head the player ratings this week. Mr Consistent BRADLEY WOOD takes top spot for the seventh time this season with an excellent average score of 8.13 and showed once again why he is a serious contender for Player of the Season.
“Good defensively, in midfield and when attacking, say no more.” (tornado imp)
In second place we have returning hero JAMIE McCOMBE, who had another very solid game at the heart of the defence. It is no coincidence that City have kept three clean sheets in the five games since his signing, and to increase his stock further, he scored his first City goal since the 2-2 draw against Rushden & Diamonds on 11 March 2006.
“Experience shows through and scored as a bonus.” (Red Wimp)
And it is not just his own performances that make McCombe a great signing. Having played over 450 first class matches in his time, he has a lot of experience to pass on to his fellow defenders, and that is evident in the recent form of CHRIS BUSH, who takes third place this week. We all knew there was a footballer in Bush, and perhaps he was out of position at left-back, but the presence of McCombe can only be a good thing for him; perhaps the mistakes will become a thing of the past with every game he plays.
“Played well but did give away a few silly free kicks in the second half which McCombe told him off about.” (Davidimp)
Every player scored above the par score of 6.00 for the third match in a row, which is reflected in the average team score of 6.77.
And what about Matt Rhead? The big striker takes bottom spot this week for the first time in his Imps career. If that doesn’t p1$$ him off, nothing will.
1. Bradley Wood 8.13
2. Jamie McCombe 7.75
3. Chris Bush 7.25
4. Alan Power 6.75
5. Terry Hawkridge, Greg Tempest 6.63
7. Lee Beevers 6.50
8. Jack Muldoon 6.38
9. James Caton 6.25
10. Paul Farman, Matt Rhead 6.13
Average Player Ratings For August
Average Player Ratings For September
Average Player Ratings For October
November Player Ratings: Not That Donkey Again!
Average Player Ratings For December
January Player Ratings: It’s A Funny Old Game, Saint!
February Player Ratings: It’s Dinah Washington This Month!
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