This fantastic 10 man Imp performance against Rotherham lacked only a result and bodes well ahead of Accrington on Tuesday. After falling behind to a disgraceful penalty decision against the run of play, which saw Moses Swaibu see red under the last man rule, the 10 man Imps refused to lay down and die. Backed by massive partisan home support the Imps were hard into the tackle first to the second ball and such was the movement on and off the ball you felt that we were the side with a man advantage.
Though referee Singh, in fairness the lino gave it, and Le Fondre will make the headlines elsewhere in reality they were but bit parts in a game that saw the young Imps and the Passionistas go into the Accy game on Tuesday night in good heart. After the ill deserved but finally struck 13th minute penalty from the diving Diva it looked like curtains with Ellison being denied by a fantastic save from Burch who would moments later skin Le Fondre as he sped from his area as the thinly stretched Imps went for an equaliser.
Wee Gilmour, what a prospect with feet like the cast of river dance beat his man and almost broke the post from 35 yards. A drive so thunderous the books were shaken from the shelves of the Echo library. Watt`s who is letting the defence down in the scoring charts came storming through the middle, took it on his chest and hit a rising 30 yarder narrowly wide. Mr Singh was not having the best of games, even for Sincil Bank, with Herd and Kerr getting little protection as both were upended in the same move with our favourite ref seeing and hearing no evil let alone speaking to the Millers about it. The Millers foul count was double ours and some of the old pro digs and persistent offences would have been picked up by better officials who rarely assisted the ref in all honesty. The valiant and sporting young Imps however continued onwards backed by a wall of noise from the home end. Gilmour and Herd both went close, Gilmour`s a foot wide suggests it is only a matter of time before he gets League 2 goal of the season or the Imps run out of posts and cross bars.
Second half saw the Imps attack the Stacey West to unbroken chant suggesting 100% belief in our young red and white army. This would always leave us vulnerable to the counter but with England`s number one saving from a ferocious Harrison drive there would hopefully be more thrills than spills. An Oakes free kick went just past the Passionistas post with Warrington aging even faster than the home fans banter suggested. Immense game from Anderson today, ex Imp Ellison a man on fire it seems with 9 this season will have easier days as both enjoyed a physical battle. On 52 minutes LJL replaced Connor and credit where credit`s due, Pearcy has really shown him how to put himself about and learn a few of the dirtier tricks of the trade. Stallard would be proud. His knockdown saw Gilmour denied by another smart save as the Imps appeared to be going 2-3-5.
Add another striker to that as the Imps new hope Stevie Lennon replaced Oakes on the hour as the Imps threw ever more caution to the wind. It appeared to backfire as the Millers cut us asunder with one of only two decent bits of football on their part for the entire game. Lennon lost the ball to Roberts who countered and found Le Fondre, the front man then played back to Roberts who found himself one on one with Burch to side foot home. Le Fondre almost added a third and fourth, but for a stunning save from Burch, as the Imps streamed forward to give the fans a deserved consolation goal and perhaps even a grandstand finish and a thoroughly deserved a point.
The belief was there alright as the non stop noise went up a notch with the Imps responding by going up a gear. We got a free kick; Gilmour found Hone who flicked across goal, Lennon stole in at the Stacey West to drive home at the home end, The Fans were ten foot off the steps before the unstoppable curler off the outside of his foot had even seared across the line. The lad starts Tuesday if he can finish like that in the Passionistas book! It was fast and furious stuff now as a less than solid Millers defence were raped pillaged and plundered. How Herd did not get a penalty after suffering buggery with intent is anyone`s guess, he lay prone for the best part of a minute before the oaficial was happy that the Millers would gain no further advantage from a counter. The fourth official flashed four minutes with the entire stadium on its feat routing for the draw. Rotherham typically wasted more time, made a substitution and Sutton unleashed Pearce from his chains. Pope went close, Lennie clattered Roberts as the Imps pumped ball after ball into the area. Sadly the ten men did not get their draw and the Passionistas were unable to suck the ball into the net.
We didn`t get the luck today, but in all honesty few expected a result against a bogey team that always gets the decisions. Hopefully the luck will come Tuesday when we can carve 3 precious points that will go a long way towards securing our place in the football League. Get a result on quid a kid night and another away at Grimsby next Saturday and our local rivals could well be dead and buried. Football, the people`s game, heartbreaking one minute, an insight into heaven the next. And though we may have no nails or nerves left by the end of it, these are the weeks we fans live for.
Lincoln City
1 Burch 5 Swaibu 6 Hone (Pearce 89) 22 Adam Watts 38 Anderson 7 Oakes (Lennon 62) 11 Kerr 25 Hughton 34 Herd 35 Gilmore 9 Connor (John-Lewis 53)
Red card – Moses Swaibu
Substitutes – 20 Musselwhite, 13 Pearce, 16 Lennon, 19 Clarke, 23 Keltie, 14 John-Lewis
Rotherham
1 Warrington 5 Sharps 6 Fenton 14 Lynch 19 Gunning 4 Harrison 10 Law 15 Ellison 17 Roberts 9 Pope (Taylor 90+3) 39 Le Fondre
Yellow card – Harrison
Substitutes 11 Brogan, 12 Joseph, 25 Mills, 7 Cummins, 21 Marshall, 20 Taylor,
22 Broughton
Ref: Singh
Att: 4,152
Stats
Possession – Lincoln City 50% Rotherham 50%
Shots on Lincoln City 7 Rotherham 11
Shots off Lincoln City 7 Rotherham 4
Corners Lincoln City 8 Rotherham 8
Fouls Lincoln City 10 Rotherham 17
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