Lincoln City 1-2 Burton Albion: Match Stats & Views From The Forum

Views from Luke Imp following the 2-1 defeat at home against Burton Albion in League One: “You hoped that those opening minutes, where Bramall stood on the ball and someone (Poole?) passed an absolutely stinking, bouncing ball to Griffiths, weren’t a sign of things to come but scrappiness of the games continued for the full 90 minutes really.

Don’t get me wrong, we were absolutely set pieced to death from corners and throw-ins, which we can’t deal with because as a side, we’re pretty soft and lacking any real presence both in height or strength but even so, outside of that it wasn’t great. Not very, very bad, but we need to be better. The turnover of possession in midfield was ridiculous from both sides.

Another side with three at the back and had numerical supremacy all over the pitch. We couldn’t expose much behind the wingbacks too often but when we did, we scored and created a bit, especially down the left. Marquis was up against three, Scully and Whittaker were pinned back by their wing-backs at times, it was two vs three in CM, and Jackson and Poole were up against a front two.

McGrandles and Poole stood out for me, especially the former who did the work of three in there today. You can’t play Fiorini in a two in CM, the game passes him by although in all fairness, it’s not his position and he hasn’t got the athleticism, strength or tenacity for it. I’m not sure we can play with a DM either to be honest, we don’t seem to build as well without one.

Not saying Fiorini is a bad player, or that Sanders is the answer, but…really? I’m obviously missing something but we’re playing an attacking midfielder, who is not in great form, ahead of an actual midfielder. I like Bishop at RB but I wonder whether we need to shift him inside to get a proper CM in there.

Two(?) league clean sheets this season is embarrassing, no side should be *that* bad. I don’t think they’re helped by the midfield this season. Yes, we needed to sort the top end of the pitch out but I’m a little surprised we’ve not seen something in CM if I’m honest.

Squad wise we don’t look bad, but it’s just not happened/happening this season. Nothing feels absolutely disastrous, but nothing feels really good either. It’s all a bit ‘meh’, which is part and parcel of a transition season but if we’re not careful, well, you know.”

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More views from our Match Thread:

Brendan Bradley: “Well, that was a thoroughly unenjoyable 90 minutes. I was surprised so many seemed happy at half-time.

OK, there was a spoiling wind which makes being constructive harder than usual but there was little quality throughout. There was a bit of end-to-end stuff which made it slightly more interesting but overall nothing to be encouraged about when we take the lead and still manage to lose.

Burton edged it over the whole game, they worked harder than we did, and I don’t like having post-mortems on goals we concede but the winner was a shocker, nodded in from – what -3 yards direct from a corner, with nobody marking him with the keeper nowhere to be seen either.

Best forgotten.”

PerthImp: “Credit to Burton. Well organised and they fought to be first to every ball – but not very hard. For some reason, we just looked lethargic and uninspired. We hesitated for every ball virtually while Burton went after everything. Our passing went astray in the second half. The relationship that Scully & Bramall have showed to be developing just didn’t happen. Whittaker had a job done on him by their No 4 who just out-physicalled him. Cullen hardly did anything all game. Griffiths MoM for me – he may have conceded two but was he at fault for them? Not forgetting he pulled off two world-class saves, so we could have lost 1 – 4. MA must look at our home performances and get us at the opposition a bit more instead of sitting and waiting for them to commit and leave space – the other teams have just sussed us out on that tactic. On to MK – let’s hope for a much better performance away from SB.”

WellingtonImp: “Fair play; best team won. Our players were not getting tight enough and BA exploited the massive hole in midfield at will. Expected pattern of winning, then losing, winning, losing, is emerging, as the team develops. Missing a spine in midfield though – we can’t give teams the freedom we did in midfield and hope to progress. Home form is depressing, and we need to correct that if we hope to keep the magnificent support (over 9k) and younger fan base. Move on.”

Thank you to Graham Burrell and Lincoln City Football Club for the photograph!

Have a go at our Lincoln City versus Burton Albion Quizzes, published last season (they were all correct at the time they were published).

Lincoln City 1-2 Burton Albion:

Match Stats & Views From The Forum:https://t.co/FJWSFqn8lX#ImpsAsOne #BAFC

— Vital Lincoln City (@VitalLincoln) February 5, 2022

Lincoln City				Burton Albion
Marquis 49'				Powell 56', Hughes 80'
Griffiths				Garratt
Bishop			77'	Oshilaja
Bramall				Braford (c)
Poole				Hughes
Jackson			78'	Hamer
Cullen			87'	Kokolo
McGrandles (c)				Gilligan			87'
Fiorini				Shaughnessy
Marquis				Powell			90'
Whittaker				Jebbison
Scully				Ahadme			29'
Substitutes
Wright (GK)				Hawkins (GK)
Eyoma			78'	Borthwick-Jackson
Norton-Cuffy			77'	Mancienne			90'
Robson				Lakin
Sanders				Smith
Sørensen				Taylor			87'
House			87'	Moult			29'

Game Statistics
13	Goal attempts	19
2	On Target	8
10	Corners	5
11	Fouls	19
0	Yellow Cards	2
0	Red Cards	0
61	%	39