Port Vale 0-2 Lincoln City: Three Things We Learnt

Following yesterday’s 2-0 win away at Port Vale in League One, I asked the Vital Lincoln City members what three things they learnt from the match.

Who was your Man of The Match v Port Vale? You can vote at the bottom!

You can discuss what has been said in this article here, and get involved with many other topics on our 100% Imps forum!

Here’s what sedgleyimp said:

1. There’s a steel in this side that just could see us having an extended season. February has been excellent from a points won perspective but I don’t think anyone would suggest those points have been won through free-flowing attacking football. The basis of the recent wins and eight unbeaten has been the solidity at the back and in the middle of the pitch. We’ve only conceded 3 goals in the last eight games. The discipline at the back is shown by the fact that we haven’t conceded a penalty all season. At Port Vale, we barely gave them a half chance and this was down to those at the back supported brilliantly by the midfield pairing of Erhahon and McGrandles, a player whose return was a stroke of genius by the recruitment team. I know fans would like us to score more, but we are in the business end of the season and when you have a team who go onto the pitch knowing they can get a clean sheet from the majority of games, you are already halfway to getting the kind of result that will give you a chance of breaking into those play-off places.

2. There is a great team spirit and work ethos throughout the squad. There were rumours floating around concerning the dismissal of Mark Kennedy back in October that the decision to remove him wasn’t due to results and some unconfirmed reports suggested player dis-harmony. I have no idea if that was in fact the case, but there is absolutely no sign of that now. This is a group of players who will work hard for this team and are very much in tune with the philosophy that Skubala wants from his players. I’ve seen some comments that the likes of Danny Mandroiu and Ted Bishop were a bit anonymous in the game. What I saw was both of those players working hard for the team, covering the opposition and grafting throughout. It wasn’t a day or a pitch that suited players who like to play the ball that bit more. It was a day for those eleven starting players and those introduced later to play for the collective and the shirt. The fact that every player gave a 6 or 7 out of 10 performance rather than one individual giving a 9 one shows this is a team, not a group of individuals.

3. The away end at Port Vale is a disgrace for a 21st-century football stadium. We had the dubious pleasure of having had the away end at Vale Park switched around now. That stand is a shocker and I really can’t understand how the home fans put up with it for so many years. Toilets which looked as if they belonged on the Sincil Bank terrace sometime around 1976. Steep steps everywhere making access for anyone with walking issues very difficult. We filled our half of the stand and some had viewing issues, some not Vale’s fault it has to be said, but overall that is a stand which is simply not fit for purpose. I’d hate to think what it would be like if there was any icy conditions.