See You Soon Simmo.

Thanks to another ten saves from Rob Burch compared to two for the Shrewsbury Town`s keeper the Imps narrowly went down to a one nil away reverse. Praise be for defeats for Grimsby and Barnet sees us safe and with the Bees between us, the Cods and Blue Square oblivion. So trebles all round then as we reflect on a game that doubtless the experts will put a different spin on. The sun is shining the sky is blue and Bury Simmo and Maccs will soon come into veiw.

So to the game……..
Injuries to Anderson and Herd plus the enforced absence to Moses meant Sutton was forced to shuffle the defence and formation. Shane Clarke went to right back, Baker to left and Hone into the middle next to Green. Gilmour replaced Herd.

The Imps are the first to threaten with Somma seeing a drive saved by Button. Cureton then finds himself two yards off side as the Shrews threaten for the first time. Hone then blocks a Dunfield effort and then a Jake Simpson effort goes wide. The Shrews pressure continues with a close range Dave Hibbert shot coming back off the post. The Imps fail to clear the ball but Burch redeems himself by claiming Skarz cross.

The Imps finally take some of the pressure off in the tenth minute with Gilmour sending a 35 yarder wide and Lennon going a little closer from 18 yards. Baker continues to soldier on valiantly though he does not seem 100%. Hibbert with four inches on Green beets him then gets round Hone but fires high and wide. Gilmour was starting to link well with Somma but the Shrews defenders and keeper just get in two to three challenges even if the two centre halves seem to hardly know each others names let alone have any form of tactical understanding. Button came out well to deny Somma who had the measure of the two central defenders and Gilmour was just deceived by the bounce as the Imps began to carve out the better during the middle third of the first half. In games affecting the Imps, Adomah had given Barnet a 28th minute lead and McCallum had given the Bulls the lead at Accy.

The Shrews then came back into things and Shane Clarke was very lucky to escape what appeared a penalty shout on the half hour mark. Keltie and Kerr were battling hard but conceding ground as the Shrews enjoyed the lion`s share of procession. Keltie and Lennon at one point attempted to play the ball about on the edge of the 18 yard box allowing Hibbert a free shot. Cureton should then have done better and Hibbert also headed a glorious opportunity wide. Gilmour and Lennon then changed position with the former feeding the latter in acres of space, but alas he gave Button an easy save from 15 yards. The final action of the first half humorously saw Button attempt punch Langmead`s lights out as he fisted a corner away.

2nd half

Both sides kept the faith with no substitutions; Chris Sutton it would appear fully aware that with Grimsby still at 0-0 he could play things cool given the Shrews shaky central defensive two.

Shrewsbury went on the offensive from the off but the Imps defence stood firm with Hone and Baker clearing a raft of crosses. Chances however were curtailed bar one Simpson volley from a point blank six yards was brilliantly clawed away by Burch in the 49th minute . From the corner he completes the job claiming confidently as news comes through that Macclesfield go 2-0 up over the Crooked Church of Chesterfield.


With the Shrews totally dominating play a huge roar goes up amongst the Imps fans as news comes though from Codland. Wroe has just netted a penalty in the 54th minute to hammer a huge nail into the cod`s coffin. Even LJL replacing Gilmour and being guilty of a woeful miss means nothing as Benyon makes it two nil in the 62nd minute. Despite the game going to sleep and the Imps finding themselves in 21tst place the Imps end is an even happier one as the cods concede a third.( Carayol 71) to ten man Torquay.

Burch makes a fabulous save at one end from Cureton and then Somma miscues one wide at the other as both sides wake from the slumber. Benjamin Van den Broek replaces Terry Dunfield and Kris Bright is brought on for Dave Hibbert as Simpson makes a last desperate gamble to make the playoffs. He needs to they have now not scored for eight hours. That said the gamble will see them profit. At one end Saunders starts and finishes a slick move that he sends wide. Burch Saves from an unmarked Simpson who then gets down the line and crosses only for Hone to clear. Dean Holden then sends a glorious rising drive narrowly wide as the Imps start to feel the heat.

Simpson then sends one wide in the 81st minute before Leslie fashions the killer blow thanks to some sloppy defending from the Imps. Leslie beats his man and sends over a super cross to unmarked sub Kris Bright (who got two for the reserves in midweek) and he fires into the bottom left hand corner of the net. Depending on your perspective a well deserved goal for the Shrews or lots of good work undone for the Imps. Sutton then sends on Connor and Butcher with seven minutes to go with no effect.

Oh well at least the Cods defeat pretty much guarantees us a place in League football next season even if we are 21st in the football League in our 125th Anniversary year. It would have been 22nd but for Barnet conceding a goal at Bradford in the 93rd minute to go down 2-1. Thank heavens for small mercies eh Imps? Not that there is anyone to blame given the chairman has already announced his intention to step down and Uncle Bob is now no longer sure he can spare the time to take over.



Ref: Waugh
Att: 4,932 (286 of Imp Descent)

Possession
Shrewsbury 54% Lincoln City 46%
Shots on target
Shrewsbury 7 Lincoln City 3
Shots off target
Shrewsbury 11 Lincoln City 9
Corners
Shrewsbury 10 Lincoln City 0
Fouls
Shrewsbury 14 Lincoln City 14

Shrewsbury Town
29 David Button 2 Dean Holden 3 Joe Skarz 6 Terry Dunfield 8 Kelvin Langmead 9 Dave Hibbert 10 Jamie Cureton 18 Steve Leslie 21 Jake Simpson 24 Shane Sherriff 28 Kevin McIntyre
subs
23 Lewis Neal 14 Kris Bright 15 Paul Murray 17 Benjamin Van Den Broek 20 Andre Gray 32 Danny Taylor 34 Tom Bradshaw

Imps
G 1 Rob Burch
D 19 Shane Clarke 2 Paul Green 6 Danny Hone 33 Nathan Baker
M 16 Steven Lennon 11 Scott Kerr 23 Clark Keltie 39 Matthew Saunders
STR 35 Brian Gilmour 18 Davide Somma
subs
20 Paul Musselwhite 8 Richard Butcher 9 Paul Connor 14 Lenell John-Lewis 15 David Stephens 21 James Reid 31 Michael Gordon