Tom Shaw: “Everybody’s seen how strong we finished in the end.”

Lincoln City’s pressing need for a permanent new head coach couldn’t have been more highlighted during an insipid performance against Port Vale, despite the Imps somehow salvaging a point in the 1-1 draw, thanks to Mide Shodipo’s injury-time leveller.

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You can discuss what Tom Shaw has said in his post-match interview here.

Shodipo had been entrusted with just 40 minutes’ worth of playing time in the league for the Imps upon his return to the club over five weeks ago, and his introduction into the fray against the Valiants in the 89th minute seemed an exercise in futility more than anything else.

But the former QPR winger slid in at the back post to poke in fellow sub Jack Vale’s cross in the third minute of added-on time to instantly replace his ‘forgotten man’ tag with that of ‘last-gasp hero’, as interim boss Tom Shaw potentially signed off his tenure with an eighth point from his five League One games in charge.

They may have pocketed a welcome point, with a rare late goal – their first in the league in the 90th minute or beyond since April 30 last year – but the Imps could have had no qualms if Vale, who were winless in the league for two months, had claimed all three points.

Despite their bright start under Shaw, who won his first two games in caretaker charge, including masterminding one of the best performances seen from a City side for many years against Charlton, the ‘Kennedy Imps’ seemed to have returned with a vengeance, following a series of lifeless, vacuous displays that have triggered more groans than cheers in the last few games.

Supporters were told that a new head coach wouldn’t be in situ until “after the Port Vale game”, but for how long after? Shaw may be trying his best in the interim period, but some of the players are beginning to resemble lost souls, crying out for a new leader who will put them back on track… and when star midfielder Ethan Erhahon looks no better than a journeyman in the centre of the pitch, then you know there are some serious issues that need addressing.

Vale had taken the lead in the 35th minute when Ben Garrity turned in Ethan Chislett’s cross, before they were reduced to 10 men just two minutes after the break when Oliver Arblaster picked up a second booking for a foul on Erhahon.

City skipper Paudie O’Connor helpfully levelled things up just six minutes later, seeing red for a petulant off-the-ball elbow on big Vale frontman Uche Ukpeazu, an action that will now see him miss the next three matches – Mandroiu was torn a new derriere by previous boss Mark Kennedy for his moment of madness against Burton, but O’Connor got off lightly, well in public anyway, with Shaw claiming the ‘fifth amendment’ when asked about the misdemeanour afterwards. And then came Shodipo’s moment of glory, as the Imps finally managed to get someone into a dangerous forward area, something they failed to do for much of the afternoon, with the 26-year-old Irishman becoming the 16th City player to score this season.

In between times, though, after Alistair Smith had blazed a glorious early opportunity over the bar – after being presented his chance by Dylan Duffy, who was finally handed his first league start of the season, and not before time – the Imps had been reliant on big Danish custodian Lukas Jensen for keeping them in the proceedings.

First he saved Alfie Devine’s header, then denied Ukpeazu with his feet and then thwarted the former Konyaspor striker after the break.

Duffy also saw an effort saved by Vale stopper Connor Ripley, while Smith’s long-range strike was tipped over the bar, with Hakeeb Adelakun thrashing another shot off target.

Shaw enthused about his “outstanding” players afterwards, hailing his players for eventually getting a late reward, although also admitting that they hadn’t started the match well.

“It wasn’t a great start, it was a bit stodgy, but good good sides and and good groups of players will pull through that,” said Shaw. “Everybody’s seen how strong we finished in the end.

“I didn’t enjoy the the gaps between our units horizontally and vertically, and we were just not as connected as we normally are and they were bright. Port Vale landed on second balls really well and troubled us.

“I was delighted to just see us come through that patch and the last 15 minutes of the first half we started to find our feet mentally, and physically looked better. We were just a few a passes or a touch away from creating something clean cut in in the first half.

“The conversation at half-time was around that trying to energise the group. We wanted to be a little bit more direct in the first 10 minutes which started really well and then there was a couple of incidents that changed the course of the game.”

Shaw claimed City improved once both sides had been reduced to 10 men, continuing: “I thought we were outstanding with the ball 10-v-10. I thought we moved it so well. We tried to be as brave and as bold with every substitution we made.

“The lads were brilliant. We’ve had 70% of the ball in the second half and nine opportunities, which is some going. It felt like we had an extra man, to be honest.

“There are two ways to chase it – you can either launch it into the box or do it with a bit more control, so we challenged the lads to do it that way and I thought they did it brilliantly.

“We don’t have that number nine so you have got to find a different way to get into the penalty area, so that was the game plan – I hope the supporters can see how well we executed that in the second half.”

Shaw was also pleased with Shodipo’s vital contribution at the death after only being on the pitch for less than four minutes.

“The quality goal of our goal was superb and the build-up play was great,” he said. “I’m delighted for Mide, who has been frustrated during the during recent weeks, but he got his opportunity today.”

Duffy was man-of-the-match for a second game in a row and Shaw admitted that he had fully taken his chance.

He said: “We’re really pleased for Dylan. We just wanted to get him on the top line, him and Lasse [Sorensen] in the second half. It was brave to do that, but we wanted him in his best areas and I thought he put some great deliveries into the box.”

On O’Connor’s red card, he claimed he didn’t get a view of what happened, but will look further into the incident with his staff.

“I haven’t seen it yet,” he reckoned. “We’ll have a look with the analysts, but there must have been something big enough for there to be a red card off the ball.

“It was a shame as we would have had a good advantage at that point, but it didn’t really knock the players, so I’m pleased and proud of how we just carried on with with the game plan.”

Writer: The Imposter

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

Tom Shaw: "Everybody's seen how strong we finished in the end."https://t.co/UyEPVTjGQa#WeAreImps #PVFC

— Vital Lincoln City (@VitalLincoln) November 13, 2023

Lincoln City				Port Vale
Shodipo 90+3'				Garrity 34'
1. Jensen				1. Ripley
22. Eyoma				27. Debrah
5. Jackson				14. Ojo (c)
15. O'Connor (c)				2. Cass
2. Sørensen				4. Sang
16. Burroughs			56'	21. Plant
11. Hamilton				8. Garrity			83'
6. Erhahon			89'	18. Arblaster
21. Adelakun			78'	12. Ikpeazu
8. Smith			67'	10. Chislett			71'
17. Duffy				11. Devine
Substitutes
12. Wright (GK)				13. Leutwiler (GK)
25. Mitchell				30. Lomax
23. Roughan				20. Conlon			83'
14. Mândroiu			56'	9. Loft			71'
30. Shodipo			89'	19. Massey			71'
27. Makama			78'	44. Thomas
29. Vale			67'	24. Walters

Game Statistics
15	Goal attempts	6
3	On Target	4
9	Corners	1
5	Fouls	5
0	Yellow Cards	1
1	Red Cards	1
56	%	44