Kennedy’s Red and White Army Impress – Doncaster 0-3 Imps
The Imps smashed three goals in last night as we eased past League Two Doncaster Rovers away from home.
Mark Kennedy made five changes to the side that played out an important draw with Portsmouth at the weekend. Adam Jackson and Sean Roughan replaced Regan Poole and Jamie Robson in the back four. While Anthony Scully, Charley Kendall and Chris Maguire all came into the front three. Adding to that Ben House returned to the bench after his spell away from the squad to an illness. Ted Bishop started in his preferred attacking midfield role alongside Tashan Oakley-Booth, that meant Max Sanders started in the holding role as Lasse Sorensen was rested.
The biggest talking point from the first half was Charley Kendall’s first goal in Imps colours. We have been crying out for years for a 25 goal a season striker and we have a striker that has the potential to be just that. He may still need a loan spell elsewhere, perhaps in League Two, before he challenges Hopper for the striker spot but the potential is there and he certainly knows where the goal is. However, it wasn’t just his goal that impressed me but also his workrate and his constant running to chase down the goalkeeper and lost causes, like I’ve said before on the site, if you can do that as a striker you may add three or four more goals a season by forcing a defender or a goalkeeper into a mistake. I don’t know what our transfer plans are at the moment, but Kendall is more than good enough to play a part within the squad. However, if he is not going to play as much as he’d hope and there is a good loan opportunity, then it seems sensible for all parties.
We seemed to turn it up another level in the second half and we near enough killed the game just after the break with a spectacular individual goal from Ted Bishop. We have all heard about the quality and potential Ted has and last night he showed that in abundance. He controlled the midfield and he made countless forward runs that created chances. If we are to score more goals, we need Ted Bishop on the pitch as he made a real difference in his favoured attacking role. Doncaster gave us a completely different challenge last night. We had to come back against Exeter and we had to contain Portsmouth. Last night was different again, we had to control the game and create chances, which we had to do multiple times last season and we were normally nullified by the opposition. That is one thing I have noticed that is different this season already. We ask more questions of the opposition and we change it up by playing long at points too.
Anthony Scully then killed the game further and added a third with an easy tap in after Chris Maguire had his shot parried away into the path of the Irishman. I’ve moved away from the Chris Maguire situation but I’ll just say this. He has been a class act this season, he might not feel the connection with the fans but he has been professional and even got his name sung last night. If he continues this way, then I have no problem with him staying if we don’t get the players in we need. Yesterday wasn’t just about the football. We seem to be connected to the players and the club way more than last season. Some put that down to Mark Kennedy and they are probably right. There is a much bigger connection and that is evident, even down to the small things such as Lewis Montsma in the crowd and Mark Kennedy at full-time.
We are nowhere near the finished article but one thing we can say is that we are looking better than last season under the new management and regime. Last seasons outcasts are becoming this seasons best players and the whole atmosphere from top to bottom has changed for the better. Mark knows what to say and how to get the fans onside and I recall saying that he needs to gain a connection with the fanbase quickly to get the full support of the fanbase and he has done exactly that.
We go again Saturday against Forest Green, where we will hopefully win for the first time in the league.
The AllLincoln MOTM is Ted Bishop.
