Bittersweet Point for City – Imps 1-1 Accrington

Lincoln City took on a lowly Accrington Stanley last night at Sincil Bank and for many it was deemed as a disappointing result in front of a crowd of over 7,000.

Mark Kennedy made four changes to the side that failed to score away at Port Vale. Danny Mandroiu missed out through injury and was replaced by Charles Vernam, while Lasse Sorensen returned to the league side for the first time in a month. Both wing-backs were replaced, Jamie Robson came into the team replacing Sean Roughan, while TJ Eyoma was replaced by Joe Walsh meaning Regan Poole was shifted to wing-back.

There was no change in system, which was a surprise, especially considering it is a home game against a side without a win in five games. I personally would have gone with a four and allowed an extra man in attack behind the striker but it was clear the attacking changes were there, with Jamie Robson coming in to provide some more pace and attacking flare. I would have liked to have seen Davenport from the off in a midfield three behind Sorensen and Matty Virtue potentially. All in all though, I didn’t look at the team and worry about the game ahead.

Accrington Stanley are a good side, no matter what some people will say. They play an aggressive style of play, where the ball spends more time in the air than it does on the floor but with their budget and size of their club, it just works for them and on that behalf, they have my full respect. What I didn’t like to see was there attempt to kill the game of football last night as soon as it started. Throwing themselves on the floor and wasting time from the first minute is not what I or the Accrington fans pay their money to see and, in that respect, I was quite disappointed with how they turned up. I don’t mind a bit of the dark arts but throwing yourself on the floor holding your face without being touched is an absolute embarrassment to both Accrington and the sport as a whole.

I have seen lots of comments online saying it was a poor and boring performance and I struggle to see where people are coming from on that one. I will always respect others opinions but I just cannot see why them comments are being made. I though we looked to attack from the off and apart from one lapse in concentration we would have won the game. I thought we did enough to win that game of football and I also thought Accrington didn’t do enough to even be in the game by the time they scored, so I think that says a lot. However, we should have got three points from the game and that is a disappointment but it another point gained in a game we lost last season under Michael Appleton. If we had beaten Port Vale and Accrington but lost to Ipswich and Barnsley, I can guarantee the reaction would have been more positive, because we were beating the people ‘we should be beating’, and I think that entitlement is getting out of hand with some of our fanbase. We have to remember we are one of the smallest clubs in League One and we have no right to beat anyone, we need to earn it and to put it simply, last night a well drilled Accrington team took their chances and went home with a well-earned point.

I thought we worked their goalkeeper well three or four times and he produced some good saves, while both Jordan Wright and Carl Rushworth had nothing to do in our net. I was impressed by Jamie Robson, and I hope I won’t be shot down for saying that as I honestly thought he had a good game. He attacked well in my opinion and had a positive influence in the final third multiple times, and despite not having much to do he was decent defensively too. I don’t think he will get a good run in the team, purely down to the form of Sean Roughan but he should start the cup game this weekend, and if he has a good game again against Chippenham, he could come back into real contention for a starting spot.

I’d like to touch upon Charles Vernam too, I was extremely impressed with him last night. It was nice to have a competent set piece taker in the side, I do think we lack that at the moment as we don’t have a Jorge Grant or even a Chris Maguire that specialise in taking them. Our corners looked much more threatening when he was taking them, and we do lack a threat from a set piece situation in my opinion so hopefully a competent taker can improve that situation. Jack Diamond picked up yet another goal from the penalty spot and out of all the things the referee did, he got that one right.

I really don’t like talking on the referee’s performance as it is honestly a hard job but last night Ross Joyce was an absolute joke. He didn’t miss any big decisions such as penalties, but his game management was poor. I’ve already touched upon Accrington’s actions, and I will again. If he was to book their full-back for time-wasting on the throws, it would have sent a message to their squad that this referee isn’t going to let them take liberties. Mark Kennedy got a yellow card for coming onto the pitch to kick the ball back to the goalkeeper that was timewasting. It took the keeper 25 seconds to get the ball into a position to take the free kick, but our manager is the one who comes away with the booking, what a joke.

We should have come away with three points yesterday but a lapse in concentration cost us. Mark put it down to youthful enthusiasm and one player in question is certainly at fault after watching the match replay, Lasse charges out of defence to close the ball down and leaves a man open on the right-hand side, who has a perfect opportunity to put a quality ball into the area. I’m not going to sit here and call him useless, but it was an error and he’ll recognize that. I’ll put it this way, I have the same feelings towards this as I do towards the Rushworth error against Wednesday, he has to pick himself up and go again. Obviously, I’m not piling the blame on Lasse, but everyone else was in a compact defensive unit and he pushed out way too early.

I thought we played well though and obviously you’d like to get all three points but Accrington stay up on results like that all season so we cannot get too down about it, and we have to go again on Saturday in the FA Cup and treat that game with the same respect as every other league game.