Lincoln City
Reaction to the Crewe game
By Nathan Jackson
August 30 2010
It was a frustrating game where the Imps created 19 shots on goal but only scored one of them, the included wasting a one-on-one, hitting the bar and having a shot cleared off of the line, not that the media seemed that bothered by that.
You know what does my nut in with regards to Lincoln City? I've lost count the amount of times I've watched City control a game before then conceding with the opposition's first foray into our half. Infact, it's happened in all three games where the Imps have conceded this season. The Imps were well on top at Rotherham before Le Fondre scored when the defence failed to clear, we were dominating against Torquay before they scored with their first attack and Saturday was no different.
Crewe came with very little attacking intent at first and it was incredibly frustrating to watch as they sat back before scoring with their first attack, an attack which they only scored from because of a goalkeeping mistake from Joe Anyon. Now before I go on, I'm not going to get on Anyon's back like some other fans did. Someone shouted "You're nothing compared to Burch" after the goal......an interesting comparison given that Anyon has yet to go 25 games for the club without keeping a clean sheet, it took less time for Anyon to keep a clean sheet for the club than Burch did when he came and Anyon's kicking is actually half decent.
It was at this point that all of City's attacking intent seemingly declined
to the point where we were struggling to get within about 30 yards of the goal. Then along came Albert Jarrett. In a goal that resembled that type that Peter Gain regularly scored in his six year spell at the club, Jarrett picked up the ball, ran at the defence to the edge of the area before producing a near unstoppable shot. City were back in the grove and should have extending their lead on numerous occasions, with Jarrett failing to score from another good chance in the second half that saw him run 70 yards on goal unchallenged.
It was strange how we played better than we did against Gillingham, but yet failed to match the result. Although the majority of the game was a midfield battle, based on pure chances alone we should have gotten more. The Imps had six or seven clear goalscoring opportunities, yet only scored from one.....Crewe had two, maybe three good scoring opportunities and scored from one of them. I mean, it's good that we're creating the chances, but the lack of a goalscorer is proving to be a bit of a downfall at the moment.
All three of our goals so far this season have come from midfielders, don't get me wrong, having goalscoring midfielders is great, but you can't just depend on your midfielders to get goals. In our five games in competitions, we've played five different strikers and they have managed just eighteen shots between them, thirteen of which have been off target. Andy Hutchinson has infact managed just one shot, fewer shots than defenders Clapham and Swaibu, tying with Ian Pearce and Adam Watts, two more defenders.
It does make you wonder what Chris Fagan (left) must be thinking when despite being fit, scoring in midweek for the reserves and having scored more goals for the club than all the other strikers combined, he isn't even named on a bench that only contains five players due to injuries. He's certainly more effective in front of goal than the likes of Andy Hutchinson, even to the extent where he has played less games for the club and scored four times as many goals. That's nothing against Hutchinson, but if you're going to bring a striker on then you'd at least like to know that the striker you're bringing on will at least have a shot every now and then.
Then again, Sutton isn't exactly known for getting the best out of strikers....and before anyone brings Davide Somma into the argument, I see your Davide Somma and I raise you any of the following - Michael Uwezu, Brian Gilmour, Steven Lennon, Paul Connor, Lenell John-Lewis or Rene Howe. The simple FACT is that other than Somma, Sutton has yet to have a striker at this club that has been capable of scoring goals, regardless of whether he brought them to the club or not.
However, this isn't going to be a completely negative report and it is pleasing that we now don't just give up when we go behind. At Rotherham we worked for the equaliser and were unlucky that Rotherham scored the winner in the 88th minute with what was effectively their first attack of the second half, and Saturday saw us again equalise after going behind. Last season we would have just capitulated and gone on to lose.
The football is also half decent now as well, with City trying to play the ball on the ground and it is not too dissimilar to the style of play that Schofield and Deehan played at the beginning of the 2006/7 season, although we certainly don't have the players to pull it off, rather we don't have one striker capable of being anywhere near as good as either Forrester or Stallard were that year, however, I do think that Carayol and Jarrett are better than Amoo and Hughes.
Then we get on to arguably the biggest surprise of the season so far, Delroy Facey. When Facey signed my optimism level for the season dropped. It could have handled either him or Broughton, but not both. At the time I thought those two would be played up front and given that they've scored just once in near 25 appearances for the club between them, my fear for our "goals for" column would have been justified if they had played up front together. However, Delroy hasn't been played up front.
It seems amazing that he has replaced Carayol, a player most rate as considerably better than Facey, and yet the impact level from the left wing position hasn't changed. The bulky signing has obviously worked on his fitness during the pre-season and often runs past defenders with ease, it's just a pity that his shots so far has all gone straight towards the keeper. Fair play to Facey, he's proving a lot of people wrong.
And one last thin
g on the positive side of things, the improvement of the defence since Pearce and Clapham came into the side. It's not only the improvement they have brought to the defence, but also the impact they're having on the other defenders. Anderson (right) now looks far better with the experience behind him and how both Pearce and Clapham talk to him.
So where from here? Where now? Well the Imps' next League game sees them make the trip to Chesterfield's charismatically named B2Net Stadium. City have the chance to become the first ever team to win there in the League, a draw wouldn't be a bad result given City's general record against Chesterfield over the last three seasons (two wins (both at home), a draw and three defeats).
Looking at September and the Chesterfield game, on paper, is the hardest match the Imps have in the League. City have two winnable games against Barnet and Accrington respectively. City have won 8 of the last 10 meetings with Barnet, not to forget 6 wins from 8 games against Accrington. Out of 18 games against those two, City have won 14, drawing 1 and losing just three, scoring an impressive 45 goals in that time, conceding just 18, not a bad record at all.
Then come the games against Stevenage and Burton. Stevenage is impossible to predict at this point, although the last two Conference Champions before them have both won on their first League visit to Sincil Bank, including Burton, a team who did the double over the Imps last season. Out of the five games, I'd be happy with 8 or so points, at an absolute minimum we will need six, or else it could pave way for yet another poor season.
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30/08/2010 01:28
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They definitely had a chance to score before they but you're right Watts should of buried that header just before they did score.
Did anyone else think there might of been a handball in the build up to their goal?
I think playing with one up front will mean the midfielders will have more shots at goal.
I thought Hutinson did well and had at least one chance.
I'm sure the forwards will start scoring soon enough.
The players are still getting used to each other.
Saturday was definite improvemnent on the first home game.
Here we go again!
Will we ever get the right man?
We are better playing passing and building (from the back) football.
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