Aldershot Town v Lincoln City, 15 February 2011

Venue: Recreation Ground, Aldershot

Attendance:1,847

Final score: 2-2

 

 

It was a military encounter at the Recreation Ground as the RAF City of Lincoln came up against the Army town of Aldershot.  The Imps were looking to continue their recent run of good form (6 wins out of 7).

With Kelly ruled out through injury, the Imps’ starting lineup saw the return of the versatile Paul Green.

The Imps started brightly, with first McCallum getting in an early long range shot, then Green seeing Shot’s keeper Young palming away his deep corner.  Aldershot were not going to lie down, however, and soon launched forays of their own.  In the 16^th minute, a ball into the City box saw referee Philips award a penalty to the home side for a handball by O’Keefe.  It looked a harsh decision against the City midfielder, who seemed to be bundled in the back as the ball came in.  Despite Carson going the right way, the penalty was neatly tucked away by Anthony Charles.

The game turned scrappier after the goal, with both sides creating half chances but neither able to turn the screw.  Apart from Grimes nearly latching on to a short backpass, the first half passed without much incident, and Aldershot took a 1-0 lead into the break.

Imps fans were hoping that their team would come out firing after the break and grab an early equalizer.  Unfortunately, after just 3 minutes Aldershot doubled their lead.  The slippery Wade Small created space for himself and fed Rodman, who fired the ball home.  The balance of play so far suggested that the scoreline was unfair on City, but Aldershot now had their tails up with Rodman firing just over from range and winning a succession of corners.

The game’s controversial moment came after about an hour.  Grimes broke free on the left and played in a cross that clearly hit Jones on the arm.  Having given one penalty, the referee was not moved to give another, and the City players’ frustrations were as clear to see as the handball had been.

A sense of injustice can do strange things to a football team, though, and this was the turning point for City.  First Grimes saw a curling shot clip a defender, then a Howell cross nearly found Facey.

On 65 minutes, City grabbed a lifeline.  Clapham’s cross was placed perfectly onto the head of O’Keefe, who atoned for his penalty (if he needed to) by planting his header firmly past Young.

The Imps brought on Mustafa Carayol to run at the tiring Aldershot defence, but it was defender Green who next tested Young with a drive from just inside the box which the Shot’s keeper athletically tipped over the bar.

On the 85^th minute, City completed their comeback.  A corner by McCallum was played back to him and he played the ball in again.  It hit Danny Hone before falling nicely to Grimes, who blasted it home.

The Imps now looked the more likely to win the game, and Grimes nearly had his second in injury time, but his flicked header crept agonizingly wide of the post.

The final whistle ended the match in a draw which was probably a fair result.  It was certainly the Imps’ fans who went home happiest, the fight shown by the team earning them another crucial point in their progress towards safety.

ALDERSHOT TOWN
1. Jamie Young
2. Ben Herd
4. Luke Guttridge
5. Darren Jones
6. Anthony Charles
8. Ben Harding
12. Danny Hylton
20. Wade Small
23. Peter Vincenti
33. Alex Rodman
37. Simon Grand

Substitutes:
21. John Halls for Vincenti (69)
25. Tim Sills for Hylton (69)
17. Jermaine Mcglashan for Grand (89)
14. Manny Panther
16. Clayton Fortune
19. Reece Connolly
26. Mikhael Jaimez-Ruiz

LINCOLN CITY
24. Trevor Carson
2. Paul Green
4. Adam Watts
6. Danny Hone
19. Jamie Clapham
14. Josh O'Keefe
31. Ali Fuseini
15. Luke Howell
9. Gavin McCallum
18. Delroy Facey
29. Ashley Grimes
Substitutes:
7. Mustapha Carayol for Fuseini (67)
27. Ben Hutchinson for Facey (80)
25. Cian Hughton for Green (83)
17. Albert Jarrett
39. Scott Spencer
40. Patrick Kanyuka
1. Joe Anyon

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Footprints and Philistines

I came across this news article today – A Sky News exclusive no less.

It’s about an archaeological discovery in North Yorkshire, on an excavation during a project to widen the A1 and near to the known Roman military fort of Healam Bridge.  While excavating, the archaeologists have made the rather unusual and remarkable discovery of a series of Roman child’s footprints preserved in the mud – seemingly made when the child ran or skipped across the area which would have been waterlogged at the time.  Unfortunately it seems that although photographs were taken, the footprints themselves were not able to be saved.  As a museum curator, I have to say, the long term preservation of a muddy footprint is a challenge I wouldn't exactly relish!

However, as much as news of this discovery excited me, it seems from the public comments that I may be in the minority.  The embittered and cynical readers of Sky News, rather than being intrigued by such a rare discovery, were rather more caustic in their reaction.

"oh my god i can`t get my head around it,people in roman times walked?on their feet?" commented ‘kieran84’. (Grammar as the original so you can get the full effect).

‘HotspurAndy’ also goes for the misplaced sarcasm - "Shock news...........the Romans had feet...well I never!!".  Yes, because that was the major point of the discovery…

A reader called ‘Oh Polemic’ was rather more scathing of the whole process – "If David Cameron is looking for somewhere else to make cuts then he could do worse than to start with the fees we taxpayers appear to be wasting paying to archaeology firm AECOM!"  I wonder what sparkly treasure has to be uncovered before ‘Oh Polemic’ becomes impressed?  Of course, he / she makes the classic rookie mistake when it comes to criticising archaeology, the old ‘taxpayers money being wasted’ approach so favoured by Daily Mail readers.  Of course, virtually no archaeology is done in Britain at the taxpayers expense.  It hasn’t been for very many years now.  I know nothing about the details of this particular dig, but if it is like 90% of excavations in Britain, it will have been done in advance of development (the widening of the A1), as part of the planning process and paid for by the developer.  So the discovery of these footprints has cost ‘Oh Polemic’ absolutely nothing.  Still, why let that stand in the way of a good old ‘everyone in authority is a money wasting, backhand-taking charlatan wasting all my hard earned taxes’ whinge, eh?

A philistine, yesterday

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Lincoln City v Morecambe, 12 February 2011

Venue: Sincil Bank, Lincoln

Attendance: 2,884

Final score: 2-0

 

Lincoln were able to put Tuesday night’s mauling behind them at Sincil Bank this afternoon, as they put in an average performance but gained another valuable three points against Morecambe.

The Imps’ starting lineup saw the inclusion for the first time of Ali Fuseini, celebrating the successful end of his recent courtroom worries (what is it with City players and the law recently?).  Goalkeeper Joe Anyon was once again not even on the bench, and with no news of injury one begins to wonder whether Joe’s days at Sincil Bank may be numbered.  Perhaps he reacted badly to being dropped for loanee Trevor Carson a few weeks ago?

The game began in strong low sunshine, and it was City who got the first chance.  With just 2 minutes on the clock, McCallum broke free down the left and whipped in a dangerous cross.  O’Keefe got a touch at point blank range but Shrimps’ keeper Roche somehow got a block in with his legs, though it seems he knew little about it.

City’s good early form brought rewards on 10 minutes when Grimes was given the ball on the edge of the box.  He rounded his marker, and it looked for a second as if he had overrun the ball, but he managed to poke it past the advancing Roche, and the ball trickled inside the far post.

The goal opened the game up, with Morecambe almost getting straight back on level terms through Spencer, but the striker put his shot just wide.

As the half wore on, City withdrew deeper and deeper to defend their lead, allowing Morecambe more time on the ball.  With halftime drawing near though, the Imps again found some attacking momentum and the ball spent some time around the edge of the Morecambe box.

On 41 minutes, McCallum burst forward, seemingly handling the ball, but allowed to continue by the referee.  He fed Grimes inside the box, who twisted and turned to create some space before clipping a curling shot past the despairing glove of Roche, and into the net via the far post.  It was a sublime effort which gave the Imps a 2 goal lead which on balance of play they probably didn’t deserve.

There was still time before the break for a few more chances.  First Facey beat his man and drilled a shot just wide of the post.  Then Morecambe had a chance to pull one back in injury time when City gave away possession cheaply and Brown fired a long range effort that Carson did well to tip over the bar.  It proved to be the final effort of the first half.

City made a change at the break, with Kanyuka coming on for Kelly.

Morecambe started the second half well, and City again seemed willing to sit back and hope to hit the visitors on the break.  They got such a chance on 50 minutes when Howell broke free down the right and drilled a low cross towards Grimes.  The striker got his shot away but saw it blocked at close range.

Carson again came to his team’s rescue on the hour mark, when a flick header in the box was clawed around the post.  It was an agile save, and one which left the Imps’ keeper requiring treatment and limping to face the resulting corner.

City continued to sit very deep and the tension in the ground was palpable as fans sensed that a breakthrough for Morecambe would change the whole complexion of the game.  The Imps were finding it harder and harder to keep the ball and play was becoming increasingly scrappy.

With 10 minutes to go, Morecambe substitute Rundle cut inside and shot towards the far post, causing Carson to be at full stretch to gather it in.

A rare foray forward by City 4 minutes later saw McCallum get some space to break into the box but his low hard drive was saved by the feet of Roche, who closed the Imps striker down well.

Morecambe went straight down the other end and came close to scoring yet again.  A drive from the edge of the box smacked the crossbar and the rebound was headed wide with Carson in no man’s land.

Although Morecambe won a corner in injury time, they failed to create any further chances, and the match ended with an unlikely clean sheet for City, and Morecambe surely wondering how they failed to get even a point from the game.

The victory lifts Lincoln to 13^th in the league, but more importantly 9 points ahead of Stockport in 23^rd place.

LINCOLN CITY
24. Trevor Carson
16. Julian Kelly
4. Adam Watts
6. Danny Hone
19. Jamie Clapham
14. Josh O'Keefe
31. Ali Fuseini
15. Luke Howell
9. Gavin McCallum
18. Delroy Facey
29. Ashley Grimes
Substitutes:
40. Patrick Kanyuka for Kelly (H/T)
7. Mustapha Carayol for Fuseini (78)
27. Ben Hutchinson for Grimes (87)
10. Drewe Broughton
17. Albert Jarrett
39. Scott Spencer
20. Paul Musselwhite

MORECAMBE
1. Barry Roche
17. Andrew Fleming
22. Andy Parrish
27. Kieran Charnock
26. Tony Capaldi
16. Stewart Drummond
29. Scott Brown
18. Kevan Hurst
8. Garry Hunter
14. James Spencer
10. Phil Jevons
Substitutes:
7. Adam Rundle for Brown (57)
21. Paul Mullin for Jevons (83)
20. Stuart Hendrie for Spencer (88)
5. Jim Bentley
11. Neil Wainwright
15. Chris Mccready
31. Laurie Walker

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Lincoln City v Shrewsbury Town, 8 February 2011

Venue: Sincil Bank, Lincoln

Attendance:3,202

Final score:1-5

 

I have a confession.  This match report will be much shorter than usual as I wasn’t able to attend this match or follow it on the radio as I was at a Chinese New Year dinner.  I was able to get depressingly regular score updates, however.

As you may have guessed from the scoreline, City’s recent unbeaten run has come to a crashing end.  This was always going to be a tough game with Shrewsbury flying high and having cash to spend.  The visitors took the lead on just 6 minutes through Jon Taylor, but the Imps rallied instantly and Ashley Grimes equalized just a minute later.  Any hopes of a positive result soon vanished from sight though, as first a Kelly own goal on 13 minutes, and then a rapid Ainsworth hattrick (22, 25 and 35 minutes) ended the game as a contest before halftime.

The saving grace for the Imps is that the recent run has lifted them clear of the relegation battle, and as long as they can pick themselves up there is no reason for fans to unduly panic at this result.

LINCOLN CITY
24. Trevor Carson
28. Gavin Hoyte
4. Adam Watts
6. Danny Hone
23. Stephen Hunt
14. Josh O'Keefe
15. Luke Howell
16. Julian Kelly
9. Gavin McCallum
18. Delroy Facey
29. Ashley Grimes
Substitutes:
40. Patrick Kanyuka for Hunt (H/T)
39. Scott Spencer for Grimes (66)
10. Drewe Broughton for Facey (66)
17. Albert Jarrett
19. Jamie Clapham
27. Ben Hutchinson
20. Paul Musselwhite

SHREWSBURY TOWN
25. Ben Smith
18. Jermaine Grandison
5. Ian Sharps
6. Shane Cansdell-Sherriff
3. Mat Sadler
12. Nicky Wroe
29. David Davis
7. Mark Wright
23. Jon Taylor
9. Matt Harrold
16. Lionel Ainsworth
Substitutes:
8. Kevin Mcintyre for Davis (H/T)
19. Connor Goldstone for Grandison (70)
20. Craig Disley for Harrold (83)
4. Sean Mcallister
11. Steve Leslie
30. Paul Downing
1. Chris Neal

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