Lincoln City v Cheltenham Town, 25 April 2011

Venue: Sincil Bank, Lincoln

Attendance: 3,007

Final score: 0-2

Gentle reader, I'm afraid that I have to report a death.  Today, my last vestige of hope for Lincoln City avoiding relegation has breathed it's last. Following today's debarkle I can now see no other outcome than City spending next season, and the foreseeable future beyond, outside of the Football League.

Actually, I’m not quite that suicidal yet, but I’m afraid that, barring miracles, City’s defeat to Cheltenham this afternoon has left the fat lady gargling in the wings.

Cheltenham came to Sincil Bank themselves not entirely clear of relegation worries, but certainly further away from them than the Imps. 

Many of the Imps faithful, myself included, allowed themselves a little spark of optimism before the match.  Despite only picking up a point from the previous two away games it was desperately close to being 4, and there were signs that the Imps were not a spent force.  There was a tangible feeling that, with a little luck and a big roar from the home crowd, three points could be gained that would propel Lincoln towards safety.  That feeling was enhanced by the return of Ashley Grimes from suspension, the diminutive hitman proclaiming his intention in midweek to finish the season with 20 goals to his name.

Rather than give a blow by blow account of the match as I normally would, I have decided to report this match more simply in terms of the blocks of play as I perceived them.

0 - 25 minutes.  City played with confidence, if a little nervously at times.  Grimes and Hutchinson looked full of movement and Grimes put a good chance over the bar.  Cheltenham did nothing.

25 - 45 minutes.  City panicked slightly and started hoofing the ball long to nobody, constantly gave possession away cheaply and never looked like scoring.  Cheltenham did nothing.

45 - 65 minutes.  City played well again after the halftime team talk, knocking the ball around and almost creating a few chances.  Cheltenham did nothing.

65 minutes.  City allowed Cheltenham a rare foray into their half, the ball being spread wide and crossed in for an unmarked Josh Low who headed home from all of 18 yards past a floundering Parish.  1-0

65 - 88 minutes.  City were completely clueless, headless, leaderless and talentless.  They were unable to find a single pass or look at all like they had the first idea how to get back into the game.  Cheltenham didn’t need to do anything.

88 minutes.  Cheltenham won a freekick roughly 25 yards out on the right.  Andrew curled the kick past the virtually non-existent City wall and past Parish, who only seemed to start moving after the ball had hit the back of the net.  2-0

88 – 94 minutes.  City fans began to leave.  Cheltenham didn’t to do anything but wait to celebrate their own safety from relegation and the gift City had just given them.

OK, that summary may be a little harsh on Cheltenham, but they seemed to come to simply defend and come away with a point, and aside from taking advantage of two poor pieces of play from City, that’s what they would have done.  They were there for the taking, and on this afternoon’s performance I think that any half decent League 2 side would have beaten them comfortably.

Elsewhere at the bottom, Barnet, Northampton and Stockport all drew, leaving City 2 points clear of Barnet in 23^rd.  Stockport now require mathematical miracles to survive, so the reality is that it’s one from three for the final wooden spoon.  The danger for City is that both Northampton and Barnet are capable of scoring goals.  The only light at the end of the tunnel for City, if one can indeed be seen, is that their survival is still in their own hands.  If Steve Tilson can somehow manage to make something click in his players then maybe, just maybe, another few points can be gained from the remaining two games and they can keep their noses in front.  Sadly, I won’t be down at the bookies tomorrow laying any money on that being the case.

LINCOLN CITY
24 Elliott Parish
25 Cian Hughton
2 Paul Green
6 Danny Hone
3 Joe Anderson
31 Ali Fuseini
26 Tom Kilbey
9 Gavin McCallum
15 Luke Howell
27 Ben Hutchinson
29 Ashley Grimes
Substitutes:
10 Drewe Broughton for Hutchinson (71)
8 Clark Keltie for Kilbey (71)
4 Adam Watts
14 Josh O'Keefe
19 Jamie Clapham
39 Scott Spencer
1 Joe Anyon

CHELTENHAM TOWN
1 Scott Brown
7 Michael Pook
6 Martin Riley
22 Steve Elliott
3 Danny Andrew
4 Dave Bird
24 Marlon Pack
11 Junior Smikle
8 Josh Low
9 Wes Thomas
17 Theo Lewis
Substitutes:
23 Matt Green for Lewis (82)
20 Frankie Artus for Thomas (90+2)
5 Andy Gallinagh
14 JJ Melligan
16 Kyle Haynes
18 Jake Lee
12 Daniel Lloyd-Weston

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Cheltenham Town v Lincoln City, 25 January 2011

Venue: Whaddon Road,Cheltenham

Attendance:2,292

Final score:1-2

The confidence gained from Saturday’s vital victory over Stockport Town was plain to see even before this match kicked off.  Players and management have been sounding like a weight was lifted when talking to the media in midweek.  The trip to Cheltenham was a more difficult test than Stockport, however.  Despite being on a poor run of form in the last few games, Cheltenham sat in 9^th place, just 4 points off the automatic promotion places.

The City lineup was virtually unchanged, with the introduction of Scott Kerr for the injured Mustapha Carayol the only alteration to the starting lineup.  Keeper Joe Anyon took a place on the bench after recovering from an ankle injury.

The game started quietly, with the two teams evenly matched.  Grimes looked particularly lively for City after his hattrick on Saturday and hit the top of the bar with a header on 2 minutes.  It was City who took an early lead, when on 8 minutes a City corner was lofted to the far post, where Danny Hone headed back across goal.  Stephen Hunt was on hand to poke the ball over the line from close range.

Conceding early spurred Cheltenham onto greater effort, and they immediately began pressing the City goal, but were not able to make the pressure count and City began to work their way back into the match.

From virtually out of nowhere, City extended their lead when, on 21 minutes, O’Keefe blasted home from wide on the left.  It was a sublime finish, one of a growing number of clinical finishes from City in recent weeks, and evidence of the growing confidence flowing through the side.

As has often been the case recently, however, the defensive frailties showed and City allowed Cheltenham a lifeline – poor marking allowing Artus to slip in and finish a cross to pull the score back to 2-1 on 30 minutes.  It was the first time that Cheltenham had seriously threatened the Imps’ goal, and it had an obvious impact on City’s confidence.  Cheltenham came close on a number of occasions, but City were able to hold out until half time to take their lead into the interval.  The news that Hereford were winning 1-0 increased the pressure on the Imps to get something from the game.

The second half began brightly for Cheltenham, who had obviously been fired up at half time.  They were playing the ball more quickly, using the wings more in an attempt to pull the City defence out of position, and putting lots of crosses into the box.

City were still dangerous on the break however, especially through the work rate of Grimes and the tireless Facey.  Lincoln thought they had extended their lead on the hour mark when a Grimes shot was cleared off the line.  The fans behind the goal thought the ball was in, but the linesman kept his flag down and Cheltenham survived.

The incident sparked a series of incidents at both ends in quick succession.  Cheltenham hit the inside of the City post, but the ball hit the shins of the advancing striker and bounced wide when it would have been easier to score.  City then broke away themselves and Grimes put the ball into the net from close range, only to see it disallowed, and Grimes receive a yellow card for dissent.

The match was on a knife edge, and it seemed that either side could score in the final 15 minutes.  As time ticked on, Cheltenham turned up the pressure, and City withdrew deeper and deeper to defend their lead and hope to hit on the break.  To bolster the defence, Grimes was replaced by Broughton (used more for his heading ability than to act as a striker), and Clapham replaced McCallum.  Five minutes of injury time were played, but the City defence held firm for a vital second win in succession.

The win lifts City off the bottom of the table, but although the bottom of the league is still very close, City have given themselves a good chance of putting a run together and starting to move away, leaving others to fight for survival.

CHELTENHAM TOWN
1. Scott Brown
2. Keith Lowe
22. Steve Elliott
26. Ashley Eastham
3. Danny Andrew
4. David Bird
24. Marlon Pack
8. Josh Low
20. Frankie Artus
9. Wesley Thomas
10. Jeff Goulding

Substitutes:
14. JJ Melligan for Low (62)
11. Brian Smikle for Artus (73)
27. Phil Walsh for Pack (85)
7. Michael Pook
17. Theo Lewis
21. Shaun Jeffers
12. Daniel Lloyd-Weston

LINCOLN CITY
24. Trevor Carson
16. Julian Kelly
4. Adam Watts
6. Danny Hone
23. Stephen Hunt
11. Scott Kerr
14. Josh O'Keefe
15. Luke Howell
9. Gavin McCallum
18. Delroy Facey
29. Ashley Grimes
Substitutes:
10. Drewe Broughton for Grimes (87)
19. Jamie Clapham for McCallum (90+1)
2. Paul Green
5. Moses Swaibu
17. Albert Jarrett
27. Ben Hutchinson
1. Joe Anyon

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