Lincoln City put Bowers & Pitsea to the sword to avoid FA Cup giant killing

There was no magic in the FA Cup First Round tie at the LNER Stadium on Saturday afternoon as Lincoln City ran out 1-0 winners against minnows Bowers & Pitsea.

Facing a side from the Isthmian League Premier Division, sitting outside the seven tiers of English football, it was a game that Lincoln were clear favourites to win. However, Imps boss Michael Appleton opted to put out a strong side, out of respect to the visitors who reached the First Round for the first time in the club’s history.

Whilst it was far from a classic encounter, City’s youngsters Sam Long, Sean Roughan and Freddie Draper all made notable contributions. With the home side looking a little disjointed, Bowers grew in stature as the game went on in the first period, using the swirling wind to their advantage.

Winger Quentin Monville caused the home side a headache in the first half and was a genuine threat for the visitors. Cutting inside from the right-wing, his cross was a whisker away from being met by James Thomas, who had ghosted in unmarked at the far post.

As Imps boss Michael Appleton had warned against pre-match, Monville’s long throws in two first-half moments caused deep confusion in the Lincoln box that could have handed the visitors a shock lead on another day.

First, James White jumped highest to flick one Monville’s throw, and as the ball broke to Jamie Dicks, his powerful volley was well saved by Sam Long in goal.

With Lincoln still struggling to put their stamp on the game, a switch in tactics from Michael Appleton proved pivotal in changing the momentum of proceedings. With centre half Sean Roughan making way for Freddie Draper, the youngster immediately moved into a more central position to support the isolated Dan Nlundulu. 

Teddy Bishop and Chris Maguire became instantly more involved in possession and were vital in getting Lincoln a more significant foothold in the game. Maguire used all of his experience to get balls into the box, whilst Bishop’s effective use of the ball allowed the home side to apply more sustained periods of pressure.

Draper, who had only signed his first professional contract during the summer, made a noteworthy contribution for his substitute appearance with his eager running and ability to hold onto the ball that frustrated White leading to a booking for the Bowers skipper.

The youngster was unlucky not to wrap the game up with a well-timed volley which had Mitchell Beeney scrambling to turn around the post.

Draper’s tenacity to win the ball back from a duel with White provided Hakeeb Adelakun with the opportunity to finish the game once more, but the former Bristol City winger got his effort all wrong.

Max Sanders became more influential in midfield as fitness began in the last 20 minutes. The young midfielder, who had Lincoln’s best chance in the first half but dragged his effort wide, grew in stature as the game wore on and decided the match on 66 minutes. 

With Bowers camped well behind the forward line, Lincoln were a little guilty of trying to walk the ball into the net until Chris Maguire bundled his way through the visitor’s defence as a piece of good fortune fell the hosts’ way. As the ball ricocheted off a Bowers defender, the ball dropped into the path of Sanders who smashed his shot past Beeney and into the roof of the net.

Whereas Bowers opted to make use of the wind, having decided to switch Lincoln around at kick-off, they struggled to get into the Imps’ final third. They only mustered one attempt in the second half, a Dan Trendles header that drifted harmlessly over the bar following a dangerous looking ball into the box.

On reflection, Appleton was pleased with his side’s perseverance that they avoided a potential banana skin.

“We knew we were going to be camped in their half but we took too many touches of the ball, our quality prevailed in the second half.

“I’ve been in their position as massive underdogs, I know how difficult it can be and how difficult it can be to break down a group of players who are determined, defend really deep and make it hard for you to play against.”

Appleton was particularly pleased with the substitute performance of Freddie Draper. With striker Tom Hopper currently out injured, the youngster’s display will certainly have given the Imps boss some food for thought in the coming weeks.

A manager that is keen to rotate his squad in order to navigate the demands of a League One campaign, Appleton offered his reflections on Draper’s impact.

“I thought he (Draper) was outstanding in everything he did. His weight of pass was great, his instinct in the box was really good. He could have had two or three and the keeper has made some good saves. I thought his volley was outstanding.

“I’m a big fan of Freddie, it’s early days but there’s lots about his game that I really like.”

As Bowers’ cup run came to an end in a performance full of effort and determination, a classy gesture from the home club to gift all of the receipts from the game will go some way to supporting the Essex club’s efforts to move into the pyramid of English football.

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