Lincoln City ran out 2-0 comfortable winners in the EFL trophy to Notts County as they progressed through to the knockout stages of the competition.
In front of just over 2,000 fans at the LNR stadium on Tuesday, both sides made changes to their starting line ups calling upon younger players from their respective squads in what was an interesting night for both sides to see how far their young players have progressed towards preparing for regular first team football.
With County key striker Macaulay Langstaff in their starting XI, it was an opportunity for him to impress against League one opposition as he had already adapted to life in the football league having scored 50 plus goals to get the Magpies promoted from the National League.
However, up against the experienced TJ Eyoma, Adam Jackson and Paudie O’Connor, it proved to be a difficult night for the visiting strikers with limited service and opportunity.
They did start brighter in the game and if Langstaff had been more alert in the fourth minute, it could have been the visitors that took an early lead.
A deep corner to the far post was headed back across goal by Jim O’Brien, uncharacteristically, Langstaff wasn’t alert to the opportunity as the ball bounced harmlessly across the face of goal with keeper right rooted to his line.
Serving as a shot in the arm to the home side, Lincoln’s youthful energy in attack and midfield started to press higher up the pitch. County’s possession game fell away poorly, giving the ball away from defensive positions which paved the way for the home side to apply pressure.
Lincoln threatened twice but just couldn’t apply the finishing touch without an experienced striker on the pitch. The Imps did get their rewards in the sixth minute in a manner which would not have pleased Magpies’ Head Coach Luke Williams.
Coventry City loanee Jack Burroughs could hardly believe his luck as he scored his first Lincoln goal, being allowed to carry the ball a full 40 yards from the right hand side without a Notts defender to oppose him.
With the Magpies’ backline in two minds whether to come across or to mark the strikers in the box, Burroughs took full advantage of the indecision as he drove into the box to slot calmy past Stone in goal.
Notts continued to play their possession football but struggled to make any real impact on the stingy Lincoln defence. Naive at times, after winning free kicks in good positions just outside the edge of the box, they were guilty of trying to over think those situations, squandering their limited first half opportunities.
Going slightly more direct earlier in the second period, a couple of dangerous opportunities fell to the visiting striker Adebayo who could not capitalise. A stooping header at the far post could only find the advertising boards and when found unmarked at the back post moments later, he carelessly missed the flight of the ball when well positioned.
Lincoln weathered the pressure with hard work. They remained well organised to quell Notts possession and keep them at arms length. It was youngster Jack Vale that extended Lincoln’s lead on 67 minutes. Following a neat passage of play on the counter, Yale receive the ball on the left hand side of the box with plenty of work still to do.
As he drove into the area, he weaved his way in between two Notts defenders before composing himself to smartly roll the ball past Stone and into the empty net. The goal was to be Yale’s last moment of the match, using up his last burst of energy on the evening having tirelessly worked his socks off against the opposing centre halves.
Fellow youngster, Dylan Duffy also impressed in midfield with a host of smart touches and box to box running which bought plaudits from his from his manager at the final whistle. Before retiring with cramp, the left footed Duffy attempted an audacious 45 yard lob which didn’t fall too far away from the relieved Magpies keeper.
Lincoln should have wrapped things up in the final minute with an almost carbon copy of their first goal. Burroughs was again given the freedom of Lincolnshire to run into the box with no Notts County defenders in sight. He once again bore down but this time couldn’t apply the the finish to increase the Imps two goal advantage.
At full time, Imps manager Tom Shaw, was delighted with his players application, particularly his youngsters performances across the pitch.
“I have so much admiration for this group. The results we have had is a disappointing one on Saturday but the admiration I have for this group of players we have got 70% of our forward line on available and I think that gets forgotten a little bit. So what would Man City look like without that Liverpool?
“About three quarters of the forward line it affects any group of players and lads have had some big results in the league with a very excited fixture on Saturday. A Disappointing one on Saturday that we have to we have to swallow. But tonight they’ve bounced back and show big character personality and I think they’re brilliant group of players.
“I think they have massive potential. We’ve got our feet on the ground and we know we’ve got loads of work on as a group but tonight has given us off a really nice platform for the weekend”
Lincoln host Port Vale on Saturday hoping to put a couple of defeats in the league behind them but having progressed into the knockout stages, they could be pitted against the likes of Nottingham Forest and Derby County’s Under 21’s teams.
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Having only arrived at the back end of December following Liam Manning’s axing from the hotseat, the gap in the fixture list was very timely for the new Head Coach, Mark Jackson.
Having taken fourteen days into January to make their first signing, Jonathan Leko arrived too late to make his debut against Lincoln and his absence was notable given the display by his new colleagues.
After looking toothless for the full 90 minutes, it is clear to see there is further and drastic work to be done.
Both sides looked abject and it was no surprise that the match ended goalless given the dire lack of quality shown by both sets of players. If either team has walked away with all three points, it would have been a travesty given the turgid football that was on display.
Amongst the boardroom and supporters at Stadium MK, it is hoped that with the blown promotion push of the previous season, followed by the pathetic and dismal first half of the current, 2023 will seek greater success than in 2022.
It is far easier to regress than progress, as shown in the opening five months of the 22/23 campaign, but Jackson will be hoping his side can dig themselves out of the mire at the basement of the league, to a stable mid-table place, away from any relegation fears come the 46th match in May.
What exactly do the Dons need to find in their squad to see this current calendar year prove to be more successful than the ending?
Despite the Dons at times proving rather impotent in the final third, not all the blame can be apportioned to their strike force.
Having only mustered 23 goals from their opening 25 games is by any team’s standards an awful return.
Having chosen to mix experience with youth and operating Will Grigg, Mo Eisa and Matt Dennis, the options do appear at times lacking in pace and inventiveness.
Grigg and Eisa are two similar forwards and more of poachers than someone likely to pull a rabbit out of a hat, whereas Dennis is an unproven non-league arrival who has been hampered with injury since signing.
Such a poor tally has led to Jackson and Liam Sweeting, the Director of Football turning to the market to recruit the aforementioned forward in Leko from Birmingham City.
Whilst this signing may see an increase the goals, one swallow does not a summer.
A lot will depend on how the midfield can create the opportunities for those higher up the field to take.
The Dons sit 23rd in the table for chance creation and Jackson’s immediate attempt to change this is to add an additional body into the midfield to increase the supply forward.
Under Manning, the Dons preferred formation was 5-2-3 using wing-backs and inverted forwards to provide the impetus.
This worked well when Scott Twine and Matt O’Riley were pulling the strings, however it never had the same effect when Louie Barry and Nathan Holland have been trying their best to carry the same mantle.
Jackson has changed the structure, implementing a 4-3-3 approach, removing a centre back to get an extra man into the middle of the field to supply the forward line.
If adding an extra body into the middle of the park can not only free a player to improve the team’s creative threat, it can also offer assistance defensively as when they are trying to counter the oppositions midfield threat, the extra body could potentially overload the midfield and limit the effectiveness of the opportunities they concede also.
Whilst this tactical switch may well assist with the service to the forward line, it will need to see an improvement in the general footballing abilities on display.
The squad is packed with many average footballers and on paper seems to be secure, however football is not played on paper and with over 55% of the season completed, the team is frighteningly lacking in quality.
The Dons have seen a high turnover from last seasons playoff side, seeing only five players remain who were in the last squad of 2022.
If one major priority is improving the chance creation, the other major priority must be stemming the ease the opposition can shoot.
Again, the centre of the defence it is another area which the Dons have regressed and is a clear area marked for improvement. Last season’s starlet was Harry Darling who was excelling for the Buckinghamshire outfit, playing as a modern-day libero.
After impressing last season for the full campaign and earning a place in the Team of the Year for League One, a move up the pyramid was never off the table and more a matter of when and not if.
Following his departure to Swansea in arguably one of football’s worst-kept secrets, the Dons recruited Jack Tucker from Gillingham and had hoped he would slot straight into the void.
After taking the starters birth to open the season, it quickly became apparent that the 23-year-old was not the player they had initially hoped and out of the side due to poor form.
With his jettison it created a whole for last season’s cast-off Zak Jules and for the first dive games took his chance with aplomb, showing promise and endeavour.
Unfortunately his performances diminished and similar to Tucker, Jules found himself back amongst the substitutes. If the Dons are to nullify the opposition strikers it will require solidity at the heart of the defence, alongside vast improvement in their performances also.
If one of Jackson’s main targets was to give his midfielders a pacey target to aim for in Leko, his next aim must surely be to recruit a player who can add control and structure to what we have already seen this campaign.
Only time will tell whether Jackson can bring his plans to fruition and it is fair to say this will need to happen sooner rather than later as the race for survival is getting increasingly difficult with each passing game.
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]]>Despite missing key players and losing the influential Ted Bishop through injury in the first half, Mark Kennedy’s men showed great resilience to hold their own against an experienced League One outfit in Derby County.
Jack Diamond was the hero of the evening, playing a crucial part in keeping the visitor’s backline on their toes throughout proceedings. It was the Sunderland loanee’s brilliance that proved to be decisive in the game.
As Lincoln picked up a stray pass in Derby’s midfield, Diamond was alert to pick the ball and drive towards makeshift right back, Jason Knight, who bundled over the winger for a stone wall penalty in the 11th minute. Diamond showed calmness to step up and plant his spot kick into the bottom left-hand corner, just out of the reach of Joe Wildsmith in the Derby goal.
Having gone behind, Derby soon found their rhythm with the likes of Conor Hourihane and Louie Sibley linking midfield to attack which put Lincoln on the back foot. The experienced Nathaniel Mendez-Laing on Derby’s right flank gave young Irish fullback Shaun Roughan a stern test but it was the youngster who came out on top over the 90 minutes as the visitors lacked a cutting edge in front of goal despite their dominance with possession.
Everton loanee Lewis Dobbin could only head harmlessly wide when well placed inside the area whilst James Collins did have the ball in the net but was ruled offside with no complaints from Derby players or officials.
Looking overawed against the opposition in front of them, Lincoln struggled to put their foot on the ball and were hanging on the coattails of the Rams as they mounted pressure in the hosts half. Before the break, Lincoln did give relieve some pressure on the home goal as Sean Roughan just cleared the bar with a left footed hit from long range.
Liam Rosenior sent his players out early for the second half as a show of intent but it was the hosts who were revitalised in matching the Rams in the second period. Paudie O’Connor was a whisker away from extending Lincoln’s lead with a header that just flashes wide of Wildsmith for post with the the keeper stranded.
Derby continued to probe in what became an end to end slug fest in the second half which raised the volume in the stands. Mendez-Laing thought he had equalised as he latched onto a ball across the face of the goal, smashing the ball into the top corner to the delight of the travelling fans only for his effort to be ruled out for offside.
Taking heed of that warning, it was Diamond who grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck. Waltzing into the box, whilst he couldn’t get his shot away, the ball fell to Ben House who managed to pivot and place the ball past the flat-footed Wildsmith.
With almost 10,000 fans inside the ground, the atmosphere went up a notch to carry Lincoln home.
Derby continued to huff and puff but didn’t really trouble Carl Rushworth in goal. In fact, it was Lincoln that should have ended the game with a further goal advantage.
Diamond embarrassed Derby skipper Curtis Davis on halfway with a superb piece of skill but as he dashed into the penalty box, his final pass let him down at the decisive moment as he tried to square for the unmarked House at the far post.
It was a result that Lincoln had certainly earned with a performance to be proud of for a young side. Head Coach Mark Kennedy was delighted at full time with the result and how his team stuck at the task of defending against a strong outfit.
He said: “I think how I want us to play has left us a little bit vulnerable at times and a little bit open.
“What we’re good at; is that we get together, we talk as a staff, as a multidisciplinary team who will listen to each other. We Just thought tonight’s game, we had to be more compact connect and actually have no shame in giving possession up.
“One of the things we talked about tonight was enjoying defending. Jamie Carragher, Gary Neville, John Terry, I know they’re outstanding players, but they all had one thing in common. They took huge pride in defending and I think TJ (Eyoma) genuinely does and tonight he really evidenced that.”
Lincoln travel to Bristol Rovers this weekend looking to build on their encouraging result and add greater consistency to performances.
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The visiting Imps took the lead through Morgan Whittaker as he found the bottom right corner after some patient play on the edge of the box. Charlton were soon down to ten men as Alex Gilbey was sent off for a second yellow card.
However it returned into a level playing field as Lincoln soon received a red card, with scorer Whittaker being given his marching orders for his foul on Ben Purrington. Anthony Scully then doubled their lead with around 15 minutes remaining, with Jayden Stockley scoring a consolation goal two minutes from time.
The Addicks are now 15th in the league whereas the Imps remain in 18th and ten points clear of the bottom four.
It was Lincoln who had the first chance of the game, with Liam Cullen unable to get enough power on his back-heel flick from inside the box to put it past Craig MacGillivray in the Charlton goal. The hosts looked to respond with a chance of their own, but Jayden Stockley’s volley was hit wide of the post.
The Imps looked threatening on the counter, particularly with Anthony Scully’s runs down the left flank. Gilbey was close to sneaking his side into the lead as his corner was heading towards the near post, but Lincoln cleared their lines.
Scully pressed the hosts again but the home side were able to regain possession. Conor Washington went up the other end for them a few minutes later and sent a low ball into the area, but Jordan Wright collected it easily in the Lincoln goal.
Johnnie Jackson’s side should have gone 1-0 up in the 23rd minute as Stockley was able to meet Gilbey’s cross, but his effort from close range hit the crossbar. The latter was then booked by referee Robert Madley, Charlton’s 100th yellow card of the season in the league.
Lewis Fiorini, who returned to club action after international duty with Scotland’s youth teams, saw his effort saved by MacGillivray. However soon after, Lincoln were eventually able to take the lead. Whittaker did really well on the edge of the box to find his feet and his patience on the ball paid off as he guided his effort into the bottom right corner.
Things would go from bad to worse for Charlton just four minutes later as Gilbey was given his marching orders for a second yellow card, pulling the shirt of a Lincoln player who was on the break.
Scott Fraser had a chance to break for the Addicks but he took too long to get the pass away, with Brooke Norton-Cuffy firing wide of the post up the other end soon after. The half time whistle eventually came and Lincoln were a goal and a man up at the break.
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The Imps started off the second half the brighter side as they searched for their second of the game. Scully had a free kick on the edge of the area, but it was sent over the bar.
Charlton thought they found an equaliser through Stockley but his header was saved brilliantly on the line by Wright. Just a minute later, Whittaker was sent off for his poor challenge on Purrington and the rest of the match would be played 10 versus 10.
Wright was called into action to deny Stockley once again, this time denying him from close range. Josh Cullen attempted an acrobatic effort in the box for Lincoln, before Washington sent his curling effort high and wide soon after.
Jake Forster-Caskey came off the bench and made his first appearance for Charlton since last season after suffering an ACL injury, and he was soon involved in the action as he headed just wide of the goal.
However, Lincoln doubled their lead in the 76th minute through Scully. He was able to cut in from the left hand side and fire his effort into the roof of the net. It was a superb strike, with MacGillivray having no chance of saving it.
Stockley, who had so many chances to score, was denied once again off the line by the Imps. He was rewarded with a goal in the 88th minute though as he headed in from a corner. Washington was so close to making it 2-2, but he dragged his shot wide of the post.
Lincoln were holding on in the latter stages but despite the Addicks’ late attempts, they were able to seal a crucial three points, which will surely see them survive relegation this season.
Charlton will next travel to AFC Wimbledon on Tuesday night, with Lincoln making the trip to Fleetwood Town on the same evening.
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]]>The Addicks head into the fixture off the back of three consecutive wins in the league, with their 1-0 win over Doncaster Rovers last weekend also ensuring they haven’t conceded in 270 minutes of football.
Saturday’s visitors haven’t won in their past three fixtures, losing late on away at Shrewsbury Town courtesy of Daniel Udoh’s low strike from outside the box.
Both sides struggled for form earlier in the campaign but are now set to remain in the third division after pulling away from the relegation battlers down the bottom end of the table.
Charlton’s three victories in their past three fixtures in League One is their best winning run for the season so far, having previously gone seven games without a win prior to their recent form.
A 1-0 win away at Gillingham halfway through March would spell the end of a streak that saw them take just one point from a possible 21. Since then the Addicks have been able to build on their upturn in form and work their way higher up the standings.
Johnnie Jackson’s side are now set for a comfortable mid-table finish, a stark improvement from where they were earlier in the season; they were 22nd when former boss Nigel Adkins was sacked and they now find themselves up in 14th.
They put in a solid performance in their last outing at The Valley against Burton Albion, winning 2-0 thanks to two first half goals, and their victory on the road against Doncaster has set them up for a potentially solid end to the campaign.
Despite Jayden Stockley scoring the winner last weekend, manager Jackson believes his side could have been more clinical in front of goal.
“I was pleased with the performance, certainly from box to box we moved the ball well and created a lot. We looked dangerous, but obviously that final touch was lacking.
“The hardest part about football is putting it in the back of that net and we didn’t do that enough. I was pleased with the performance and the clean sheet on the road which we haven’t had loads of.
“My natural instinct after the game was that we should have won by more but when we look back on it there were some really pleasing elements from the whole performance.”
While relegation for Charlton is now a near impossible scenario, there is little to no chance that they will be able to sneak a push for the play-offs, something that they were so close to achieving on the final day last campaign.
After their early season struggles it is now a case of the Addicks ending the year in the strongest way possible and their recent form could give them the platform to do just that, especially if they claim victory over the Imps.
Last season Lincoln were able to secure a fifth placed finish in the league and therefore compete in the play-offs for a potential promotion to the Championship. However, despite beating Sunderland in the semi-finals, they lost 2-1 to Blackpool in the final at Wembley Stadium.
Despite making some big signings in the summer, including Chris Maguire from Sunderland and Teddy Bishop from Ipswich Town, Lincoln have been unable to replicate their impressive form from the previous campaign.
Their fortunes this season have been the complete opposite, with the Imps looking closer to relegation back to League Two rather than making the step up to the second division of English football. Generating a run of form has been a difficult task for the Imps this season, with Michael Appleton’s side failing to win more than two games in a row.
They are currently 18th in the league table, but nine points above the drop zone. Just over a month ago they were only four points above the bottom four, so they are now in a less precarious position than they were after their 2-0 loss to Gillingham.
Just one win has been gained from their past five matches, and they will head to south-east London off the back of their 1-0 loss to the Shrews.
Top of their goalscoring charts is Anthony Scully, who has amassed eight goals in League One for the season so far. John Marquis is second with five, an impressive number considering he joined the side from Portsmouth in the January transfer window.
While they may appear to be safe from the drop for now, the job isn’t done for Appleton and his Imps. They are lucky in the knowledge that those below them are also struggling for form, with all the teams in the bottom four failing to have won in their last five games, and a victory on Saturday would almost all but confirm their spot in League One next season.
Lincoln were victorious in the reverse fixture earlier in the season, with Regan Poole’s 91st minute goal sealing a late win over Charlton back in October.
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]]>The former Preston North End man has made a solid start to life at the Stadium of Light having lost his opening fixture against MK Dons. Sunderland have remained unbeaten since and recorded a 3-0 win over Wigan Athletic, as well as back to back victories against Crewe Alexandra and Fleetwood Town coming into the business end of the season and going into Saturday’s fixture.
Sunderland will have the chance to further increase their playoff credentials with games against rivals Plymouth and Oxford United on the horizon. With league leaders Rotherham also on the roster, mixed in with fixtures against sides towards the bottom of the table, there is certainly all to play for.
The Scot’s appointment by the club hierarchy would certainly have been made with an eye on securing a playoff spot at the end of this campaign, as well as the ambition of mounting a serious promotion challenge next season if the initial objective cannot be achieved.
The first opportunity lies immediately head and whilst Neil has not long been in the hot seat to implement his ideas, there will have to be sacrifice going into the final weeks of the campaign if fans are expecting free-flowing football.
“I certainly think we have to be more substance over style at the moment. The result is the most important thing.
“That doesn’t mean we want to be poor in our play, we want a level that is acceptable and to build on that and improve it, but the simple fact is that we have eight games remaining and we need to pick up as many points as we can.
“If it means being a bit more pragmatic in terms of getting those points, then that’s what I’ll have to do.”
Sunderland will be looking to avenge a three-one defeat at the Stadium of Light at the turn of the year, with the Black Cats being thoroughly humiliated on the evening following a masterclass from ex-striker Chris Maguire.
Lincoln’s experienced forward put in a superb individual performance in the victory, bagging a hat-trick as Lincoln claimed a much needed three points. The former Sheffield Wednesday forward certainly hammered a nail in Lee Johnson’s Sunderland coffin, with him being sent to the stands on an infamous Lincoln City night.
Maguire was rested for the midweek trip to Rotherham United but is expected to return to Saturday’s lineup to complete the double over his former club.
For the hosts, Lincoln still have work to do in securing League One football next season despite being eight points clear of the relegation zone.
Michael Appleton’s man will be looking to pick up from their second-half performance against Rotherham, with The Imps coming agonisingly close to earning a point in their 2-1 defeat at The New York Stadium on Tuesday evening.
Appleton took away positives and was delighted for his returning striker Tom Hopper, to score his first goal of the season against The Millers since returning from a long term injury that has blighted his season.
An excellent target man, Hopper was an integral part of Lincoln’s success last season that saw him link well with Brennan Johnson and Morgan Rogers. Losing the quality of those loan players, it has been a difficult season for Hopper who has only managed 13 appearances.
Lincoln’s form still remains a mystery at home and to quote Forrest Gump’s ‘life is like a box of chocolates’, Imps fans certainly do not know what to expect from one weekend to the next at Sincil Bank this season.
On paper, their squad has an array of talent that has plied their trade higher up in the leagues but injuries and large changes to personnel in both transfer windows have led to a stuttering campaign.
What is for certain is that all those connected to the club will be relishing the opportunity to claim a scalp of another big side in the division. Having beaten Sheffield Wednesday comprehensively in front of a full house in their 3-1 victory, Appleton is looking forward to the fixture.
“It’s a great game and everyone’s looking forward to it. From an atmosphere point of view, it will be like Sheffield Wednesday.
“They’ll bring a lot of fans down from the north-east and they’ve got a newish manager in Alex. They massively need to points to keep themselves in the play-off positions.
“We’ve got to dust ourselves down and try and reproduce something similar to the second half (from midweek). If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a chance.”
With Regan Poole and Conor McGrandles in contention for a return to the lineup alongside Maguire, it is only in goal where Appleton will be short of options as he tries to bring in a loan backup keeper after Josh Griffiths’ season-ending injury against The Owls.
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A spirited Rovers performance was encapsulated by goalkeeper Jonathan Mitchell, who kept the scores level at half-time after pulling off a string of crucial saves.
It was a shaky start from the former Hartlepool United man as he made of mess of Liam Cullen’s deflected cross in the sixth minute. Almost punching the ball back into his own net, the Rovers shot-stopper looked a relieved man as the ball bounced wide of the post.
However, he soon made amends for the error as he pushed Morgan Whittaker’s effort to safety after some good approach play by Brooke Norton-Cuffy who fed the Swansea City loanee on the edge of the Rovers box.
On 20 minutes, Mitchell made an even better save to keep the scores level. As Cullen found some room inside the penalty area, his left-footed shot was tipped over at full stretch.
Soon after, the 27-year-old was called into action twice in succession as Lincoln piled on the pressure, in search of the opening goal. Cullen had another effort tipped over, and from the resulting corner, Mitchell twice denied Conor McGrandles and Joe Walsh from close range.
As Doncaster struggled to keep hold of the ball and offered no outlet up top, the pressure continued to mount. Mitchell had to make another excellent save at close range as Chris Maguire slipped John Marquis in on goal, but the former Rovers striker was denied by some brave goalkeeping once more.
Norton-Cuffy was again Lincoln’s standout player as he showed more glimpses of his ability at right-back. He set the tempo in the opening half with his keen and powerful running.
He was unfortunate not to grab an assist just before the break as he skipped past a couple of challenges before squaring the ball back to Maguire on the penalty spot.
Unmarked but off-balance, the Scot blazed his first-time effort over the bar when he perhaps had time to take a touch before composing himself to register a shot on target.
Having gone into the break without conceding, Rovers continued to frustrate the home side. Lincoln’s second half showing very much typified their season, a Jekyll and Hyde performance.
Norton-Cuffy came close to scoring a screamer from 25 yards which just whistled past the post, but other than that, the Imps barely threatened the visitors’ goal.
A break in play following a medical emergency in the stands meant the players temporarily left the pitch before restarting 15 minutes later.
Doncaster, who had come back into the game before the halt in proceedings, got the opportunity they were looking for on 73 minutes.
As the Rovers picked up Josh Griffiths’ uncertain kick out from goal, the following passage of play saw Matt Smith pick out Tommy Rowe inside the box.
The midfielder took a touch before hitting a shot at goal, which was adjudged to have struck Walsh on the arm by referee Ben Speedie.
Dan Garner stepped up to smash the penalty past Griffiths, driving the ball high into the roof of the net to send the travelling 1,000 supporters behind the goal into raptures.
Lincoln’s night was further compounded after Walsh was sent off for a second bookable card offence in the dying minutes. The defender caught Garner late in the Rovers penalty box as a Lincoln attack fizzled.
Adding insult to injury, the returning Walsh will now miss the Imps’ next three games through suspension.
At full-time, Rovers boss Gary McSheffrey was delighted with the win and his goalkeeper for keeping a clean sheet following a heavy defeat to Rotherham United the previous weekend.
“He’ll be delighted. He made a couple of good saves although I’m not sure about his punch first off as the ball just went past the post but his kicking was good and his decision making was good in possession. There are no risks to his play and he deserves it [clean sheet].”
Asked about his side’s chances of survival, McSheffrey was calm in his assessment that there is still a lot of football to be played. Rovers have come through a challenging month with a decent points tally to keep them active in their battle for survival despite recent defeats.
“I said to the boys, we’ve got seven six-pointers left tonight before kick-off and we need to commit to this one. This was one of them, they’re at the top of the charts in terms of the six-pointers so don’t let them get further away.
‘There’s always a surprise package that drops late on and we’ve had a tough end of January and February. Some of the teams around us have got that to come. We’ve taken nine points out of seven games against really tough opposition. So putting things into perspective, would you take that? You would. Thank you.”
Imps boss Michael Appleton was again reflecting on another disappointing evening in the home dugout, but now was not the time to be lambasting players with Lincoln at risk of being dragged back into the relegation scrap themselves.
“I’m disappointed and a little bit angry and frustrated – the players know that. These are the moments where sometimes in the dressing room you’ve got to keep your cool because all sorts of things could have gone off.
“When I watch the game back I think the dominance we had in the game will calm me down a bit and then, hopefully, come Thursday the players can clear their minds and get it out of their system because the games are coming far too quickly and far too fast to dwell on them for too long.”
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With now five points separating Lincoln from 21st placed Morecambe, Tuesday night’s fixture presents the opportunity for The Imps to pick up three vital points to further alleviate getting dragged into the relegation mix.
Having beaten Morecambe last week in a well earned 2-1 win and only just conceding another three points to promotion hopefuls Wycombe in the 85th minute on Saturday, the start of a tricky month has gotten off to a good start.
“It’s been a good week for us. The seasons has been difficult at home and we haven’t got a good record at all. Obviously, there’s a bit of pressure so going into the previous two games against Morecambe and Wycombe.
“We’ve managed to pick up four points which has been good. and play some decent stuff. So to be able to get three points tomorrow would be great for the club.”
Gary McSheffrey’s start to life at Doncaster has not had the desired effect to improve their position despite winning just three games since taking over as manager.
The statistics paint a grim picture for Rovers. They have lost 14 games out of their last 17 fixtures and having conceded the first goal in all 23 games this season, they have only avoided defeat on three of those occasions.
With McSheffrey’s men struggling to build on their shock win at Sunderland, boss Michael Appleton is aware that despite his side’s improved recently, there can be no room for complacency given the Imps 0-0 draw with Rovers in November.
Although his side are not too far away now from getting to the safety mark, he appreciated that despite Rovers being rooted to the bottom of the League One table, their threat cannot be taken lightly.
“I’ve thought we need to get to that 50 points as soon as we possibly can. Just make sure that we can breathe a little bit easier. Although, I would say it’s probably more of a dangerous game tomorrow night.
“We’re playing against a side, who from an expectation point of view, there is very little (pressure) on them because of where they are at this moment in time. So that makes them more dangerous.
“We have to go into the game with a determination and understanding that at the times when we dug in on Saturday, we had to defend our box towards the end of the game and we’re gonna have to do that again tomorrow.”
Arsenal loanee Brooke Norton-Cuffy came into the side for his full league debut against Wycombe. With Joe Walsh missing through injury having completed his first 90 minutes against Morecambe, TJ Eyoma slotted into centre-back to give Norton-Cuffy his opportunity at right-back.
The young defender did not disappoint in a solid display that saw him leave with the supporter’s man of the match award for his efforts.
Having given him an introductory taste to first-team football coming off the bench since arriving from The Gunners, Appleton did not hesitate to hand him his debut against high-flyers Wycombe.
“He’s got great pedigree coming from a club the size and stature of Arsenal. And the thing I like about Brooke is his mentality and his attitude.
He’s got great physical attributes, is quick and strong, but his mentality and his eagerness to do well is the thing that impresses me most about him.”
With defensive injuries and fitness still plaguing The Imps season, Norton-Cuffy has the opportunity to claim a starting place given that some of Appleton’s squad are still playing through the pain barrier and midfielder Ted Bishop has already been deployed in the position.
Having come through the Arsenal Academy system, Norton-Cuffy was delighted about how his debut had gone of the challenge that awaits him to play at right-back.
“It was a proud moment for me. I’ve been working hard in training and for my whole life leading up to my professional debut full debut.
“I was pretty happy with my performance, but there are a lot of things I can improve. I started the game a bit shaky, but I feel like I grew into the game. I thought I did alright for my debut.
“There’s a couple of us who can play right-back, and it’s just about working hard in training every day and trying to impress so you can get the start.”
In team news, centre back Joe Walsh remains a doubt after missing out against Wycombe and TJ Eyoma is rated as 50/50 with a groin issue but he is expected to come through a late fitness test.
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With just two points separating the two sides, the fixture presents an opportunity for the Shrimps to land a psychological blow in leapfrogging over the Imps albeit having played two games more.
Having been beaten by two goals on either side of half-time during the weekend’s defeat to automatic promotion hopefuls MK Dons, Lincoln are going into a crucial run of games that will make or break their season.
Beginning with Morecambe, the Imps will go on to face Doncaster Rovers, Fleetwood and Gillingham in the next few weeks, hopeful that a run of positive results will see them dismiss any real concerns of relegation.
Lincoln boss Michael Appleton knows that if his side ‘do the business’ against the sides around them, then they are more than capable of fighting against the sides above them.
“The reality is that if we do the business in these next five or six games, we know that we’re more than capable of beating the sides at the top of the table. So obviously that will put us in a really comfortable position.“
Following their second successive defeat, Lincoln will be hoping that time on the training field to bed in new signings will start to bear fruits. John Marquis has certainly hit the ground running, scoring three goals in consecutive games since joining on loan from Portsmouth.
Appleton knows the fixture is a crucial one and sent a plea out to home supporters to not lose the influence of the home support and avoid his players having to perform in a toxic environment.
“The only thing I would say – and this is coming from a genuine place – if there’s any frustration on the night, please direct that towards me rather than the players”
There is no doubt that the levels of disappointment will be at unparalleled highs given the huge investment in season ticket sales, but with relegation a real possibility, the final third of the season is all about survival.
“The players are the ones who have got to perform, to have that calmness and composure at the right time, whether that’s in the opposition’s box or in our box.
“Any frustrations, I’m more than happy for them to come my way and let the players try and express themselves and show what they are capable of.”
Whilst Appleton has attempted to remedy the lack of goals in his side with an influx of signings in attacking positions, continued bad luck in the injury department continues to hamper team selection at the back.
Liam Bridcutt still remains out for the Imps whilst Adam Jackson’s injury problems continue. The influential central defender has a calf problem which is not showing up on investigation but is causing discomfort to perform.
“It’s presenting as a calf strain but not showing as a calf strain on the scan. Work that one out. It’s very frustrating.”
Joe Walsh, who has been a long term absentee for the best part of a calendar year, may be set for a return and due to the scale of Lincoln’s injury problems, could be thrown straight back into action.
With Lewis Montsma out for a sustained period and Tom Hopper just returning from injury, the disruption caused to the Imps’ season has not been lost on the Lincoln manager and is something that he is quite mindful of in the next recruitment window.
“I’ve been doing it for a while. At the end of the day, that’s football and you’ve got to be ruthless, you’ve got to make the right decisions for the football club.
“Players are not daft, they know, for us to be able to rely on them and trust them going forward, it works both ways a little bit.
“I wouldn’t be doing my job properly if I didn’t do that. It’s something that needs to be addressed between now and end of the season.”
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Throughout a windy afternoon, Burton used their ‘know-how’ to pepper the Lincoln goalmouth from Tom Hamer’s long throw that wreaked havoc amongst the home defence, complemented by some crisp passing and running with the ball from William Kokolo and Daniel Jebbison.
Burton failed to capitalise on a number of first-half opportunities, including some heroics from Imps goalkeeper Josh Griffiths to keep the scores level.
Deji Oshilaja’s tame effort on 15 minutes from the edge of the box looked harmless enough to deal with, but as Sheffield United loanee Daniel Jebbison got a touch to redirect the ball, Griffiths did well to get down low to his right and keep the ball out.
Lewis Moult had a super opportunity to put the Brewers ahead once more but he could not get a firm enough contact on Hamer’s in-swinging cross.
Conor Shaughnessy came closest to breaking the deadlock on the stroke of half-time. Hamer’s long throw into the Lincoln box caused problems, and with the ball only partially cleared, the Burton midfielder’s volley was palmed away by Griffiths at full stretch.
Burton quickly found themselves a goal down just after the break despite the pressure applied on the Lincoln goal.
Good approach play down the Burton right saw Cohen Bramall burst towards the byline, and although Sam Garratt appeared to get something on his cross, John Marquis was expertly placed at the back post to apply the finishing touch to put the Imps ahead.
Whilst that should have been the catalyst for Lincoln to go on and win the game, Burton were not lying down and battled their way back into proceedings just six minutes later.
Another Hamer long throw was not dealt with in the box once more by the Imps defence, and as the ball pinged around, Joe Powell was alert to cooly convert past Griffiths to bring the Brewers level.
Burton continued to look for a winner with Zokolo and Jebbison producing excellent pieces of play. Griffiths did well to get something on Zokolo’s delightful delivery across the six-yard box with a Burton head a whisker away from connecting.
Jebbison then went on a surging run to show the Lincoln midfield a clean pair of heels but Zokolo had strayed offside when put through on goal and away from his suitors.
However, Burton got their reward on 80 minutes to seal their win with a soft goal to concede from a Lincoln perspective. Their defence did not track a deep corner as Sam Hughes got momentum on his runner to nod past the helpless Griffiths.
Brewers manager Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink was delighted with his side’s performance and character to fight back and deal with the weather.
“I’m very proud of my team today. To come here and play the way we played, and be brave, it’s not an easy place.
“We had a lot of young players today and they held their own. We contained them and it was a little bit of a blow when we conceded, but it didn’t keep us down.
“Their goalkeeper made some incredible saves and I had to say to him afterwards ‘really well done’, but we were brilliant.
“We were front-footed, we looked really good. We created good chances in the first half and we could have easily scored two goals. I think we were the better team.”
Imps manager Michael Appleton was unhappy with how his side conceded the two goals in surrendering their lead. He was realistic in his post-match assessment that his side are very much in a relegation fight.
“We are where we are for a reason because we’ve not made the right decisions in the right areas of the pitch, and you put yourself under pressure by doing that.
“No one’s getting carried away in that dressing room, we know we’re in for a scrap and that scrap is going to continue for the next 15 or 20 games that are left.
“We’re ready and prepared for it. We’re certainly in a better position than we were six weeks ago from a mentality, performance and form point of view.”
However, Appleton remained optimistic that his side is beginning to create opportunities in front of goal. With the arrival of John Marquis, they have a striker that thrives on service and he has already registered his second goal in as many appearances.
“We brought in someone to be there in that six-yard box when the ball is coming into the box and he was. He’s got his reward from gambling to think that the ball will be there and I’m delighted for him.
“Even after the goals we got into some fantastic positions in the box but just picked wrong choices and were poor in our execution. We’ve been good for five or six, maybe even seven games now and the only critical thing I can say about the players is how we dealt with the set plays.”
With a crucial run of fixtures coming up in February, Lincoln will find themselves up against fellow strugglers Morecambe, Fleetwood, Gillingham and Doncaster Rovers, bidding to ease their relegation worries.
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