Lincoln are IMPerious…
League leaders Lincoln City visited the Globe Arena today hoping to repeat the victory they enjoyed against Morecambe last December as Storm Deidre deluged Lincolnshire and Sincil Bank as the match progressed. The Shrimps were lucky then to be just three goals down at half time: it could have been a lot more as they struggled to contain the football storm coming their way from the men in the striped red and white shirts. But the visitors were the better team during the second half, conceded no more goals and even managed to reduce the arrears. The man who scored the single goal was Kevin Ellison. And today was Kev’s fortieth birthday. There could be no better present for probably the fans’ favourite player than for him to come out on the winning side today. I’m sure Kev received loads of cards earlier on but it would be better still if he didn’t get another one from the referee (and he didn’t as things turned-out). And extraordinarily brilliant if he was to score the winning goal. Could it happen?
The Shrimps started this game in the rare situation – in recent times – of having won two games in a row. The line-up today certainly had more potential than the one which was almost overrun during the first half in Lincoln last year.
As for the Cowley Brothers’ team, they started this contest in the unusual position for them in particular but for basically any League leader to not have won so far this month. Three games played – three drawn. John Akinde missed a penalty for the Imps as they failed to beat rock-bottom side Notts County at Meadow Lane in their first February game. Then they drew at home against Northampton. Last Saturday, having been two goals to the good at home again, they allowed Stevenage to score another two to equalise. Crisis? It’s the sort of crisis- right at the top of the division – that almost any other clubs’ supporters would welcome.
It had been a bright spring day in Morecambe prior to today’s game. But as the match wore on, the weather became increasingly overcast and mist started to shroud the hills in the far distance. Given the lack of rain recently, it was disappointing to see the surface at the Globe Arena looking more like a ploughed field than a football pitch. But the grey-clad visitors made light of it. They seemed to have the perfect blend of brain and brawn as they took every opportunity to hit Morecambe on the break. In their central spine, they had Orange-clad Monster of a goalkeeper Matt Gilks right at the back. In the middle was a very mobile centre half in the imposingly tall Captain Jason Shackell. Up-front, the huge but familiar shape of John Akinde made his presence felt all afternoon until he was belatedly replaced by Matty Rhead – another big bruiser who knows every trick in the book. From a corner kick during the first half, it was almost comical to see what was effectively a ruck in the Shrimps’ penalty area with Akinde at the front of a queue of huge Imps’ players and the relatively small Zak Mills trying to hold back the flood almost single-handedly. Little and Large hardly does it justice.
As for Birthday Boy Kev, his first touch was almost disastrous after three minutes. Standing at the near post, he swung his boot at the ball from a corner only to see it spin agonisingly past him and straight across the goal he was supposed to be guarding. Fortunately for him, goalkeeper Mark Halstead was first to it and plucked it out of the air. Up until this time, the visitors had played very quickly and effectively on the break. Tom Pett – small, nippy and tricky – caught the eye all afternoon. On the other wing, Bruno Andrade stole the limelight from the opposing Number Eleven right up until the moment he was substituted with twenty minutes still to play. And there were just nine minutes on the clock before he struck for the first time for the visitors. On the left side of the field from the Imps’ point of view, Harry Toffolo took a quick throw, the ball pinged about with Danny Rowe, Pett and Mark O’Hara all involved; Morecambe failed to clear the danger and the ball was passed into empty space in the centre of the pitch for City’s Number Eleven to run unchallenged onto it and smash the ball via the crossbar past Mark Halstead into the Shrimps’ net to make it one-nil. After quarter of an hour, Andrade was at it again: John Akinde played him in again on the Imps’ right and his shot was almost deflected past Halstead by a desperate touch by Zak Mills – fortunately for the Shrimps’ full-back, the ball went just the right side of the post from his point of view. There were panic-stations in the home defence again after 23 minutes. Neal Eardley was fouled on City’s left flank near the corner flag; Rowe floated the ball over; Akinde nodded it back and a grateful Halstead managed to dive on the ball and smother it with his own defence at Sixes and Sevens all around him.
As for the home team, they fashioned their first chance during the opening half after eight minutes when the ball was slung right across the visitors’ goal mouth but there was nobody in red in the middle to take advantage. After half an hour, Jordan Cranston found Steven Old’s head with a free kick but the big Kiwi steered the ball just the left of Gilks’ goal from the keeper’s point of view. Right at the end of the first half, the man in Orange fielded another shot from Cranston with relative ease. Other than this, the Morecambe team huffed and puffed and played some nice, neat football at times. But although they never looked they might be overrun – as had been the case at Sincil Bank at times last year – they never seriously challenged the visitors’ dominance of the play either.
So Lincoln went in at half time deservedly in the lead and in control and probably barely out of third gear if truth be told.
The second half saw the home team at least trying to make a match of it. They had probably most of the possession without actually forcing Gilks into action and again played some snappy football and for once at the Globe Arena there was a really good atmosphere as both sets of fans noisily encouraged their sides to ever greater efforts. But Morecambe’s balloon was well and truly popped after 56 minutes. Good work by Akinde again saw Andrade unmarked on the Lincoln right in the penalty area; Halstead did brilliantly to keep his original shot out but the visiting Number Eleven made no mistake with his follow-up. That wasn’t quite it. Morecambe didn’t lie down and die and I personally think they reduced the arrears after 70 minutes when Gilks seemed to me at least to scoop the ball back – at full stretch – from some way over the goal-line following a Shrimps’ attack. But Mr Coy the referee didn’t give it and that’s all that matters in reality.
At the end of the match – and the end of the day – Lincoln were too good for our lot today. Simple as that. They are an excellent team and they are the best I have personally seen in League Two this season. They play some good stuff but, perhaps more importantly, they play some effective stuff too. Good luck to them. Good luck to the Cowley brothers; what a difference these man have made to the fortunes of the Lincolnshire club.
As for Kev, his wasn’t to be a fairy tale ending today. But the Lancashire MIND volunteers were out in force and I’m sure most of us put our hands in our pockets to help out a very worthwhile cause as well as signing the huge card which was on display in JB’s Bar before the game. Hats off to Kevin for having the balls to admit to his own battle with mental illness in the past. Good luck to him in the future – I hope he had a great day with his kids.
The win for Lincoln keeps them at the top of the table and looking good for the Championship. At the other end, Yeovil beat Cambridge; Notts County lost again and Macclesfield drew as Port Vale’s spiral downwards showed no sign of ending: they lost yet again; at Cheltenham this time. So Morecambe remain in twentieth position, five points above the drop zone. Jim Bentley will probably be pleased with his team’s performance today – and reassured that his side don’t have to face teams of Lincoln’s undoubted quality every week.
Morecambe: 21 Mark Halstead; 2 Zak Mills; 3 Luke Conlan (Y); 4 Alex Kenyon (C); 19 Carlos Mendes-GoImes (31 Aaron Collins 57 mins); 5 Steven Old; 12 Ritchie Sutton; 11 Kevin Ellison (14 Sam Dalby 86 mins); 7 Richie Bennett; 27 Jordan Cranston (17 Liam Mandeville 57 mins); 26 Pietro Mingoia.
Subs not used: 1 Barry Roche; 25 Ben Hedley; 24 Paul McKay; 18 Rhys Oates.
Lincoln City: 18 Matt Gilks; 23 Neal Eardley; 16 Michael Bostwick (Y); 5 Jason Shackell (C); 14 Harry Toffolo; 7 Tom Pett; 4 Michael O’Connor (24 Cian Bolger 84 mins); 6 Mark O’Hara; 19 Danny Rowe; 11 Bruno Andrade (17 Shay McCartan 70 mins); 29 John Akinde (9 Matt Rhead 72 mins).
Subs not used: 1 Josh Vickers; 8 Lee Frecklington; 25 Jordan Roberts; 10 Lee Angol.
Ref: Martin Coy 2352
