As early as the 46th minute City had a penalty shout, not that it would have mattered based on later events. Edun burst into the area on the left, got to the line and crossed, seemingly being fouled as he did. The referee was having none of it, and just a minute later it was Rogers in the same position, cutting the same ball across the box, only for Balcombe to claim in.
One of the Imps best chances came on 51 minutes, Eyoma got away down the right and delivered a cross which found Rogers. His shot was blocked and fell to McGrandles, who drove an effort at goal. Balcombe, as seems customary, made a super stop to keep the score at 1-0.
The first penalty of the afternoon came just before the hour. Grant played a one-two with Edun and entered the area, only to be fouled right in front of the referee. He pointed to the spot, leaving the vice-captain and new contract hero to surely put City back into the game. His penalty was on target, bot low to the keeper’s right and not only did he save it, but he held onto it as well.
That didn’t knock City, who kept pressing hard for a leveller. Rogers, who certainly looked livelier than his last start against Posh, picked up a ball wide left, cot across the area and had a pop, only for the defence to once again block.
On a rare foray forward for Doncaster, Tayo Edun committed a foul and drew a booking, but their free-kick was hit well over the stand by Reece James.
With thirteen minutes to go, City turned up the heat, with Grant in the middle of most of our good moves. He waltzed his way into the area before finding Johnson in space 18-yards out, but the on-loan Forest man fired over the bar. Rogers then found space on the left and looked to cut the ball into the area, only for the excellent Balcombe to dive out and make what I can only describe as a cross-save.
Grant, seemingly tired of laying on efforts for everyone else, then had the closest pop of the afternoon for the Imps. He drove an effort at goal from 25-yards out, almost identical to his goal against Forest Green, and finally beat Balcombe. Unfortunately, it struck the bar and bounced out for a goal kick. When it isn’t your day….
Even Adam Jackson got in on the act at one point, surging forward, playing a ball into Hopper and then having an effort from the return ball. I suspect if you contact NASA, it is still in orbit somewhere. City were getting desperate.
With three minutes left, desperation turned to elation. A deep cross from Eyoma saw Grant chasing after the ball out towards the left-hand side of the area, with Balcombe rushing after him. The keeper fouled Grant right on the edge of the area and Darren Bond once again pointed to the spot. Was this the moment City finally got the point that they deserved (at the very least).
No. Anthony Scully took over responsibility from Grant, and despite going to Balcombe’s right, the big keeper once again saved, and once again held onto the ball. I think those three letters, FFS, are more than applicable here once again. I personally would like to have seen Grant take it, but after successive misses (three if you include Charlton where he bagged the rebound) I guess it was time to change.
I’m not really sure what more I can say. I won’t go on social media because I know it will be full of stuff like ‘you have to score penalties’ or ‘we’re not clinical enough’, but the truth is it wasn’t our day. In terms of possession, we were the better side, and we created more chances, but Doncaster were excellent in doing what we are usually good at – putting bodies on the line. The Imps played 23 crosses into the area, four were met by a Lincoln player. Balcombe took more of the crosses than all of the Imps players put together, and often they weren’t that close to him either. Their defence was tight and they restricted us to two real chances in the second half, Grant’s long-range effort and the McGrandles drive. Other than that, we knocked on the door a lot, but instead of breaking it down we were forced to walk away with it left unanswered.
I thought our wide defenders were excellent, I thought our midfield largely controlled the game and I thought our movement in front of the 18-yard box was strong too. Grant might have missed a penalty, but his contribution was telling all game and most of our positive attacking work came from him. I thought Bridcutt looked composed and aside from their goal, ensured they rarely threatened.
All of that is well and good, but Doncaster scored and we did not, despite having two penalties. The hard truth is we should have won that game, without a shadow of a doubt, and we didn’t. I saw nothing that worries me for us going into the next 22 matches, except the fact we will do so without at least one point we should have had from this. Also, assuming you should score penalties, we are now five points behind where we should be, having missed one against Posh too. I’m not sure whether that is frustrating, or whether it makes me look at this young group and just be proud of where we are without those points.
I am frustrated tonight, not with any player in particular, because they put in a decent shift, just with football. It delights us, it angers us and for a few minutes after the game it made me feel sick as a 15-year-old me down Wragby park with a bottle of green Mad Dog 20/20. I felt it rolling around in the pit of my stomach and I wanted to punch something. Then I remembered we’re second in League One, not second from bottom in League Two, and things felt better. Then I remembered Jorge Grant signed a new contract, that we signed Regan Poole on a permanent deal and that we have 22 games to go out and get points from.
I also looked at the table and realised that whilst Doncaster would win the league if they won all of their meaning games, that if we did the same, we’d finish second and being honest, if we went up in second place, I wouldn’t be lamenting the fact we hadn’t won the title. I won’t say ‘we go again’, because I hate that saying, but we have brief respite this week as we face Hull in the cup, before a big match next weekend against Gillingham, where we can quickly get points back on the board.
I just pray we don’t get a penalty. Or two.
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