Into the second period, I felt we got better. I like being away and having an end, it doesn’t help writing these articles, but it does help the team. I see it at the Bank, with away teams shooting towards their own fans, it is easy to get an atmosphere going. If we could, I’d stick away fans away to one side, so it’s home both ends for the opponent, but that isn’t possible. Our fans were in good voice, and I’m sure that helped early.

I saw calls for a few penalties, from both teams, but only one stood out as a possibility, and that came just minutes after the restart. Maguire, a candidate for Man of the Match, picked up a high, loose ball in a great position and looked to be bundled to the floor. The ball ran loose across goal from there, and we didn’t get the opener. I know some will look at that and think ‘sod the penalty, a nine would have tapped that in’, but actually a gambling eight, or one of the wide players could have done the same. We just didn’t read the move, and the focus is then on the foul, not on the missed chance. It was a 50/50 penalty, the replay shows their lad getting a touch on the ball, but does he play the man first? Maybe, but it was the only one in the game that wasn’t less than 50/50, but to hang our hopes on it wouldn’t be good. I felt the referee had a good game if I’m honest; he only booked one player, rightly so, and let the football do the talking.

We’d built up a head of steam in the early part of the second half, but with their first serious attack of the period, Wednesday scored. McGrandles had not long been booked for his cynical foul, and I thought he napped a bit for the goal. They got a great effort away, which Griffiths saved, and Adeniran had all the time in the world to collect and fire in the rebound. I’m being super critical here, but we were stood like statues and you’d expect either McGrandles (closest to the ball), or Robson as left back to be out there keeping an eye on the runner. Look, it’s harsh, and sometimes you can’t always look for faults in a goal, sometimes the opposition just score and that’s how it is. Sheffield Wednesday just scored, the dreaded opening goal which should kill the game off; that’s how games have gone for us recently.

After that, they upped the ante and it felt like we might concede again. Their key men were able to get on the ball, spread play and probe with ease, and we looked a little frightened. It was the first time the home side looked dangerous in my opinion, but they went for it. Backed by a vocal crowd, and having dealt a blow to the vocal away support, it should have been game over. Brave Lincoln, inconsistent and usually easy to lock out, should have been floored. Dele-Bashiru weaved into the area with people around me shouting ‘get a tackle in’, before putting his shot wide. The big defender Iorfa got forward well, but he too fired wide. As those minutes wore on, it felt inevitable we’d go two down, and lose a game we deserved to draw (at least).

What I admired was the Imps desire. Nobody gave up, if anything the goal made us a little less composed, but fired more passion, more eager tackles, and slowly we weathered the storm and came out punching. Like a boxer, we’d been put to the canvas, but as the ten count neared we got up and blindly there a few punches. The first attempted swing came from the bench; Freddie Draper made his league debut. That’s right, Freddie Draper, one of our own from Derby, strode onto the pitch looking like a man with a boy’s face. He didn’t see lots of the ball, but he did show a physical presence that you might not expect from a kid making his debut in front of 20,000 opposition fans. He has a ‘don’t give a shit’ swagger I like, and we know he can finish. All I will say is watch this pace; he’s not going to get 20 and answer all our question, but he might ask a few of his own to opposition defenders and him coming on is a serious sign of his ability. When was the last time Michael Appleton brought a youth team graduate on as a sub for his debut? We have a pathway for young players, but I think Draper has found a little shortcut.

The second punch was the leveller, a justified goal that had an element of fortune about it. Up until a couple of weeks ago, I said we never got anything from corners, and yet recently we’ve caused a bit of threat. A few in the first half had Wednesday flapping, and on 80 minutes it had the back of the net doing the same. It is such a well-worked move too, Montsma is holding off his man, Iorfa, making little burst runs and heading back before the ball is kicked. Maguire delivers a great corner, something of a speciality from the Scot, and there’s Montsma, free of his man to nod home. Berahino and Iorfa both should have done better, as should Peacock-Farrell, who got a hand to it, but saw it roll into the net. City had levelled and I felt we could go on and get a winner.

There wasn’t a lot to shout about after that. I think our lads had poured a lot into the game and, both before the goal and after, I felt we were running short on ideas. The Owls looked happy to defend their point after they’d had their spell, but to do that, you have to be good in defence, and they’re just not. As for us, we had N’Lundulu and Draper on, but the goal seemed to slow us a little. Maybe we felt a point as deserved, maybe we moved to stop the seemingly inevitable late home pressure, but either way, we saw the 14 minutes (inc injury time) out with little fear or threat. I can handle that; this was a great point gained in a game I felt we just shaded.

The obvious Man of the Match was Montsma. He got the headline, but he was excellent all game, both defensively and when constructing. Lots of big shouts though; Sorensen had a very good game, and Ted Bishop looked much more involved from the flank. I’d still love to see him in the middle, possibly at the head of a 4-2-3-1, competing with Maguire for an advanced attacking role. Both have great ability, but the attack falls down when their balls are not spotted by runners. We do create, no matter what you might think, but the final run is often lacking. We know we missed targets, but the appearance of Theo Corbeanu perhaps showed what we missed. He was allegedly a target for us this summer, and whilst he didn’t score for Wednesday, I liked his direct running, and his eagerness to take a player on. We say it every single week, but that’s what is missing here. Even on Tuesday, if we’d got that runner, or runners out wide and cutting in, we’d be at the same level as last year. After all, our defence is much the same, Bridcutt when he is fit completes that, and players like Bishop, Maguire and Scully are good attacking players. Fiorini and Sorensen have had their moments, the former is a threat from range and the latter has a good eye for a pass, but with a player like Corbeanu, or the ‘J’ man from last season, we’d have a more complete attacking package. I know it can be frustrating, but don’t let anyone tell you we have no clue, we’re woeful etc; we’re really not that far away from being top ten, but you ain’t going to see that until January.

Here’s a thing to ponder upon; if we’d drawn with Charlton, beaten Wimbledon and lost yesterday, I think we’d have got what many expected at the start of those fixtures. It does make Tuesday all the more disappointing because even a draw and five points from three games would have been too bad. I think we played better yesterday than in either of the other two matches, which might be because they let us have the ball, but it isn’t because they’re poor, which pessimists suggest is why we beat Charlton. On the whole, four points from three games isn’t outstanding, but it isn’t relegation material either. If you average four from three games throughout the season, you’ll finish on 61 or 62, neither relegation nor promotion form. Dare I say, that’s probably where well be as an average by New Year. After that, it depends on recruitment, but I do get bored of saying that and hearing it.

I left happy, and that kinda concludes the football bit, but I thought I’d throw some bits together about the rest of the day, because there are a few headline stories that do draw attention away from a good performance, and result.

Widget not in any sidebars

BUBS FULL GALLERY WILL COME TOMORROW!!