December was a month that saw a postponement, cup agony and progress, and an awful referee.
In total, City played six matches this month; we scored six goals, conceded ten, and picked up two league points from a possible 12. We also progressed in the Papa John’s Trophy, courtesy of the 4-2 win against Everton, but were eliminated from the Carabao Cup by Premier League Southampton.
Here are the best of the performers and performances, as voted for by you on our player rater widget. I’ll also include some stats that went down well last month.
Full Month Results
Sa 03Dec 2022
Shrewsbury 2 – 0 Lincoln
LEAGUE ONE Sa 10Dec 2022
Lincoln 0 – 0 Wycombe
FOOTBALL LEAGUE TROPHY Tu 13Dec 2022
Lincoln 4 – 2 Everton U21
EFL CUP Tu 20Dec 2022
Southampton 2 – 1 Lincoln
LEAGUE ONE Mo 26Dec 2022
Burton 3 – 0 Lincoln
LEAGUE ONE Fr 30Dec 2022
Lincoln 1 – 1 Bolton
Player of the Month – Matty Virtue (6.85)
I almost feel like screaming out after this one. The Burton outing did a lot for the players’ average ratings, and without that game, Matty Virtue would have been on 7.40 – a strong finish indeed.
He’s been the midfield general we’ve needed for so long, consistent and reliable, but also fit and always picked. It’s a crying shame to see him injured, in action, against Ipswich, and that alone could be as big a blow as any red card or suspension that a player faces this year.
Curiously, Virtue didn’t earn himself a Man of the Match in your ratings, but when other players experienced peaks and troughs, he remained stable and consistent. He’ll be missed as he recovers from his hamstring tear.
Previous Winners
August – Carl Rushworth (7.26)
September -Jack Diamond (7.83)
October – Regan Poole (7.51)
November – Ben House 7.73
Individual Performance of the Month – Max Sanders (Southampton A) 8.90
This picture wasn’t taken at St Mary’s; Bubs wasn’t able to be there, but Max Sanders was, and he was outstanding. In fact, it’s a shock he was so poor a week later against Burton, but we’re not here to blast him (or the other ten players) for that.
Sanders was a workhorse; alongside Virtue, our midfield sought to control much of the early stages against the Saints. Later on, we had to work out of possession and Max was again outstanding, covering every blade of grass. It’s his time now – he’s got to step up after Virtue’s injury and show he can be consistent and effective every week.
If he even reaches 80% of the levels he reached in Southampton, he’ll be a real handful for anyone.
Previous Winners
August – Jordan Wright (Barrow A) 8.7
September – Jack Diamond (Bristol Rovers A) 9.00
October – Adam Jackson (Ipswich A) 9.40
November – Max Sanders (Plymouth Argyle H) 9.2
Team Performance of the Month – Southampton (A) (8.21)
It’s still difficult to write about this game, a match where the Imps were denied a stonewall penalty for handball, and the opener for the hosts should have been ruled out for offside.
It’s the sort of result that stays with you beyond the 90 minutes, beyond the month and even beyond the season. We were magnificent, and for periods it wasn’t easy to tell which club were in the Prempier League. We defended resolutely, but our resolve was broken late on. it could easily have been worse had their forwards not been woeful as we chased a leveller and left gaps at the end.
Previous Winners
August – Oxford United (A) (7.29)
September -Derby County (H) (7.54)
October – Ipswich Town (A) – (8.10)
November -Plymouth Argyle (H) (8.26)
Wyscout Stats Leaders
A player must have played at least 200 minutes for the Imps to qualify for the stats. Otherwise, someone coming on for ten minutes and getting a shot away would be right at the top of the ‘per 90’ stats!
Remember – Wyscout do not include the FA Cup First Round, for some reason, so Chippenham is not included in these numbers.
Most Touches In The Box Per 90 – Tom Hopper (2.77)
August – Jordon Garrick (4.72)
September -Jack Diamond (2.68)
October – Ben House (2.04)
November -Jack Diamond (4.16)
Most Shots Per 90 – Charles Vernam (2.38)
August – Jordon Garrick (2.18)
September – Ben House (2.23)
October – Danny Mandroiu (1.56)
November -Jack Diamond (2.78)
Dribbles Per 90 – Jack Diamond (6.98)
August – Jordon Garrick (5.44)
September – Jack Diamond (8.94)
October – Jack Diamond (5.78)
November -Jack Diamond (6.48)
Goals & Assists Combined – Jack Diamond (3)
August -Ted Bishop (7)
September – Jack Diamond (5)
October – Danny Mandroiu (3)
November -Ben House / Max Sanders (2)
Overall Pass Accuracy % – Max Sanders (88.36)
August – Tashan Oakley-Boothe (89.14%)
September -Tashan Oakley-Boothe (88.18%)
October – Lasse Sorensen (83.5%)
November -Lasse Sorensen (85.29%)
Crosses Per 90 – Jack Diamond (2.76)
August -Jamie Robson (1.16)
September -Sean Roughan (3.31)
October – Jack Diamond 1.67
November -Jack Diamond 4.16
Successful Defensive Action Per 90 – Sean Roughan (12.02)
August -Jamie Robson (13.62)
September -TJ Eyoma (13.23)
October – Adam Jackson (11.04)
November -TJ Eyoma (13.03)
Aerial Duels Per 90 – Tom Hopper (20.42)
August -Tom Hopper (7.18)
September – Ben House (8.26)
October – Ben House (7.47)
November – Regan Poole (10.74)
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