As the second half came around, I had a feeling of dread. They say a pessimist is never disappointed, but I felt pessimism and potential disappointment. We’d been good in the first half, perhaps 25 minutes as good as any point since we came back in the Football League. However, we’d also had that spell in the middle where we didn’t create anything, nor did Shrewsbury. If we had that for ten or fifteen minutes, they might pinch one and then sit in for the draw. They’d almost certainly have to have an alternative to Dunkley, a talented player who had what must be one of the worst games of his season last night. He must hate Lincoln – he was also sent off here on the final day of last season. Perhaps, had he been sent off in the opening minute of this encounter, we might not have won so convincingly. I say that in jest, but my mate Dave remarked that it felt like he was our best attacker.
The pessimist in me didn’t have long to wait to be banished for another game. We’d started with some real aplomb, three efforts before the second goal, and one of them should have been 2-0. It started with Lasse, full of tricks, dropping on the edge of the area. I called free kick at the time; nobody else did, and looking back, it was. It didn’t matter; the ball got recycled, the outstanding Erhahon threaded a pass through the back four, and Hackett scooped it wide. It was a missed opportunity, but it settled my nerves because it showed we were still hungry.
Just a couple of minutes later, it was game, set, and match. The move started with Erhahon dispossessing sub Jack Hinchy in the middle of the park. His ball found Taylor, who looked to run the ball wide, but a clever backheel saw it drop into the path of Reeco Hackett. He made no mistake a second time, rifling the sort of shot into the net that reminded me a lot of Bruno Andrade against Everton a few years back. It had power and direction, and I’m not convinced two keepers who stood side-by-side would have stopped it. I wonder if it might be the best goal at the Bank this season. It certainly oozed quality, and whilst Hackett and Taylor get the plaudits, let’s not forget the role of Erhahon in the move. He does for Michael Skubala what Liam Bridcutt did for Michael Appleton in 2020/21, and what Alex Woodyard did for Danny Cowley in 16/17. He’s the pass before the assists or the tackle before the pass, but an awful lot starts with him. Mind you, he does need the capable players ahead of him to have his unseen work noticed, and Hackett’s finish certainly shone a light on the rest of a great move.
A word on Hinchy – he had a horrible evening. He came on at half time and went off before the end of the game. He’s a young lad on loan from Brighton, and I wonder how he’s feeling this morning. In fairness, he didn’t play well when he came on, but it isn’t like his teammates covered themselves in glory, either.
The goal just sparked us into even more life. Dunkley was robbed by Ben House a minute later, and he crossed for Reeco, who saw his effort saved. The rebound fell to Taylor, who couldn’t get it out of his feet. A minute after that, House robbed Dunkley (again) and set Taylor up for a shot that the keeper clawed away. Dunkley was actually very lucky in this move – all eyes were on Taylor, but as he turned to shoot, Dunkley gave House a huge two-handed shove in the back. House got up and confronted the hapless defender, but the referee gave nothing.
It was at this point I genuinely felt we might get four or five. Shrewsbury looked utterly lost, and everything we tried came off. Taylor and House moved around each other with grace but bullied defenders with anything but elegance. Hackett and Sorensen were offering width at will whilst those three artists, McGrandles, Erhahon, and Bishop, prowled the spaces with impunity, looking like vultures circling in mid-air, unimposed, whilst their prey scurried around desperately trying to hide. I know the whole game will get plaudits, and rightly so, but from the beginning of the second half to goal number three is the best spell I can recall from the Imps for a long while – certainly, the best we’ve seen live in a stadium since the days of Danny Cowley.
Goal number three had an air of fortune about it. Referee Marc Edwards, who didn’t book a Lincoln player all night, doesn’t usually award many penalties, but after missing the stonewall shove on House, he did blow for what I think was the second stonewall on House. Obviously, it came from a woeful moment for Shrewsbury, this time the experienced Carl Winchester selling his keeper short. House (again) darted into the space, got to the ball before the keeper, and was brought down. There’s not a lot of doubt about it, but if you look again, check out the run from House. His marker, Dunkley, stands watching as House chases through. If I were Paul Hurst, I’d have been throwing teacups, boots, tantrums, and everything else at that little move. I think the for,er Wigan man had given up at that point.
Bishop stepped up to take the penalty, which seemed odd with Reeco having to take Saturdays. Reeco might be on penalty duty now because Bishop’s kick struck the post. Did the keeper touch it? If he did, it’s a good save, and the rebound is fair game. If he didn’t, Bishop isn’t meant to touch the ball again, and it should have been a free kick. Anyway, whether it was good fortune or not doesn’t matter because Dunkley cleared, but without the conviction of the clearance that led to our opener. This time, it dropped at Lasse’s feet, and he lifted a cross into the area and, as it turned out, into the back of the net as well. City led 3-0 with a freak goal that even the likeable Dane admitted he didn’t mean. With 67 minutes on the clock, we led 3-0, and the scoreline flattered the visitors.
From there, the game did ebb away a bit, but there wasn’t any reason for anything else to happen. We got a couple of our key players off the field with one eye on Saturday, and as the subs kept piling up, the game became a bit of a nothing affair. I have no problem with that at all, nothing. I did see a couple of things I really liked, though. Firstly, the stand broke out into a chant of ‘Lasse Sorensen’ whilst the ball was out of play – I liked that. I think Lasse plays better down the flank attacking the Rilmac because he has the support right there, and it showed again in this game. However, that’s not what I liked – I noticed Joe Taylor joining in, clapping!
A word on Taylor. It’s hard to single anyone out for praise, and I couldn’t pick a Man of the Match. For the record, I said McGrandles on the night. I think Erhahon having slept on it, but Hackett was class as well. Anyway, Joe Taylor. He’s a player I’m really beginning to warm to. He’s got this ‘don’t give a flying French Connection’ attitude about him. In fact, I see a lot of Ben House’s qualities in Taylor. Things like the clapping Lasse, little niggles at players, and bits he gets involved in. I’m a big fan, and if Luton stays up, you never know, we might be able to bring him back. Would we do so with House, Draper, and Walker next season? Perhaps, especially if two up top is the long-term aim.
I’m also going to speak about Sean Roughan. On the way back to the car, my mate Dave said that he felt Roughan had given the ball away too much in the first half. I thought Roughan was outstanding last night. In fact, I think he’s been outstanding for weeks now. There’s something different about Roughan – in the stands, I likened him a bit to Roy Keane. I’ve noticed it in his personality, a cold, clinical approach to what he does. I respect that, especially from such a young man. When you think of the talent we have across the back, the fact Roughan is naturally left-footed is a big bonus for us, and he’s been excellent in this little run of ours.
Look, I’m not going to say much more than that. There’s plenty of hyperbole on social media, suddenly a nice place to be post-game, and even if you weren’t at the ground, you were likely watching the game, and that’s probably enough to draw your conclusions. We won more convincingly than any game this season, or indeed any, since we have been back from COVID. You could argue a few matches in the play-off season were on par, but in terms of having big nights under the lights, it’s the most memorable league match for some time.
I’ve got all the way here without mentioning the play-offs. We’re in the conversation now; we have to be. Eight points separate us and Stevenage, something we can reduce to five this weekend. Orient still have to come here as well, giving us a chance to reel them in also. We’re in the mix, perhaps just a couple of games short of a serious challenge, but we’re there. However, I want to leave you with this scenario – 46 games gone, Lincoln City finish sixth, just one (or two) points ahead of Leyton Orient. The same Leyton Orient who were beating us 1-0 at their place, only to lose the rearranged fixture 1-0.
It could happen.
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