Ring Sting: Imps 2-1 Northampton Town

At half-time, we saw Lewis getting a proper warm-up, and Northampton brought on a big gun, quite literally. Tom Eaves is a big unit, and they clearly decided to give their pacey players something to aim for. I think if Eaves had settled, he could have caused us a problem – O’Connor looked a bit leggy at times, and he would have been tasked with marking the former Gillingham and Hull striker. Instead, we got another of those moments that contributed to the odd atmopshere. Six minutes into the half, a cross from the right saw Montsma and Eaves go up, each with an arm in the air. Montsma gets a Tom Eaves arm in the back, but Eaves takes a Dutch one across the nose. He went down in a heap, and we all got a break almost as long as half time.

That happened on 50 minutes, and it was 60 before they got the player off the field. After that, nothing really happened. I cannot recall a chance, a single moment of quality or class from Eaves going down in a heap on 50 minutes to 15 minutes from the ‘end’. In fact, there was a shot – Ben House firing well over after a nice turn from Hamilton, but it barely warrants a mention. Moylan and Makama came on to change things, and around me, people were more interested in the bench than in the action, such was the quality on display.

Then, another moment that changed the game. Roberts chased a ball out of touch on the far side from me, and when he didn’t get the throw, he smashed the ball away with a single punch, even managing to strike the assistant referee. It was singularly one of the most brainless things I’ve seen from an opponent against the Imps – I recall Corey Blackett-Taylor being sent off for Tranmere in 2019 for a second booking, that time for not retreating from a free kick, and I guess that was almost as foolish. In this instance, it meant we had 15 minutes of normal time and (in my eyes) a good 15 minutes of injury time to make the numbers count.

Northampton went to two banks of four and a single striker, looking to repel us, and given how we’d struggled to break them down, I didn’t feel there was a goal coming. Makama did inject a little something into the attack, as did Moylan, and when Erik Ring came on for Hackett, we got a bit of pace on the flank as well. There was a great moment just before the goal. Roughan and Ring had some sort of miscommunication about a pass, and the former gave the sub an earful, unhappy with his movement (I think).

Then, finally, the sting in the tail. Three subs combined (how often have I said something like that this season?) to make the goal. Makama’s cross was easily dealt with, but Draper scrapped in the area and poked the ball back out to his former Academy teammate. Again, Makama delivered, and this time, Ring was in a great position as he fired into the back of the net. The clock showed 88 minutes, but there were (surely) around 15 left.

Having gone from excessive but expected time management, the Cobblers found a new lease of life, and we began to sit back. It meant an edgy period of extra time, perhaps the one thing Brady could be genuinely annoyed about. After all, Eaves was getting treatment for ten minutes, there had been seven second half subs (meant to be 30 seconds each) and a goal (30 seconds again). He perhaps felt 14 or 15 minutes would have been accurate, although Odimayo’s long, slow walk off the field seemed to take a minute alone when they thought a draw was possible.

Still, for the final ten minutes or so, we were the ones retreating. I get whyβ€”we’ve got the goal, and it didn’t really look like conceding all half. Why not try to see the game out with a man extra and take the points? There was no need to push or be rash, although Draper didn’t get the message, trying his own Sorensen-esque lob from the halfway line when he could have retained the ball, giving them a goal kick.

The only chance of note they had was a Guinness-Walker effort that got blocked in the area, but that was really that. The Cobblers had come out all spunk and spit for the first 15 minutes but had run out of steam long before Eaves went off. As for us, I feel we look jaded most Tuesdays – we’ve won one of six Tuesday night games, and that was one of the three we’ve played against League Two opposition. It’s something worth keeping an eye on as we move through the season.

I thought there were a few performances that looked leggy and jaded. Reeco definitely did, although he started well. Dom Jeffries, who looked shattered on Saturday, had a few loose moments, while the midfield three missed Erhahon’s trickery at times. The front men all worked hard with little actual outcome, but all could hold their heads high.

Still, in the end, the sting came from Mr Ring, and we got to see his celebration, which was a great moment. It was relief personified, one of those genuine moments that underline how we keep going. I should mention that about Tuesday nights – it’s the third game on a Tuesday where we’ve got something in the last minute (Blackpool and Grimsby the other two) and that’s a testament to the depth in the squad, and the players waiting to make their mark.

For now, this site will take a short break for a German football trip, but we’ll be back next Tuesday after a long trek back from Chesham. Hopefully, we can put another ‘W’ in the midweek column.

Up the Imps.

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