
The second period had a bit of needle in it, not least because of the Jeffries confrontation. Ethan Erhahon will always add a little bit of spice; it’s like he’s the jar of ‘hot curry powder’ you drop into a curry if it doesn’t quite land as spicy – you know you’re going to add something with a kick when he drops into the side. Freddie Draper got in it with Derek Adams as well, and while Fred might be a big lad, I’m not sure I’d get in it with Adams, having followed his career from his Plymouth days.
One thing that didn’t get in properly at all was the ball, and at one end, you could thank Jamie Pardington for that. I thought it really telling at the end of the game that he mentioned how his style is all about helping his defence, coming for crosses and commanding his area. I felt he did it really well, and it did just make me wonder if his answer was a bit of a retort to Wickens, who had a tough afternoon on Saturday without actually conceding. Maybe I read too much into that, but my spidey senses definitely perked up when hearing the post-match interview. Interestingly, I didn’t hear all the post-match interviews, because the Imps+ feed cuts off before they’re done, and I had my dog laying on me, meaning I couldn’t get up and change to the audio pass I had to buy for Crawley. First world problems.

The second half produced a few note-worthy moments. Reeco Hackett could have tied the game up before the end with a decent chance, but a Morecambe block moved the ball onto the post. It wasn’t clear cut, and it wasn’t on target – our only shot on target came from the goal.
Morecambe’s only shot on target resulted in the ball hitting the back of the net, but Hallam Hope’s effort was eventually ruled out as offside. That was an odd moment because I went the full game without really being worried about losing. Then, when they equalised, the Lincoln City fan kicked in, and I felt a surge of anger. Not at our team – we’d cruised through the game without having to really jeopardise players, but it felt unjust as if their efforts didn’t warrant a goal. With our xG at 0.7 and theirs at 0.46 for the game, neither side really deserved a goal. Still, we got one, and thanks to a flag that was later than Axl Rose for a mid-nineties Guns ‘N Roses concert, they didn’t.

The big news, for me, was the return of Tyler Walker. There have been times over the last 15 months or so that I wondered if we’d ever see Tyler kick a ball for the Imps again. Coming back on the last day and then picking up a new injury in pre-season has been a huge blow for the striker, who was absolutely a marquee signing in the summer of 2023. Now, he’s the striker we expect very little of, as if by the time he’s up to match fitness, it will be too late, but I think there’s more to be written in his Lincoln City script. He came on to less fanfare than Lewis Montsma did against Arsenal in pre-season, and yet I thought he looked sharp and alive. He didn’t score, but he did have a shot blocked, and one thing you know you’ll get with Tyler is shots, on or off target.
Tom Bayliss also returned, a player some remarked afterwards that they’d forgotten about. I hadn’t forgotten about Tom – he was creative in August and September, good with set-piece deliveries and racking up some assists. He’ll be a little rusty, but he’s a good alternative to Jack Moylan in that advanced midfield role, and I suspect they’ll have a battle for a starting place over the coming weeks. Seeing players come back is huge for us, not least when they’re both players involved at the top end of the pitch.

We were able to see the game out with relative ease; Morecambe clearly resigned to their fate as soon as Hope’s goal was ruled out. There was no sting in the tail, no late surge, no real worries. It wasn’t a great game, truth be told – we did enough to advance and take that prize pot, which I know was £20,000 per game last season. Considering we get £30,000 for having to play at midday against Birmingham in the FA Cup Third Round, I think it’s a decent haul for what was a routine win over the side second from bottom in the Football League.
The next round, I believe, will be after that Birmingham game, and that means it can be put to the back of our minds. Bolton, Wrexham, Chesterfield, Bradford and Port Vale are just some of the teams we might face in the next round, but whoever it is, it will be the same as last night. I’ll enjoy the game, watch eagerly, but at the back of my mind, I’ll be thinking there’s the safety net on not losing league points.

One thing I will say, to those panicking a bit about the league, is this. If you’d said to me by the time we hit mid-December, we’d be ninth in League One, still in the FA Cup and still in the Vertu Trophy, I’d have snapped your hand off. There’s money to be earned, points to be won, and maybe, just maybe, Tyler Walker’s returning is a factor that can help us towards those goals.
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