Cards on the table, I had a fear at half time. How many matches have we turned in a good performance for 45 minutes, and then just dropped off, like Mansfield Town’s promotion hopes? Too many times, and I wondered if maybe our opponent might shrug off their passive approach and cause us some problems. They say 2-0 is a dangerous scoreline, but it’s not as dangerous as 1-0, that’s for sure. What we needed was a quick start, another goal and a reason for those assembled at Sincil Bank to stand up and shrug off the cloak of pessimism that has wrapped around many supporters of late.
In fairness, the cloak of pessimism has definitely been hung up in the cupboard, at least for seven days or so.
The second goal triggered an odd moment around us because, for a split second, nobody realised it had gone in. I’ve praised Jed Ward, but he’ll feel a little disappointed, as maybe Sam Clucas will. His goal from a corner at Mansfield was one of those ‘I was there’ moments that gets talked about for years as it’s so rare, and here we were, three or four weeks later, and Tom Bayliss has done the same. Our delivery from corners was excellent almost all afternoon, and as this one looped over everyone, it may be that the sun caught Ward’s eye.
It also evaded ex-Imps James Wilson on the line, and writing that is the first time I even realised he was playing. My pre-match commitments usually run to standing around drinking fizzy pop and so I get to see the opposition team, but I had a few things on yesterday, and missed he was playing. He certainly didn’t stand out.
2-0 is a dangerous scoreline (do you like the little call back there) and very soon we made it 3-0, which is as dangerous as crossing the road when the green man is showing. It’s Collins starting things in midfield, threading in Makama. Once again, he absolutely terrorizes Sil Swinkles, and Taylor Moore, and is fouled. The ref waves to give it, but it breaks for Collins, and he waves play on. Collins curls a sumptuous effort beyond the despairing reach of Ward, a finish worthy of a Premier League ground. In terms of the finish, it was outstanding, but the officiating? Perfect.
That’s right, even the referee, Paul Howard, was perfect yesterday. I don’t think he put a foot wrong; he controlled things sensibly and calmed down Paudie when he took an elbow to the face. Clearly, the official didn’t spot it, but he handled the situation well afterwards. I’ve looked back, and Paudie did get caught, but it doesn’t look like Butcher’s elbow, more like a facepalm. There won’t be any retrospective action, in my opinion. Also, I’d happily have that ref back every week, he went about his business with no fuss at all. Credit where it is due.
There was a brief moment after when Wickens had to make a save and maybe at 3-1 bums might have started twitching, but that was their first effort on target. The only danger was the game petering out, but this went from being a routine 3-0 win that we’d remember fondly, to a thumping in which one name would take the headlines. Jovon Makama.
Jovon’s journey has not always been easy, but the potential many fans have seen for a while, and the club have seen for years, was evident for everyone yesterday. There were a few who said, ‘That’s what he should be doing,’ which makes me laugh. Just give credit where it is due (Gav Hughes) and admit the boy was unplayable, and if he keeps developing, by the time he’s 23 or 24, he’ll be up and down the wings of the Championship.
He grabbed the fourth after a big crossfield ball. The way he holds off his defender is ridiculous. I think it’s Swinkles, who shrugged off like a toddler trying to climb on his Dad’s back. He’s on his arse, appealing as Jovon wheels away, having again fired in from a tight angle. That put him into double figures for the season, making him our leading League One scorer and the first player this campaign to hit ten goals.
City made changes, two on and two off, then did the same again moments afterwards. Makama stayed on, and I thought he was going to be replaced in a single sub to give him a chance to milk the crowd, as he deserved. Sam Clucas warmed up, stripped off, and waited. City got a corner, and Sam sat back on the hoardings. City got another corner, just as the author of this wonderful afternoon added the delicious final twist.
The short corner saw a deep delivery from Erik Ring, before Ward pushed Paudie’s header back out. Joe Gardner tried to work it but couldn’t, and it fell to Jovon. His finish was that of a player finally oozing confidence, and as it sat in the back of the net, I got my third ‘yes, Jovon’ celebration, only with an expletive or two thrown in for good measure. I’m not sure I’ve enjoyed a player’s hattrick that much since Gareth Ainsworth’s in his final home game against Scarborough in 1998. Genuinely, I couldn’t have picked a better player to take the headlines, and he couldn’t have picked a better moment to be subbed off to rapturous applause across the whole ground.
I watched the lad head off, down the tunnel, and as he did, a host of young kids ran to him. I swear he was there signing autographs for five minutes before he disappeared. This is a big story, an academy graduate grabbing his first hattrick for the club in a thumping win, which (let’s be honest) all but guarantees safety and earns us a sixth-successive season in League One, our best run in the third tier since the leagues split from North and South in the fifties. That’s a football story right there.
I’d be doing the team a disservice if I didn’t praise them all. There was a Sean Roughan tackle in the first half that was pure Paul Morgan, clinical, hard and ended up with him coming away with the ball. Tom Hamer’s long throws were a weapon, but he turned in a solid performance alongside our captain. Tendayi, not mentioned once in my write-up, had to be close to Man of the Match. Literally, every single player on the pitch deserves to be seven or higher on our player rater, and if they’re not, I’m going to be forced to believe Codheads have infiltrated the site.
It won’t always be like this. Next week could be hard-fought, with a 0-0 draw and a lack of shots, but for now, enjoy the wins. We take a lot of displeasure in defeat, so yesterday shouldn’t be that Bristol Rovers were bad, or that Jovon ‘should’ be getting sensational hattricks every week just because you said he was shit in October. Just appreciate it for what it is. We won 5-0, we’re virtually safe, and Jovon showed everyone who has knocked him what he is absolutely capable of.
Remember that when you turn up the Gas on your Sunday roast later.
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