Point Taken: Charlton Athletic 2-2 Imps

April 5, 2025 Gary Lincoln City, Matches, Reports 1

Charlton were surely due a rollicking at half time, and if they didn’t get one, they certainly got a boot up the arse a few minutes after the restart.

Just two minutes into the second period, Collins bagged his brace. There was a lovely bit of work from Ben House, who nodded the ball down intelligently, and Collins — with the poise of a striker who’s really found his rhythm — chopped inside and slotted coolly into the corner. 2-0, and all looked rosy.

There was never a doubt as he strode through that he’d score, and briefly, I felt this elation in my bones. Not because it was 2-0 and I thought we’d win, but because we have a striker who you feel will score his chances. Jovon, who has been excellent of late, has seven league goals to his name, and in ten starts, James Collins has matched that. He has that je ne sais quoi that all proper finishers have, putting him (in my mind) into the same bracket as the likes of Liam Hearn. You may laugh at that, but Hearn was one of the most natural finishers I’ve ever seen in a Lincoln shirt. You knew when he got a chance, he’d score it, and we have that in James Collins. It bodes well.

Nathan Jones reacted again, throwing on Alex Mitchell and Kaheim Dixon as Charlton looked to swing the momentum back in their favour. We had other ideas, and that’s when I started to see the dark arts. It’s been a criticism of Lincoln sides going back to Michael Appleton that we can be naive at times, but I felt we managed things superbly. Players went down, we took time over goal kicks and did all those things you and I scream about at Sincil Bank. We got the home crowd angry and frustrated, and it was lovely to be on the right side of it.

There was still life in the home side. Wickens pulled off a (one of many) superb save, tipping wide from a curling Aneke effort that was heading top corner. Charlton weren’t done, and that lit a fuse that eventually became a firework. Sadly, their opener came from a messy bit of defending after a low corner wasn’t cleared. Aneke’s mis-hit found its way to Gillesphey, who showed good feet to steady himself before finishing tidily past Wickens.

That fired the ground up. They sensed blood and for a few minutes, we felt on the ropes. It felt like a boxing match and we were leaning on the ropes as they threw punches. I’ve seen Lincoln sides collapse under that strain, but after a few punches, we ducked and dived and came away from those ropes. It wasn’t that we were attacking them, but we got a degree of control back. I admit, that came from slowing the game down and breaking up play, but needs must, and it’s happened so much to us, I felt no guilt at us doing it back.

Once we’d ridden those five minutes of punches, I felt the Imps looked mostly in control. That was until the 75th minute. Another long throw from Edwards — Lincoln fans know that pain well — wasn’t properly dealt with, and Docherty pounced. His volley, off that sweet left foot, fizzed through a sea of bodies and crept inside the near post. 2-2. Edwards’ foot was well on the pitch as well, but as those who listen to the podcast know, that is allowed.

I don’t think there’s a lot of blame for the second goal. We’ve been accused of gifting goals in recent weeks, and the first wasn’t too clever, but the second I’m not sure was that bad. Wickens couldn’t do a thing, and it looks to me like there’s a slight deflection as the ball heads towards goal. Either way, we went from 2-0 up to 2-2, and if we’re being honest, that was a fair reflection of the game.

Still, Charlton almost stole it late on. They’ll still have an outside hope of a Wrexham collapse, and they pushed hard for that winner. Godden, who hadn’t been too involved, nearly had his moment, a cheeky flick drifting just wide before Wickens produced a truly top-class save to deny his header from Coventry’s delivery. The former Lincoln man’s cross was headed downwards and from nowhere, Wickens appeared to palm it away. there’s no doubt when I look back at the match ratings in a few days time, Wickens has to be up there for Man of the Match, because he’s made two saves which were as good as two goals.

We put bodies on the line late on. We wanted to save the point, and in doing so, we took Dom Jeffries off. He was not happy (and that is an understatement), and he refused to catch the kit thrown to him by Terry Bourne. He had a few choice words as he went down the tunnel, clearly angry at being hauled off after coming on. I have a split opinion on this. I want to see players who care, and I want them to be passionate, but at the same time, I want them to respect the manager. Dom has been solid since Christmas, but sometimes you have to take one for the team, and it’s not the first time he’s been visibly upset at coming off.

In terms of match action, there was still time for Aneke to blaze one wide after good control in the box, and Gillesphey saw a low free-kick gobbled up by Wickens in stoppage time. However, somehow, the referee only added on five minutes (surely, without rose-tinted glasses on, it should have been eight), and then he blew up a good 10 seconds before the five had elapsed.

In truth, it was a game of two halves. The Imps looked sharp, hungry, and clinical in the first 50 minutes, but Charlton’s changes made the difference. A point apiece probably feels frustrating after being two up, but it’s an entriely fair reflection on the game.

It is important to remember this Charlton side has won every single home league match since January 4th and were the league’s in-form side. Yes, we had a two-goal lead, and yes, we ended up drawing, but it’s still a fine result. It’s easier to swallow because it doesn’t mean anything to use. I know I keep saying it, but we’re just the henchmen, the faceless, nameless opposition standing between multiple teams and a top six finish. Today, we stood between Charlton and a top two finish, and I think we might just have snuffed that out for them.

I’ll take that victory, and on to next week where we really do need to flex and give home supporters a nice little show.

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