Christmas came early at the Bank, and a super Imps performance brought three points from a game that, for many, will live long in the memory.
It had it all, excitement, jeopardy, questions being answered and a strong referee who ensured it remained about the players. The fog added an ethereal feel, the cold swirled around the ground as a proper December tie saw us move into second for Christmas.
Yes, you read that right. Lincoln City are second in League One at Christmas.
That is built on performances like yesterday, spirited and agile, working so hard out of possession that the best teams cannot get going. Cardiff are the best team we have seen this season, bar perhaps Wigan, and in flashes, they made this feel like a cup tie.
Still, we are five wins on the spin at home, and we have only trailed in home matches for 21 minutes of normal time. Let that sink in, we have only been losing for 21 minutes of 990 (excluding injury time). We have been losing for just 2% of the time spent watching League One football at the Bank this season.
Michael Skubala sprang a surprise by swapping to a 4-4-2, Freddie Draper and Rob Street up top with Jack Moylan and Reeco Hackett wide. Once again, a shift in formation caught fans by surprise, and maybe Cardiff too. The first 15 minutes or so belonged to the Imps.
City were on the front foot almost from the off and carried a real sense of intent through the opening quarter. Tom Hamer’s long throws immediately caused Cardiff problems, and one such delivery brought the first opening when Sonny Bradley’s knock-down found Hackett, though the finish lacked the power to trouble Matt Turner. Moments later, neat work from Draper created space for Tendayi Darikwa, whose effort forced another save, before Moylan went close with a low strike that drifted just wide after Adam Reach opted for the simpler pass.
The game then swung the other way, with Cardiff bagging 1.12 xG from a single moment. A recycled set piece caught George Wickens out of position, but Hackett reacted superbly at the back post, getting in front of Yousef Salech and diverting the effort onto the crossbar from point-blank range. Two shots, and it should perhaps have been 1-0.
The game was being perfectly handled by referee Richard Eley, who handed out a couple of bookings, and rightly so. Hamer was booked, McGrandles too, and Cardiff boss Brian Barry-Murphy. The referee contributed in the right way to the game, and deserves acknowledgement after some of the rammel we have had this season.
The Imps finally took the lead five minutes before the interval, and on the balance of play, it was probably deserved. Hackett again was involved, threading a pass towards the run of Moylan, only for Alex Robertson’s attempted interception to wrong-foot his own goalkeeper and roll into the net. It was unfortunate for the defender, but it injected even more atmosphere into the stadium. Cardiff supporters were the best we have seen this year in terms of voice, and that made this feel like a huge encounter.
There was still time before the break for Tom Bayliss to test Turner after a slick counter, the Cardiff keeper reacting well to keep the deficit at one. That moment was perhaps Eley’s finest, as the assistant referee flagged Hamer offside. Hamer, sharp as ever, stopped running and allowed Moylan to take over, who had run from deep. The confusion, as Eley correctly waved play on, saw both Street and Bayliss draw saves from Turner in the Bluebirds goal.
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