On a bright and chilly afternoon at Sincil Bank, I felt a baton has finally been passed.
Let’s be honest, at kick-off, I’d have taken a point. In the Golden Eagle beforehand, we chatted to some Bolton fans who felt the same. I said, “Let’s just call it and go out in town” and chuckled, but I’d have taken it all day long.
When the final whistle blew on a frantic game at the Bank, I felt heartbroken. For so long, it looked like we were taking all six points (sorry, three points) and opening a nine-point gap between the Trotters and us. Dalby’s header had me feeling something, but in the way I imagine people who cut themselves want to feel something. It’s odd, last year at this time, I was taking solace in feeling nothing, not relegation or promotion, just watching football. Now, every kick or miskick matters, and it almost feels masochistic to go and watch Lincoln. It matters so much, it’s a physical pain in my chest at times, and who puts themselves through that on purpose?
I wouldn’t swap it, of course, I wouldn’t. From the inside looking out, I’m still worried about our promotion push. I’m still looking at seventh and worrying they might catch us. I shouldn’t because yesterday afternoon, we got a full demonstration of Michael Skubala’s Lincoln City plan. Two-and-a-half years in the making, we took the baton from our opponents earlier in the season, and yesterday, you saw us running with it.
On Boxing Day 2023, I admired Ian Evatt’s Bolton. A little bit special, a little bit nasty. I praised the quality in their squad as well, and commented the following:
“The big question is whether, in three years’ time, a writer covering another club will be penning an article about us, saying how Michael Skubala has had time to develop and grow a legacy at Sincil Bank, just as I have about Evatt.”
The answer is partly right, I am the one writing the comment and the timeline is sooner. Many have praised us, and Skubala, for the way we have grown, and rightly so. Earlier this season, we went to Bolton and looked like we were on the right path. We scored, defended well, and deserved the point we got, but not the three we were seconds from getting.
Fast forward a few months, and it’s the same game structure, only instead of retreating at times, we battered Bolton and should have won 3-0 on the balance of chances. We didn’t, because they’re still a good side with good players, but now we are the masters and, amazingly, even their manager admits they were having to match us, not the other way around.
That, my red and white clad friends, is progress. But we know that, don’t we? The Imps have surprised everyone this season, even the likes of me with my rose-tinted prescription spectacles and veins that pump out red and white in equal measure. Even I felt optimistic when I said 11th this season, and now we’re second on merit. Outrageous.
I still have that ‘little ‘ol Lincoln’ syndrome. Maybe I get caught up in budget tables and big names, but I look at the Bolton squad and think “they’re surely going to be better than us”. Even while watching these teams, I’m worried. The same went for Huddersfield a couple of weeks ago, I felt this inferiority complex, like we shouldn’t be toe-to-toe with these teams.
We started really well, as we have done so often. Moylan had Jack Bonham beat on two minutes, but rattled the crossbar, and while back in September, when we scored early, we retreated, this was just a sign of things to come. Moylan, looking increasingly like a talismanic player for us, was on it again after five minutes when a long throw dropped in the area.
The game swung after that, and for maybe 20 minutes, Bolton were good. Better? I’m not sure, they had plenty of the ball, but I wasn’t ever really worried they’d score. That’s a bit of a lie, I’m always worried they’ll score even if the winger has the ball and a bit of space 40 yards from goal, but in terms of clear-cut stuff, I didn’t feel unsettled. We held firm, we looked organised and players like Ivan Varfolomeev were able to thrive.
The game did get a bit scrappy in terms of decisions from the referee. I’ve watched a few back, and maybe the referee made a bit of a rod for his own back. A yellow for Ivan, his first tackle, looks harsh on second glance. He and Erhahon have gone for the ball and while our former midfielder does get there first, they’re both high, and both looking for the ball. Not long after, the same two players come together again, a bit of a nothing challenge, but again a yellow comes out, this time I assume for perceived retaliation. Both players were on their first tackle, and it set the stage.
Actually, Sam Dalby’s challenge on Sonny Bradley before half-time was naughty, and I might have been asking for a red if I were a City player. Ivan was lucky, he kicked Dempsey after being booked and could have been sent off. Curiously, Sheehan, Dempsey and McAtee all got booked for their one and only challenge, but Osei-Tutu got away with four, without a card. His first one, over the top on Draper, is a red card all day long.
I’m not saying the ref was bad, but I think he made it hard for himself with the double yellow for Erhahon and Varfolomeev, and then showed a degree of inconsistency. He wasn’t the worst we’ve had and at the time, I thought he did okay, but having heard Steven Schumacher’s complaints I wanted to watch a few moments back, and it could have been 10 v 10 at half-time, by the standards he set early.
What it does show is we were up for the bullying. Evatt’s Bolton used to bully us, but this Lincoln City side don’t stand for it. Watching our tackles back, every one, there wasn’t anything you’d go “that’s a red”, and most were for just being strong, using the body, rather than kicking out. I did chuckle when Schumacher said Erhahon’s yellow affected the goal, because he can’t make a tackle in the build-up. Imagine paying £750,000 for a player and suggesting he can’t make a clean tackle. He does try to make a tackle, but it’s not a yellow that stops it from being a success; it’s Adam Reach just being better.
We turned the screw again before half-time, with Bonham making good saves. One was from a Street header that he clawed away, another from Moylan after Erhahon lost the ball to Draper, then lunged at Moylan and missed (no fear of another yellow, Steven?). 2-0 at half-time would have buried the game, but again, we were the team in the ascendancy, we were asking the most questions and we looked like the team in second. Let that sink in.
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