Steven Schumacher has urged his Bolton Wanderers side to keep believing in their process after another setback in the automatic promotion race handed the initiative firmly to City.
Bolton’s draw at home to Blackpool has left their hopes of finishing in the top two hanging by a thread, and while Schumacher insists he is not obsessing over the table, the reality is that Lincoln’s consistency has created a clear gap. Three successive draws have stalled Wanderers at a point in the season when momentum is everything.
City ground out a 2-0 win at Mansfield Town at the same time, extending the gap between the two sides to ten points and a game in hand. That comes away at Exeter City, and Bolton could fall further back tomorrow, as Stockport County play their game in hand against Burton Albion.
A win for the Hatters would see them move onto 59 points, nine behind City, and relegate Bolton to fourth. Down in fifth are Bradford, but they’re just three points behind Bolton with two games in hand. Still, Schumacher struck a defiant tone when speaking after the 2-2 stalemate, arguing that performances remain strong even if the results are not matching expectations.
“We just need to keep believing in what we’re doing. The lads are playing well and you get your rewards for it in the end if you put the work in, and they are.
“We are asking them to cross the ball, we’ve got one of the best strikers in the division who heads it in, the wingers are a threat, we are getting people further forward and creating chances, we’re creating good moments and eventually it’ll fall for us.
“I’m not really watching the table. I was surprised with Cardiff’s result but Argyle are a team who are in brilliant form. They dropped points and Lincoln have just been really consistent.
“We all can’t watch the table, really. I think we’ve just got to focus on us, keep trying to win as often as we can, try not to drop as many points as possible and keep going, keep believing in what we’re doing.”
What it means for the Imps
From a Lincoln perspective, that last line is telling. Consistency is not an accident. It is the product of structure, balance and clarity. While Bolton talk about patience and belief, City are quietly turning performances into points.
The Bolton Blackpool game followed a pattern Schumacher anticipated. Blackpool, managed by former Bolton boss Ian Evatt, ceded possession and played direct, a tactic Schumacher said he expected after studying their FA Cup approach against Ipswich Town. Bolton controlled much of the ball and led before a chaotic spell flipped the narrative.
There is a subtle difference between having the ball, playing well and winning well. At this stage of the season, that difference is decisive. Bolton may feel unfortunate, but draws do not close gaps.
For the Imps, the message is simple. Keep doing what we are doing. Others are watching the table and talking about belief. We are setting the pace.
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