Eyebrows will have been raised up and down the country as Lincoln City went top of League One yesterday, extending the unbeaten league run to 18 matches.
Second half goals from Rob Street (again, olé olé) and Dom Jefferies sealed the win in front of more than 27,000 supporters, 3,000 of which were Lincoln fans.
It felt like a huge step in our quest for promotion, and while the ball is ours to drop, we go to Exeter City on Tuesday with our game in hand ready to be played.
It was a resilient effort from City, who finally came under some pressure after almost a month of simply swatting teams aside. This was a graft, every single player from starter to sub having to put in a monumental shift to get over the line.
Michael Skubala recognised this in his post-match interview, starting by acknowledging the work rate of the Parma Violet farmer who keep harvesting wins against promotion challengers.
“You have to look at a group of men that are willing to go to the well and work hard,” he told Michael Hortin, pitchside at the Cardiff City Stadium.
“If I was a fan sitting up there, I’d be so proud of this team and how they go about it. This is a really tough place to come.
“We knew they would dominate the ball, their movement is good and they are a very good team. I thought our game plan and the way the lads executed it was brilliant and it got us the three points.”
City did come under some pressure, George Wickens pulling off two saves in the period before half-time. One, a huge dive to his left from Ollie Tanner, was particularly eye-catching, but he also parried a Ruben Colwill effort away from goal.
He was restricted to a couple of saves by the never-say-die attitude of our defence, excellent once again, despite a reshuffle seeing Ryley Towler come in at left back, with Adam Reach pushed further forward.
“We’re solid,” Michael added in reference to the whole side. “We’ve been solid all season. The lads back themselves when we score first, that’s the reality.
“We work so hard on it. It’s not a mistake. It’s how we work in training, how the coaches work with the lads individually. Everybody wants to learn. You only have to see Alvin Lloyd come onto the pitch and want to run and be part of the squad and the team. I thought he was brilliant when he came on.
“We defend as 11 and attack as 11, that’s our mantra. All in all, it was a great performance from everybody, and we got the three points.”
The fans might look at this as more than three points, it’s a statement of intent, a marker in the sand where we’re saying with less than a quarter of the season left, we’re here and we’re fighting for a spot in the Championship, we’re fighting for our first promotion to the second tier since 1952.
For Michael, going top means nothing right now.
“I’m not bothered about that,” he said, giving the likes of me a superb headline. “I’m bothered about Exeter now. I’m bothered about recovering the lads and getting ready for Exeter. We go again.”
After the interview, Michael looked super relaxed, shaking hands as he switched between Michael Hortin and John Helm. “Did you enjoy that one?” he asked as he went past, in reference to my telling him I don’t enjoy the games while they’re being played before Plymouth away.
“I can only say thank you,” was my reply, because what else do you say to a man who fronts the best Lincoln City side in a generation?
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