Nothing is won and lost right now, and I often say things like ‘nothing is won and lost in November’.
Well, it’s March now, and the next time the Imps step on the pitch, it will be April, the final month of the season. This is where it appears games lead you to promotion and relegation, and yesterday, by brushing aside an average (not poor) Rotherham side by three goals to nil, we took a big step towards second-tier football.
As we eased effortlessly (semantics, I realise it was a hard-fought game) past the relegation-haunted Millers, Bolton were coughing up three points against a Port Vale side in equal trouble. Blackpool, beaten 4-0 here a couple of weeks ago, held Cardiff City, making us the side in the driving seat for a trip to Wolves next season.
John Helm, speaking to Michael Skubala after the game, informed him of the results and asked if he might have a little smile.
“Might have a little smile,” he said. “But I keep saying it, it’s not done till it’s done. Nothing’s done till it’s done. Football can turn quickly.
“The last five games we’ve been on the road, we’ve not given up many chances. I thought there was a handball at Huddersfield that would have made it ten men, and probably we would have scored, and then you have 15 minutes to score. We could have got maximum points.
“We’re just looking after ourselves. We’re just making sure that we get the jobs done. It’s for the fans to enjoy, it’s for the fans to dream, it’s for the fans to think of the future. For us, it’s about being professional.”
After a run of five matches in 15 days, including Cardiff, Stockport and Huddersfield, City will have almost the same amount of time off. 13 days to rest and recover before AFC Wimbledon arrive on Good Friday, a day we could mathematically be promoted to the Championship.
“Now we have a couple of days off, the lads are going to have a breather,” added Michael. “We’ll get back into training and we know we’ve got a bit of a break which is really important for the guys, especially the guys that have played lots of minutes.”
I think, given the position we’re in and what is to come, nobody can begrudge this remarkable group of players and coaching staff a few days to wind down, courtesy of the international break.
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