Tom Shaw was happy with the workout Lincoln City got this evening in the friendly against Leyton Orient, despite losing 2-0 in Spain.
In front of a healthy travelling contingent, the result was not the main consideration after a demanding week of preparation. The fixture was designed to test the players while they were carrying fatigue, with the heat and quality of the opposition adding to the workload.
Shaw felt those factors combined to make it a valuable afternoon.
“The level of opposition, the heat, the conditions and the fact it came at the end of a long week all made it exactly what we needed,” he told BBC Radio Lincolnshire.
“We had a decision to make, probably on about 65 minutes, where we could have stayed in this nice, comfortable position where we didn’t have the ball, but we had control in their half.
‘We deliberately said to the lads, just go and get after the football and go and probably take a few more risks without the ball than we ever would.“The pitch looked a bit big, but that’s what we wanted. We wanted a proper physical return out of this and to take the lads to a bit of a dark place physically, which they got.”
❤️🇪🇸 A huge thank you to everyone who joined us at Pinatar Arena this afternoon! pic.twitter.com/FCXdHHJMid
— Lincoln City FC 🇺🇦 (@LincolnCity_FC) July 17, 2026
Pressing Leyton Orient more aggressively and accepting that doing so could leave additional space for the League One side to exploit led to a more open and physically competitive game.
“There are bits you just can’t recreate,” added Tom. “When the lads are doing their physical programmes in June, you can’t replicate those moments where it really burns and you’ve got to make contact with people.”
Orient’s ability in possession ensured City were given a stern tactical examination as well. Tom admitted there will be aspects of the performance to review, although he considered the contest an ideal way to finish the camp.
Several players who have recently returned from spells on the sidelines were also able to gain important minutes. Tom was pleased with how the squad handled the week and highlighted the way new arrival Callum Elder had settled into the group.
City are now due to play two behind-closed-doors fixtures, with many of the squad expected to build towards approximately 60 minutes of action across the games.
Please excuse the basic nature of our report, but we weren’t in Spain, and sadly, we were unable to watch, so we haven’t covered it in the deepest detail. You can listen to the full BBC podcast here.