Chiedozie Ogbene admitted Lincoln City were disappointed with the manner of their Carabao Cup defeat at Bournemouth, insisting the Imps were not prepared simply to accept the Premier League side’s superiority and “give them their flowers”.
City were beaten 4-0 on the south coast as Ryan Christie scored three goals, with Brazilian Rayan, a player with a £130m release clause, coming on to add a late fourth. Bournemouth took increasing control after opening the scoring in the seventh minute and never looked back.
Lincoln had started positively and enjoyed a brief spell in which they competed well with their hosts, but Christie’s opener changed the momentum of the contest. From there, Bournemouth increasingly dictated possession and territory before putting the tie beyond City after the break.
Ogbene felt the early stages showed Lincoln were capable of competing, although he acknowledged the opening goal had an obvious impact.
“I thought we started really well. In the first few minutes, we went toe-to-toe with a very good team. The goal we conceded slightly deflated us.
“We stayed in it, which is very important, no matter what game it is. In the second half, I just felt like we didn’t get enough pressure on the opposition, and they kind of ran away with it.”
There was certainly no attempt from Ogbene to disguise the quality Bournemouth possessed. They are an established Premier League club with considerable depth, and their superiority became increasingly evident as the game developed.
However, the Republic of Ireland international was equally keen that Lincoln did not use the strength of the opposition as an excuse for their own shortcomings.
“Listen, I’m here and I’ll be honest with you, we are disappointed with the way the result has gone. We wouldn’t come here and just say, ‘Listen, they’re a good team,’ and give them their flowers.
“We’re disappointed. We didn’t cause enough upset in the second half.”
For City, the evening was also an opportunity to expose different members of the squad to the standards demanded against top-flight opposition. Ogbene believes there are lessons to take from that experience, particularly for a group still adapting to life at a higher level following promotion.
“It’s a learning curve. This is what we aspire to be. We aspire to get to that level one day.
“This is a learning curve for a lot of young players and myself, in terms of what’s required to get to that level.”
Lincoln made several changes for the tie, giving minutes to players who have not necessarily been regular Championship starters during the opening weeks of the campaign.
That depth inevitably creates competition for places, but Ogbene believes it is one of the reasons City have started the league season positively rather than something that threatens harmony within the group.
“Everyone’s fighting for their lives, hence why we’re doing really well in the league. Boys came off the bench against Southampton, and you saw how we lifted the place. Everyone’s pushing.
“When the team does well, we all do well. I think that mindset we create at the training ground, and demanding from each other, is going to help us straight away.”
The League Cup run is now over, leaving City able to turn their full attention back towards the Championship. Bournemouth provided a clear indication of the standards Lincoln ultimately aspire to reach, but Ogbene’s assessment was equally clear: there are lessons to absorb from the defeat without simply accepting that the opposition were too good.
Chiedozie Ogbene — where he played this match. Brighter areas are where he spent most time; he is attacking left to right.
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