Tom Shaw felt Lincoln City could take plenty from their performance against Swansea City despite seeing a half-time lead overturned in a damaging spell immediately after the break.
The Imps had been the better side for much of the opening 45 minutes, with Reeco Hackett’s penalty giving them a deserved advantage after Freddie Draper was brought down by Josh Tymon. Swansea changed the complexion of the contest almost immediately after half-time, with Moussa Yeo equalising on 47 minutes before Stephen Eustáquio’s deflected effort put the visitors ahead just four minutes later.
City pushed for a response, but could not find a second goal as Swansea left Sincil Bank with all three points. Shaw felt the first-half display showed exactly how competitive the Imps can be against one of the division’s strongest sides.
“We’re delighted with the level of performance, especially first half,” he told written press.
“They’ve gone top of the league, I believe, today, Swansea. That’s the level of opponent, and we made it incredibly uncomfortable for them in the first half. Completely dominated the half.
“Loads of volume around their goal, loads of quality from our lads. We deserved to score at least one, maybe more. We got a little warning just before half-time of what they’re capable of around our goal.”
It was that warning which unfortunately foreshadowed the start of the second period, and those opening few minutes ultimately decided the contest.
“Unfortunately, we’ve had five, six minutes where it was just a little bit too much, a little bit too sharp for us. Second goal is unfortunate, takes a big deflection, can’t do loads about it.
“First goal, when we review and reflect on it, we’ll be annoyed that we’ve not dealt with it better. But the boys in this early part of the season have been incredible.”
Despite the disappointment of defeat, Shaw believes the first eight Championship games have given City plenty of encouragement as well as valuable lessons.
“To have 11 points on the board after eight games, I think everybody would have taken that at the start, and I feel as though we’ve only just got started, to be honest.
“I think we’ve got an amazing bank of learning now. Eight different experiences, every different type of team. Got loads to respect but nothing to fear.”
That final line perhaps best summed up City’s opening block of Championship football. There have already been vastly different challenges across the first eight matches, but City have repeatedly shown they can compete at this level, and Saturday was another example despite the result.
The frustration will come from how quickly a dominant first half was undone, but Shaw’s message was clear: there is plenty to respect in the Championship, without City approaching anyone with fear.
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