Freddie Draper has been voted the Stacey West readers’ Lincoln City Man of the Match following our 2-1 defeat against Swansea City.
The striker finished with an average rating of 7.58, taking top spot ahead of Andrei Coubis on 7.36 and Deji Elerewe on 7.22. Reeco Hackett came fourth with 6.73, while Ryley Towler completed the top five on 6.70.
For Freddie, the award came from an afternoon in which his work in individual battles offered more to highlight than his opportunities in front of goal.
Freddie Draper v Swansea City in numbers
Freddie won 11 of his 26 duels across 95 minutes, a success rate of 42%, above his season average of 34.2%. His strongest return came in offensive duels, where he won five of eight, lifting his success rate to 63% against an average of 38.8%.
There was a similarly positive comparison in the air, with Freddie winning three of his six aerial contests. That 50% success rate was comfortably above his usual 30.7%, while three wins from seven defensive duels gave him a 43% return against a season average of 33.3%.
Those figures show a striker enjoying more success in his challenges than he has generally managed this season. He also drew three fouls, giving us opportunities to restart with possession, and completed one of his two attempted dribbles.
Freddie Draper — where he played this match. Brighter areas are where he spent most time; he is attacking left to right.
He made six recoveries, two in Swansea’s half, alongside two interceptions. Even allowing for his 95 minutes on the pitch, that recovery total was above his season rate: it works out at approximately 5.68 per 90 minutes, compared with his average of 3.22.
On the ball, both of his long passes found a teammate, while he completed eight of 13 passes overall. His own shooting contribution was limited to one off-target effort worth 0.07 xG, with one touch in the penalty area and no goal or assist, so there is little reason to dress this up as an afternoon dominated by chances for Freddie.
Instead, the clearest positives in his numbers were his improved success in duels and his contribution to recovering possession. Those aspects of his performance help explain the readers’ verdict, with Freddie leading the ratings despite a frustrating result for the Imps.
Readers’ top five
| Position | Player | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Freddie Draper | 7.58 |
| 2 | Andrei Coubis | 7.36 |
| 3 | Deji Elerewe | 7.22 |
| 4 | Reeco Hackett | 6.73 |
| 5 | Ryley Towler | 6.70 |
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