Reality check for City as they underestimate Kiddy.

Manager Chris Moyses was almost speechless after Saturday’s game at Sincil Bank and professed himself unable to explain why his charges failed to gain any points from the encounter. Moyses was particularly cross that the Imps appear to have believed merely turning up would be sufficient to beat Kidderminster. In the event they were treated to a masterclass in finishing that in any other context would have been quite enjoyable.

More to the point is Moyses own team selection and formation given that the Imps have enjoyed success at home recently. City were without McCombe and Caton for the match due to injury. I found myself peering at unfamiliar names in unfamiliar places, it was like the first game of the season. Why, I asked myself when we had two forced changes did we create further uncertainty by making two other changes, that’s over a third of the team changed about? It that a recipe for continuity? Furthermore the two players left out were (In my humble opinion) the hugely influential Lee Beevers and one of this season surprise packages, the energetic and resourceful Greg Tempest. No wonder City failed to impose themselves on the game particularly in the second half.

Matt Rhead, who has led the line with distinction this season, I’d better say that as I’m about to offer an observation he won’t like but I’m normally a big fan, honest, seems to have believed, so superior has he become that he need barely move about the pitch at all and spent most of the game appealing for free kicks that were never going to be awarded. I’d have hauled him off. I don’t suppose he’d have liked that either.

Despite the managers assertion that City were still in the hunt for the playoffs the crowd appeared to have voted with their feet and there were substantially fewer in attendance. Maybe they saw the team in advance, which is more than I did and decided City have given up. That was certainly the impression I got as the game ended.