The Joy of Six.

Prior to the game City put on as elaborate a commemoration of poppy day as I can remember at Sincil Bank with the last post, readings etc and top brass from the services in attendance. As you might hope and expect these days this was observed with the utmost respect by home and away supporters. There was warm applause for the squaddies as they marched off the pitch to find their seats in the stand after the ceremony showing that, in this corner of the country at least the dedication and professionalism of our armed forces is fully appreciated.

I’ll say right now, as I’m not entirely complementary later, Aldershot were as good a side as I’ve seen at Lincoln this season, apart from City.

I don’t know who was the most stunned at the Imps going behind, the team or fans and it took a good few minutes for them to regain their equilibrium but once they did, courtesy of Nathan Arnold to get back into the game and then got ahead again thanks to Arnold and it looked as if City would disappear off to the horizon. The fact that they did not was the result of, well, what was it the result of? I don’t know but the Imps went right off the boil and it was probably no great surprise when they went level and then behind again.

I’ll say again, Aldershot are a good team but in two games they have potentially had six points against teams first and second in the league and came away with one. I don’t know what happened at FGR but at Lincoln their main tactic went predictably wrong. I’ll give them some advice. If you want to see a game out keep playing. Shots were obviously a bit early for the pantomime season and spent a lot of the time throwing themselves to the ground hoping to delay the game, maybe get a free kick. City fell for it a couple of time and kicked the ball out to stop play.

However when they tried this deep into injury time City did not succumb and I don’t know of any team 2.3 down particularly a team in the promotion race, who would either. It wasn’t as if it was a serious injury or heads it was cramp (maybe), City played on and scored making Matt Rhead even more of a hero than he was and sending the crowd into the sort of raptures normally reserved for the end of a successful season. Aldershot were furious but they’ve only got themselves to blame. Sportsmanship is all very well, so is concern for your fellow professional but this was gamesmanship and they came unstuck. Quite rightly.