Lincoln City back on top. Let’s have a good moan.

In a pulsating encounter against a team who, to quote a great man, will be there or thereabouts come the end of the season, City went toe to toe and came agonisingly close to a famous victory. Both sets of supporters had their moment in the sun. Both, I would suggest, should have gone home happy.

For me, this game had everything and not all of it on the pitch. The 617 squadron had meticulously prepared a spectacular display just before the kick off. I know this because the lady I sit next to had helped out with the preparations. Sadly it didn’t come off but they made up for that disappointment by completely drowning out the racket I’m sure the Mansfield fans had hoped to make at Sincil Bank yesterday. Until their last minute equaliser that is. Stags manager, not for the first time, made a fool of himself with a pathetic whimper about Lincoln City, I don’t know whether this was directed at players management or fans or all three but he described us as “smug”. He’d wiped the smile off our faces as indeed he did.

In order to do that you have to firstly have that smile. We certainly did when City looked like grasping the winner. Well do you know what Mr Flitcroft? I was still smiling at the end. Sorry about that. I was smiling because your expensively assembled team couldn’t do what was predicted pre match. It was said in some quarters that City needn’t bother turning up as they were no good and were going to be demolished. Well that didn’t happen.

For some reason City’s performance produced as many brickbats as plaudits. I can’t for the life of me see why. Many were saying they couldn’t see the Imps being top at the end of the season. Why ever not? Some were saying Rhead and Green should start. Really? Matt Rhead has been and is a marvellous servant to the club. His value is as an impact sub these days. Impact subs come on at the end not the beginning.

Matt Green I have every sympathy for. He does a good job whenever he is called upon. I have a horrible feeling he’ll be gone at Christmas, mores the pity. We saw from the Stags fans what they thought of him. I’ll feel the same if he goes.

All in all it was an excellent display in my book. If we’d had Freck there’d have been every chance we’d have won but we didn’t and neither did MK Dons so City rise back to top like the cream in the gold top we used to get on our cereals when we were kids. That’s how I see this City side, win lose or draw they never let me down and usually they rise to the top. If they’re still there at the end of the season you can quote me on that.