The road to promotion. It’s not easy.

I have to admit, I feel amused and irritated in equal measure when I follow the Imps on twitter when they’re on the road. I do listen to the live commentary too but like to check what everyone is saying, well sometimes I do.

One story that had me spluttering into my tea was the one about the supposed eight page letter sent in to Danny Cowley pointing out where he is going wrong. Can that be true? If it is I can point to any number of instances of things going wrong, disastrously wrong over a lifetime of supporting the Imps. I’d imagine you could too unless of course you’ve only just started to follow the red and white army in which case disaster could be, say for example failing by the odd goal at Crewe.

Anyway, City put the record straight yesterday at Cambridge with a win coming from behind, they’re always the most satisfying, and you’ve got to say it’s all there for the taking.

If you ask most City fans what their hope is for the season I dare say the answer would be not victory at Everton, although it’s a possibility, or even winning the championship. I’d say what most of us had on our Santa’s letter was promotion itself. The title would be nice but playing in league one next season would be the most highly valued prize. Personally, I’m greedy and of course the championship means promotion and I think that is important for the managers to have that on their CV’s and the players deserve it as do most of us, the fans, Not you Mr (or Mrs or Miss) letter writer. You’d better get back to championship manager or whatever the latest version is, it has about as much relevance to running a proper football club as Subbuteo which was the equivalent when I were a lad.

In the same vein, what I do when looking at the league two table is to note the points total the Imps have and compare it to the team in fourth place, the top three going up and fourth and below going in to the playoffs. No thank you very much. The playoffs are fine provided you get promoted and we know all about that. Even so, all the clubs involved end up a month behind everyone else so if it’s all the same top three will do very nicely.

Having said that I’m not getting any younger and silverware does look lovely in the boardroom even if it does need polishing now and again.

Don’t panic!

You won’t need me to tell you this, discerning and educated bunch that you are, but there was once a king, Charles I, King of England and he believed he had a divine right, because he’d been born to be a king, to do anything he wanted so he behaved accordingly content in the knowledge that it was his right to do so. He eventually found out that, whilst he believed that his subjects didn’t so he lost his head. Literally, not like some Lincoln City supporters who do so figuratively after a poor performance such as yesterday when it would seem the expression didn’t turn up might be appropriate.

A few years ago the lot of a Lincoln City fan was the occasional high spot in a sea of gloom. A couple of thousand of us regularly attended matches hoping for something or someone to turn up. They rarely did, with noble exceptions, Graham Taylor, Colin Murphy, Keith Alexander, John Beck but it was a mainly hum drum life.

As we all know, particularly at this special time, a saviour was born and eventually a miracle happened and Lincoln City found themselves with not one but two Messiah’s, Danny and Nicky Cowley and they transformed our little club, previously existing on water, into a winning outfit. For the first time in ages, we drank wine and we liked it. We wanted wine all the time but as poor old Charles found out that is neither possible or desirable. Football is a game where the excitement is produced in the winning and losing of games, the highs and lows. It’s just that, at the moment the highs are higher and the lows are just a reminder that we’re all only human including the Cowleys and the players. They’ve no more right to win football matches than anyone else, ask those expensively assembled outfits Manchester City and Chelsea.

So well done to those enthusiasts who were at Crewe yesterday, I wasn’t but you found out that it’s not all sunshine and flowers. However the beauty of football is that there’s always another day. Actually that’s not the case for absolutely everyone. For some, their club is taken from them and they lose that from their lives forever so let’s, at this time of candlelight and wonder, just ponder what has happened to our club over the last few years, the journey we’re on, the days at Ipswich, Burnley and Wembley.

There, things aren’t too bad are they?

Merry Christmas.

Danny Cowley said Christmas dinner is always more enjoyable if you’ve had a win on the Saturday. Well after this feast that turkey is certainly going to taste good. Opposition managers are fond of saying they know what to expect at Sincil Bank. If they mean a large noisy partisan crowd with a singing section that choruses to the end and beyond and a team all over you like a rash then you’d be about right.

If on the other hand you’re expecting biff bang football with every ball launched towards a thirty stone target man you’ve got the wrong season and the wrong target man. City, for me, produced some of the best passing from an Imps team I’ve seen since that brief flowering of wonderful stuff from John Schofields side all those years ago. John Akinde, now starting to produce the sort of game we’d hoped for from him and Shay McCartan gazelle like darting about with the ball glued to his boots.

Yet, of course, it didn’t last, how could it? Newport County are a decent side, you could see that but when they had the ball presented to them by some wayward play from City to quote an old cliché, they must have thought Christmas had come early. It was the sort of game I’d have enjoyed far more if I’d have known the result in advance, City raced into the lead with some marvellous play and looked every inch the title contenders only to end up hanging on to a three two lead. Of course, the Imps have something in their armoury that Newport didn’t. They’ve been here before, time and time again. Roared on by a crowd that know what’s required and more than at any other time the fans reflect their teams resolve and simply would not permit City to fail. The noise was tremendous. Its one thing being eleven verses eleven but it’s never that at Sincil Bank, talk about you’ll never walk alone.

City now seem to have their momentum back following a bit of an iffy spell. Akinde is starting to go through the gears, Neal Eardley, whilst perhaps not quite reaching the heights of last season is nevertheless getting somewhere near. Harry Anderson gets better every week and Bruno Andrade, whilst a little quiet yesterday is proving the find of the year. Bozzie, Harry Toffolo, Shackell, Freck, I can’t name check all the team but it’s all starting to gel, at least in parts. Oh and Matt Rhead, dear old Matt. He comes on to fulfil the Greeny role. He can’t of course but he’s still producing the sort of cameos that must surely mean he’s one of the first names on the team sheet, even if it is quite a way down the page.

Finally, Danny Cowley. You naughty boy. Any more of that and Santa’s going to give you a miss. Off to your room with no tea. We still love you though.

Weather 0. Players 1

It quickly became obvious at Sincil Bank yesterday that those of us in the Selenity Stand were in the right place. At kick off there seemed to be sleet falling or rather been blown down and the Lincolnshire flag was at right angles to the post. City kicked off with the wind behind them although the corner flags at the far side seemed to indicate the wind coming from four directions at once.

Considering all this the fact that the players produced a highly watchable game is testament to them all. True, City were very much in the ascendancy in the first half and it really was no surprise when Harry Andersons industry was rewarded with a goal and a well taken one at that. The lead was doubled with a trademark John Akinde penalty. For all the doubts about what we’ve got in him those penalties are works of art as was Jason Shackells dead ball strike to race City into an unassailable lead. Or was it?

Akinde gave us a potted history of his Imps career so far as he skilfully carved an opening single handedly for himself only to fluff the goal attempt and even us Akinde converts were wondering if the form of the last few seasons would continue to evade him but once again his contribution could not be questioned.

It was quite obvious that the second half might well tell another story. The weather was atrocious now. Not that we were fully aware of it from our sheltered spot but the crowd diminution later on told the tale of the torrid conditions being endured in the big stand and only fully revealed as we ventured homewards.

Morecambe settled into the second half with the considerable wind behind them. For their part City could not reproduce their buccaneering first half showing and although it was a surprise when Morecambe got a goal back no one was in a mood to castigate Smith for his slip up. Inevitably it was Kevin Ellison who got it. As old as time and just as much a torment as ever at least he spared us the extravagant celebration of yesteryear. It has to be admitted for all his years he was Morecambe’s best player by a mile. Quite why he felt he had to rub our noses in it previously is a mystery. He was something of a hero as an Imp. Perhaps it’s his combative nature but it was hard not to enjoy his performance.

For all the soaking on the way back to the car it was a thoroughly entertaining afternoon especially as MK Dons game had been abandoned meaning City returned to the top of the table. Whether the Imps stay there is not too concerning although I think increasingly they look deserving of another championship.

What’s of more interest is the nice little gap starting to show between City and some of the other contenders. City are, we believe a team for all seasons, that was very much in evidence yesterday.

The importance of being resilient.

Just before five yesterday, watching Soccer Saturday and following the match on twitter (sorry radio Lincolnshire but sometimes I just want to get the facts of the game, not a commentary), inevitably all the results were in except for City’s and I got a text from my match companion Stewart, something along the lines of, good result today. As we were still playing I didn’t want to tempt providence but I needn’t have worried, City had ground out another win on the road.

There’s been a lot of negativity lately but we seem to have got into a familiar scenario again, the Imps doing what they do, adding to the points tally quietly and without drawing too much attention to themselves but as we approach the busy Christmas period City are surely where the managers would like us to be. I’m not too disappointed to be second in the table, City have it within their capabilities to get the win in due course against Yeovil to regain top spot but for the moment are looking comfortable where they are, despite a few wobbles among some element of the support.

It would be nice if a gap started to appear between third and fourth in the table but for the moment that isn’t happening. It often does though eventually. I was reading in the Echo that the Imps are expected to prosper from the inevitable deterioration in some clubs pitches as they are a squad for all seasons. Unusually, City’s pitch is expected to hold up well as the club have the resources to spend on it so home games will be business as usual hopefully and it was remarked on Hope and Glory I think it was that there are very few postponements at Sincil Bank and it would be an advantage if that remained the case.

It’s certainly the case that pitches will not be what they were at some venues due to the weather though and the ability to keep going whatever, presuming City do what they usually do and not all clubs are able to do that irrespective, Forest Green Rovers spring to mind there as a team that do not like it when the going gets tough. Much though we didn’t want to I think most of us were impressed with FGR in terms of their passing and ball retention (didn’t get them any points though) but you could imagine that won’t come so easily when the surface cuts up.

Thankfully the John Akinde debate has subsided somewhat and he scored, from a penalty again yesterday. There has been much debate about many of his goals coming from the spot to which I would say, well we get them, which is a definite plus, and Akinde puts them away, with aplomb. I’d go as far as to say I’ve not seen a better penalty taker in a City shirt and much as I cheered Sam Ellis’ blasters in their day I never used to have the confidence in him that I do in Akinde. Freck is good. Matt Rhead is an excellent penalty taker in his own mind but not on the pitch but in John we have a spot kick taker as good as any in my view and that includes the so called superstars at home and on the continent. Long may that continue. I don’t care how he gets them as long as he gets them.

City out of one cup and immediately eying another.

Well it makes a change from criticising our own players, the Imps brushed aside Carlisle and we all had an enjoyable evening in front of the TV to see who we got in the third round. It wasn’t Manchester City or Chelsea but pretty much the next best thing, Everton. We now know it’s a Saturday too and eagerly await Everton’s decision as to how many tickets we are allocated. However many it is, we’ll sell them.

Before that, Saturdays game came as a welcome distraction from the petty sniping that had gone on the preceding week and with it a bit of a love in actually as Matts Green and Rhead took to the field from the start and both performed well and were generously received by the decent crowd of 6500. So were John Akinde and Shay McCartan when they replaced them, not that it should be a surprise but after the silly week we had you do start to wonder where some peoples loyalties lie. Maybe the keyboard snipers were not supporters at all, either way it was another very good effort from the home support and they were rewarded with, for me, a very entertaining spectacle.

Everton, like those opponents the year before last seem to conduct themselves admirably, according City equal status with themselves which does them great credit. They can’t be expected to know what sort of support City command on the road but seem happy to accept our word as reliable. It makes a nice change from some of the nonsense we get from our rivals at our level who seem to think they have to build themselves up to counteract what they assume to be their fate at the Imps hand with their holier than thou “they have their way of playing, we have ours" bleatings. Well, all I can say is most of them end up sat on their backsides and they can claim the moral ground as much as they like, it doesn’t do most of them much good.

One things for sure though, City are going to have to replicate the endeavour they showed against Carlisle United and go up a gear again if they are to prevail. They’re capable of it and there can be no slipping up now that Christmas is round the corner if they are to succeed with their aim of League One football next season.

The support, once again is there with Imps followers snapping up all the tickets for Stevenage but there never was much doubt that that would happen and it remains to be seen if the Imps can send them home happy.

Happy now?

Lincoln City comfortably disposed of Carlisle United this afternoon at Sincil Bank. Danny Cowley chose to start Matt Rhead and Matt Green. I don’t know what the motivation was but it worked as the Imps swept into the lead in the first minute but failed to capitalise on that lightning fast start.

The Imps showed why that team selection was right and also why, here I risk ruffling a few feathers, why it is hopelessly inadequate for the top end of league two. Don’t get me wrong, I love Matt Rhead. No, really love him. Need my car for your holidays? Just make sure the insurance is sorted. Want my house for a party Matt? Leave the key under the mat. I’ll always be a fan.

Yet, as the game went on as an instrument, City got blunter and blunter. I’ve already used the expression one dimensional but that’s how it felt. When John Akinde and Shay McCartan came on City suddenly came alive. Akinde scored, the crowd showed they were still behind him and when Matt Green went over to congratulate him there wasn’t a dry eye in the house.

So another pay day another exciting evening in front of the telly checking out who we’ll get in the third round, talk about unaccustomed as I am it’s so thrilling. We were told before that the Lincoln City directors particularly wanted a manager who had a good record of progression in the cup. Well we got one.

So we move on. Rhead got a heroes reception, as well he might, Akinde was welcomed on the pitch as one of our own, as well he might. Vickers got man of the match, quite right in my view. Harry Anderson was his enigmatic self, Neal Eardley was back at his best as was Freck. Oh and Bozzy has had a trim.

How do you feel tonight? I feel absolutely brilliant.