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.