Lockdown limits the experience but we’ve never had it so good.

 

The FA Cup pitted the Imps against a lower division side but not just any lower division side. Would City demonstrate the gulf between division one and two, or would Mark Cooper get his revenge for all those defeats?

Well we know the answer as the Imps swept aside Forest Green Rovers to take their place in the draw for the next round. Those two goals against were a minor irritation as City looked every bit the dominant force in this first round tie. Rovers tippy tappy approach, as usual against the Imps, failed to produce a win for Coopers supposed defenders of the soul of football and dump them out of the cup at the first time of asking. It was Lincoln who showed, whilst they may be under new management, it was business as usual in this unlikely rivalry but this time City did not resort to biff bang football and they emerged the Style Councillors and FGR the Shakin’ Stevens of the first round.

City were forced to make changes, or would they have done so anyway? As usual Michael Appleton was playing his cards close to his chest but whoever played in this game it all boiled down to one thing. Finishing. It was the Imps who were clinical in front of goal as Rovers wasted their early dominance and found themselves behind as City ran roughshod over a side that looked as if they didn’t know what had hit them. Even Cooper had to admit they had the chances to make their mark but didn’t take them as the Imps showed the ruthlessness in front of goal Rovers would need to emulate if they are to get those stars on the back of their shirts filled in signifying that all that money they spend was justified. Will Cooper get the opportunity to complete the task his chairman had described as easy? You have to say, despite their decent position in league two, time is beginning to run out with his contract expiring at the end of this season and on this evidence FGR look some way off league one standard.

Having said that City, whilst most of us don’t regard the squad as the finished article they very much looked a team on an upward trajectory and a decent draw in the next round could see us looking forward to locking horns with one of the big boys in round three.

In the meantime the novelty of going into the draw for this round of the cup as the highest placed club was something to be savoured for us fans and City certainly negotiated the round justifying their status. We’re probably better suited to the role of underdogs but, just this once it was good to go into the tie as firm favourites and they certainly were good value for that billing.