City almost win and nearly lose. That’s the point.

 

The main talking point from Lincoln City’s unaccustomed Sunday evening bout with Accrington Stanley was a rare Alex Palmer howler letting in Stanley to take the lead. Or was it the team changes which some of us thought upset the applecart. Or the missing Liam Bridcutt, or Radio Lincolnshire’s amateur hour disaster of a commentary?

I did begin to wonder if it was the week we let the kids take over the club as time and time again we lost commentary and watched the pictures on ifollow to the accompaniment of jingles, local radio staples and Michael Hortin at one point shouting a despairing No! Fans temporarily lost the football plot and began suggesting what might be the next unwanted interjection. Things can only get better was the best one in my view.

Things needed to improve on the pitch too if City were to get anything from this game, which was starting to look unlikely as Stanley got into the groove impressively playing an uncharacteristic more direct style which left the Imps struggling to get in any type of rhythm themselves.

Poor Cohen Bramall was having a debut he definitely wont look back on with pleasure and I was beginning to wonder if Michael Appleton might revert to the usual full back pairing at half time although presumably Appleton has plans for Bramall and Poole going forward and to get hauled off at half time would surely have a devastating effect on both players. As it happens Bramall got a bit longer and Poole came off towards the end. Hopefully no harm done.

As we all know, City not only equalised but got themselves into an unlikely, dare I say even unwarranted lead, although I’d have taken the win. As it happened Accrington scored a late equaliser that few could deny them.

All the talk on twitter after the game was on the changes with the accepted wisdom that there were too many and if they were made with the Wednesday Trophy game in mind, should have been made for the game against Sunderland, the possibility of a Wembley final again surely not as important as promotion to the championship.

I’d imagine that’s the way the manager thinks too although he has in mind other considerations. It’s not as late as we perhaps think in the season and City are going to have to use their squad to the full. Better to experiment against Stanley who perhaps weren’t going to offer as stern an examination as Sunderland? How wrong can you be is what I think, with the benefit of hindsight.

It’s important too, as we say to ourselves, been there, done that, to realise whilst we have had the joy of seeing our team win at Wembley a certain Mr M Appleton has not. He will maybe think to himself I can give the fans what they want and myself what I want. Let’s hope City don’t fall between two stools but, after all he’s done for us, we can’t begrudge Michael Appleton a go surely?