New look team. Same old result.

 

When John Marquis stuck a boot out to put City in the lead yesterday, we all said, there you are, that’s the missing piece of the jigsaw. Unspectacular, being in the right place at the right time, just like last week when the player arrived in the right area, stepped forward and slotted home. Just what we’ve been needing.

Unfortunately, the goal didn’t mask that other underlying problem. When a good reliable solid unspectacular centre half head was needed to clear the ball it instead was scrambled into the net, yes those old defensive failings are still there and, once again we went home disappointed after yet another home reverse.

I suppose the one thing you could say is that Burton Albion are a decent outfit, far more so than Cambridge a couple of weeks ago. Uncompromising, direct when they needed to be, well drilled and energetic. If it hadn’t been for the fact they were playing City I could have quite enjoyed their performance.

The home fans were certainly up for it, with a big crowd in and in good voice City fluffed their lines. Certain players, I wont name them, failed to back up the promise they had showed previously. It wasn’t a bad showing but perhaps Josh Griffiths’ heroics in goal deflected the fact that City were up against it dealing, as I said with a more than capable opponent coached by the biggest managerial name in the division and that showed. It’s ironic, one of the smallest clubs in the league, their biggest star was in the dugout and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, I felt, had all the answers or rather City didn’t have the answer to the Brewers threat.

Not for the first time the Imps home form proves to be their Achilles heel and I really can’t see why. I don’t go to many away games any more but I have in the past, many times and it’s not the crowd. I’m sure we’re no worse than most and better than many supporters but that same old home hoodoo rears it’s ugly head. For years it’s been better following City on their travels than at home.

Yesterday I suppose you could point to the double defensive change that sunk the Imps. The manager was quick to point out the change was forced upon him by circumstances but the upshot was, straight after the change the game was lost and City will have to go to MK Dons to put matters right. I’m encouraged by the fact that I was at that game a few years ago when an imperious City swept aside the home team to more or less seal their promotion from League Two.

Of course, that marvellous performance was quickly followed by Carlisle away which we also attended where the Imps were, let’s say less than magnificent. Oh, and we had a little shunt in the car afterwards. Happy days. Up the Imps!