By Nathan Jackson
October 7 2005

Cheltenham came with a game plan and it worked perfectly as they went away from Sincil Bank with a 1-0 victory. The visitors were extremely defensive but City's lack of a natural goalscorer proved their downfall as Cheltenham scored from their only decent oppurunity during the entire game.

The game started as it meant to go on, City got a free kick but it was quickly cancelled out via offside. The stop start nature of the game meant that the next opportunity came on the 3^rd minute but Damien Spencer’s effort was hit well wide. 6 minutes passed until the next opportunity when Ollie Ryan, who was making his first start for the Imps, produced fine work down the left resulting in a corner. Keates put the ball in but Beevers apparently fouled a Cheltenham defender.

 

Cheltenham were playing with their usual 4-5-1 which they appear to have mastered and it became very awkward for City to get in a decent opportunity. Asamoah broke down the right before getting another corner, Keates swung it in but it was easily claimed by Higgs.

 

Then came the moment which sums up the referee’s performance. City played a ball into the box and a Cheltenham defender, had obviously been watching the Mike Bassett show during the week and caught the ball like a goalkeeper would and held it for at least a second but the referee tapped his shoulder like it had hit his upper arm. What a load of bollocks, if that wasn’t handball than I don’t know what is. Beevers and Birch both proceeded to waste good opportunities as they both headed wide inside the 6 yard area.

 

City ended the half on top but Ollie Ryan wasted a good chance to score his first goal for the Imps’ when he shot from range but it flew right into a defender who wasn’t even looking. Cheltenham did have the final opportunity of the first half but Connelly’s effort was easily saved by Raynor.

 

The second half started with City getting a corner within 7 seconds. But surprise surprise, Lincoln City, apparently the masters of set pieces, wasted yet another corner (how many times have I said that since I started this website?)

 

Ryan almost put himself on the score sheet when he broke into the area and was left one on one with Higgs, but his close range shot hit Higgs’ legs. You could tell that Cheltenham were just sitting back waiting for a chance to pounce, their play was incredibly negative as they hardly made any runs forward and god knows how many fouls they committed (which of course the referee didn’t notice).

 

City, “Masters of Set Pieces” then proceeded to waste 2 more corners. Ryan again had a brilliant opportunity to score his first goal when he took control of an edge of the area scramble; however, his chip over the falling Higgs went wide by quite some way.

 

How many times in the last year or so, has Keith made a substitution and within a few minutes, we’ve conceded. It happened in the playoff final, it happened against Bury last weekend and it happened tonight when Jeff Hughes came on the pitch and within 2 minutes, fouled Odejay near the touchline giving away a free kick and receiving a booking. McCann swung the free kick in and Odejay headed the ball at blistering pace past Raynor to make it 1-0 to the visitors with their first real chance of the game (sound familiar?).

 

However, the game returned to normal as City went straight back on the attack and unsurprisingly Derek Asamoah wasted a chance to equalise when he took to much time when trying to control the ball, allowing Higgs to come and easily claim the ball. Cheltenham again put 11 behind the ball and saw the game out well to leave City were more defeats than wins so far this season.