By theimps.tk
April 8 2006

Lincoln City equaled a club record by drawing their 18th game of the season with a 1-1 draw at home to Mansfield Town. Despite taking the lead early in the 2nd half, the Imps yet again sat back and Mansfield equalised in the 89th minute and our unrealistic playoff chances are slowly disappearing.

The visitors kicked off the game and quickly won the first corner and after a bit of a mix up, the ball was shot goalwards by Marvin Robinson who could only see he shot cleared as far as Steve Robinson who swung the ball back in. It avoided everyone and went to Marvin at the back post but the striker’s outstretched leg couldn’t quit get to the ball and it went out for a goal kick.

 

It was a very quiet start to the game and it took until the 15^th minute until the next incident came along and even that was barely noteworthy. Jamie Forrester fed the ball through to Hughes but the defender decided to try his luck from 35 yards and the ball sailed well wide of the target. Mansfield finally managed their first attack when Danny Reet broke down the right but Cryan headed his cross to safety. Shock! A Steve Robinson pass doesn’t find it’s target and goes out of play, my own lack of surprise amazes me, but not Robinson apparently.

 

10 minutes later and Jeff Hughes won a free kick. Steve Robinson took it but Nat Brown couldn’t beat Baptiste to a header but the young defender could only head it out for a corner. Shock! Scott Kerr hits the corner straight at a defender. Buxton was booked for fouling Kerr not long afterwards.

 

With just 5 minutes to go, Mansfield launched another attack as Uhlenbeek sprinted down the right and beat 2 Imps’ players but firing a shot goalwards, however, Marriott had an easy task of catching the shot. City won another corner but Steve Robinson was going to take this, oh wait, he’s shit at taking set pieces as well and yet another set piece hits the first defender. The half ended with a sigh of relief from the crowd who had been far from thrilled.

 

Veteran Kevin Pressman showed his instinct as he chased down a through-ball that was meant for Jamie Forrester. Pressman must have been imaging running towards a pie because his weight has defiantly skied since his Premiership days. Mansfield almost scored off his clearance but Rundle could only send his long range shot thundering against the advertising hoardings. Marriott almost gifted the visitors an opener soon afterwards as he failed to control a relatively poor shot and he parried it straight to Reet. The talented youngster however could only shoot the ball well over the bar from less than 6 yards out in front of an open goal.

 

Colin Cryan sent a cross deep into the box that went over everyone and landed at the feet of Francis Green. The striker shot hard and the ball was smothered by Pressman, however, the wobbling of his stomach caused the ball to be shot goalwards in it was 1-0 to the Imps. Then came the usual crap from the idiots in the away end as a large group of “fans” decided to try and run at the Imps’ supporters and also then attempted to throw an on-fire gas canister into the home end but a steward managed to grab it and put it out on the pitch, however, the idiots continued to try and caused trouble.

 

Richie Barker sent a 25 yard free kick well over the cross bar and this was followed by Marvin Robinson being replaced my Birch. Not long after that came the moment when everyone knew Mansfield would eventually equalise as Jude Stirling was brought on instead of Steve Robinson. With 5 minutes to go, Mansfield won a corner, Stags substitute Dawson sent in the ball but Hjelde’s header went well over the bar. Then off course, it came. Mansfield won a free kick in the 89^th minute. Allan Russell stepped up in front of a 5 man wall for the Imps, a wall which had a further 5 man wall behind that, what the hell was that about? Anyway, Russell simply curled the ball around the wall and the slow moving free kick was allowed to sneak in by a less than bothered Alan Marriott who made yet another poor attempt to get to the ball.

 

City should have retaken the lead in the 3^rd minute of injury time when Forrester ran free of the defender and sent a chip over Pressman but the former Premiership keeper showed that class that saw him have many successful years at Sheffield Wednesday when he brilliantly tipped the chip over the bar and the game ended.