Irony strikes


By Nathan Jackson
March 6 2005

Lincoln lost to Wycombe 3-2 after an embarrasingly bad performance. City could have been 3 or 4 up after 10 minutes yet instead found themselves 3-0 down at half time and even 2 second half goals couldn't save the blushes for the Imps as that playoff place we occupy is slowly slipping from our grasp

Irony is a funny thing isn't it, City should have been 3 up after 10 minutes but were 3 down after 40 minutes. City dominated the opening periods bursting forward and it looked as though it was going to be a fruitful afternoon for the Imps. Sandwith sent a good through ball to Yeo but Talia saved well from Yeo's fierce shot. Yeo again tried his luck minutes later but Talia again saved well. Butcher then also had a fierce 25 yarder saved by Talia. Green was fouled Tyson and City got a free just around 30 yards out and it went just wide of the upright as City looked to take an early advantage, however, irony is a word that not a lot of Imps like these days.

Just minutes after City could have taken the lead numerous times, Wycombe had their first attack, a long ball from Burnell went over everyone, Bloomer delayed his decision and Tyson nipped in and produced a neat chip over Marriott to make it 1-0 to Wycombe with their first shot of the game.

City fell apart. City had a few corners but none really troubled Wycombe's defence, infact, in a 4 minute spell we had 3 corners and if you look at the "Kevin Sandwith Guide to Corners" on the Orient report then you can pretty much guess what happened on them all.

Wycombe seesed on City's wobble and McAuley fouled Stonebridge in the 24th minute, Senda took a quick free kick and it looked destined to go in but Marriott produced one of his best saved all season to deny the midfielder. However, just minutes latter a ball forward was fumbled by Bloomer who gifted the ball to Tyson who managed to just sneak the ball just in the near post to make it 2-0 to the Chairboys.

Now given that City, before this game had gone behind 11 times at various stages during matches this season and only got a result from one of those situations tells the story of this season. The game was effectively over at half time when Uhlenbeek's cross was tapped in by Tyson at the far post and Wycombe went into the break 3-0 up with Tyson giving the City players the run around. It was at this point that around 500 of the 4200+ crowd walked out, thanks for your support lads, maybe we'll see you if we make the playoffs you glory supporting twats.

Ipoua replaced Bloomer at half time but City knew the game was already over. Yeo fired a shot from 6 yards wide after being set up by Green, Butcher then fired a long range shot wide. However, it wasn't all over yet. Bermingham came on for Green who as soon as he went off, just took his shirt off and marched out of the stadium. He can strop all he wants but as soon as he went off, City started playing better. City got a corner and the "Kevin Sandwith Guide to Free Kicks" got a subcategory. Here is the guide to when Sandwith takes a free kick with the new  updated part

1) It will go straight to the first defender

2) It will go straight out of play

3)a) It will go straight to the keeper who makes a comfortable catch

3)b) It will go straight to the keeper who drops the ball in his own net giving City a goal.

That's right, we scored from a corner (waits for you to get off the floor in shock)

All of a sudden City were back in it and the confidence was back, City started attacking Wycombe and Nethercott was adjudged to have brought down Yeo in the area to give the Imps a penalty. When I say brought him down, Nethercott fell over and Yeo decides to run into him causing Yeo to fall over him. Yeo picked himself up after the "foul" and smashed it past Talia and City were now only a goal behind with 25 minutes left to play.

However, those 25 minutes were slow and City's only realistic effort came in the 90th minute but GTF's corner fell straight to a defender. Time passed by and Wycombe held on to record their 9th away win of the season.

SUMMARY

After having just under 10 hours to mull over what im going to say, i'll come out with it

i like everyone was disappointed and we were incredibly poor throughout, as soon as we scored the 2nd, I knew that was it, you could just tell. the players are moaning that they aren't getting paid enough and want new contracts, well after today only a mere few I would even consider offering a contract to. If they want new contracts, they have to earn them.

Bloomer isn't a Lincoln defender, I can recall him ever going in for a tackle, everytime he just looks down at the ball and hopes to force the attacker out and is often beaten, I'm not trying to slag him off as I like him but I think it'll be a brave man who puts a bet on him still being here next season.

I was impressed with Beevers' first start, he seemed to be really up for it and even more justification not to play Bloomer when we have our full strength defence back. Beever's looked calm on the ball and often produced decent balls but luck just wasn't on our side.

The referee was having a laugh, how many balls came off their players, went out of play and they got the throw or goal kick despite it obviously coming off their players last.

Overall it was a poor performance and City typically only started playing when the game was beyond them and the stat I brought up a few weeks ago still remains and although I hate to say it, I can't see us finishing in the top 7 now if we keep playing like that. However, we usually have a blip around this period (an identical one in 2002/3, drew with wrexham, lost at exeter and bury) and last season when we only won 2 of 7 games around this time so you never know, our future is still in our own hands with us still being in the playoffs but I must say I prefered it 2 weeks ago when we were 6 points clear of 8th.
 
PLAYER RATINGS
 
Marriott : 7 - Could have possibly done better with the 2nd and 3rd but otherwise produced several vital saves.
Bloomer : 3 - Sorry Matt but no no no.
McAuley : 6 - Looked fairly comfortable when called on but was nothing spectacular.
Beevers : 8 - As I say above, I thought Beevers played well and looks to be a good signing from Boston.
Sandwith : 4 - Several cock ups, crap set pieces, he only gets 4 because he scored (with a fluke).
McCombe : 7 - Getting better every game, distribution could do with a bit of improving but make several vital tackles to avoid an embarrasing scoreline.
Gain : 6 - Captain for the day in Morgan's absence, nothing spectacular, just your typical Gain performance.
Butcher : 7 - Finally starting to show shades of his former self but could still do with a bit of improving.
Green : 2 - Never seen why we need him in the squad, still don't see why we need him in the squad, his reaction to being substitued was also very inappropriate.
GTF : 5 - Never got a clear sight of goal but his overall contribution to the team these days isn't what it used to be.
Yeo : 6 - If it wasn't for the "penalty" we would have none he was there other than one or two good crosses.
Ipoua : 6 - Effort is unquestionable but skill is seriously lacking
Bermingham : 4 - I'm sorry, were you there?
Blackwood : 4 - Made one or two good balls and clearances but the lack of match practice was there for all to see.
 
MAN OF THE MATCH
 
Wycombe's Nathan Tyson, good finisher, very sharp, made the Imps defence look like puppets and it's easy to see why he's widely saught after.

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