Anne’s slip as Lincoln raise the game
Lincoln push forward again in their hard-fought encounter with St Anne’s
St Annes.............2 Lincoln............... 3
On a bitterly cold afternoon, any promotion hopes still held by St Anne’s were severely dented by an under-strength side’s capitulation to a fortunate but clinical Lincoln team. Despite taking an early lead, Anne’s could not muster the driving force from midfield required to counterbalance their uncharacteristic defensive lapses, and Lincoln to their credit took full advantage.
The early exchanges were well contested, with bonecrunching challenges flying in from each side, which overshadowed some intricate passing from both teams. Lincoln’s George Hoare distinguished himself with his close control and neat distribution, but frequently found his way blocked by the dual pistons in midfield, the strapping Chris Pease and maverick Rob Boughey. Both tackled and battled throughout the first half as if their very lives depended on reaching that one more loose ball.
The game threatened to lapse into torpor until Anne’s marvellous captain Rich Curran ignited the match with a tirade of barely comprehensible Geordie after he was caught offside for the umpteenth time. His fighting spirit, especially in the face of a bout of influenza that would have floored a concrete elephant from a more southerly region, permeated the Anne’s team.
Down the right flank, from Chris Harris in defence, a bastion of composure in a sea of flailing limbs, to the indefatigable Hiten Patel, Anne’s were creating formidable pressure though comparatively few real chances.
Lincoln’s defensive unit coolly held firm, capably marshalled by captain Dan Bunney and co-ordinated by centre-backs Jack Orr-Ewing and Martin Tilbury, until a speculative punt from goalkeeper Mike Butler eluded the entire midfield and found Mark Richardson in the Lincoln penalty area. With a characteristically swashbuckling finish he opened the scoring.
Parity was rightfully, if fortunately, restored by the impressive Hoare, who created a yard of space for himself outside the box and sent a dipping drive past the despairing Butler. In his own words, he at least “meant to shoot” and the late clip off a combination of shin and boot was probably no less than he and his team deserved at that point.
The central mid- field partnership of Paul Clark and Rich Simmonds were crafting the chances that their opponents could not, while wingers Tom Ploughman and Hoare constantly tested Harris and Seb Fox at full-back. By defending deep in the box at times, central defenders Chris Hollindale and Guy Alexander often allowed anxious moments when Lincoln attacked in numbers. Nevertheless, the aerial dominance of Hollindale and Alexander remained unerringly complete and the half ended in an even 1-1.
It was in the second period that the depleted Anne’s side began to show their weaknesses and in centre-forward Nick Long, Lincoln looked to display the finesse to capitalise on these flaws. His intricate penalty-area play caused unending problems for those kicking the air as he turned this way and that. Despite this, it was Ploughman who finally bundled in the decisive goal.
A well-placed cross from the right was cunningly if unwittingly dummied by Long, and Ploughman tucked away the goal off the far post. Where previously they had risen to the occasion, Anne’s now played as shadows of their former selves. Pease and Boughey could not muster the requisite drive to turn midfield into attack, and a visibly impaired Craig Adams lacked the substance to supplement his silky skills.
Meanwhile, Lincoln continued to press and made the game safe when a corner broke to Clark, who cooly slotted the ball under the goalkeeper. Anne’s reduced the deficit when Richardson’s cross was handled in the box. Despite concerted and frankly optimistic opposition from the Lincoln ranks, Alexander’s penalty never looked in doubt from the moment he placed the ball on the spot and he duly converted.
Lincoln captain Bunney described the match as “a battle”, though was diplomatic enough not to comment further as the two sides face each other again in a week’s time. By then, Anne’s will certainly hope to have regained the head of steam they had built up entering the Christmas vacation and on today’s evidence possess the individual skills and team spirit to do so.
Nonetheless Lincoln have their own aspirations and justifiably so after an enterprising display which can only have opened up the league table and is sure to herald an exciting climax to the season in the weeks to come.
2nd Feb 2006