Match Thread: Exeter City v Lincoln City | Page 23 | Vital Football

Match Thread: Exeter City v Lincoln City

Completely agree.

Personally (and I’ll probably get shot down in flames for saying this), but I thought DC got his team selection and tactics wrong over the two games.

Clearly, injuries made that process significantly more difficult, but for me, not having Eardley at right back in both games, and not having Bostwick in midfield yesterday were errors.

Eardley has the most assists this season and is by a mile our best crosser from the right hand side. Putting him on the left doesn’t change much defensively - he’s still solid and dependable (as we saw at the start of the season) - but we lose our most creative source on his natural side. With people like Rhead and Palmer on the pitch, crosses are a massive part of our game, and although Wilson and Anderson (and Eardley on the left) did their best (Wilson’s cross for Rhead in the first leg was maybe the only really good ball we put in over the two games), we were sadly lacking in that department. It may be pushing it to make this comparison but you’d never consider lining up David Beckham on left midfield. I honestly think the same rule should have applied to Eardley in this tie - by hook or by crook, he HAD to be found a place at right back.

So how do you do this with no Habergham available? Well he could have played Wharton there from the first leg... and maybe even Williams could have drafted in... he certainly has the legs and the battling qualities for full back.

Tough one given all the permutations with availability but you do wonder if DC/NC might look back on this and think this was one factor in us losing the tie.

Yeah I thought we missed Bozzy in midfield. Might have been a result of our small squad rather than tactics/selection but we’re certainly not the same side without our first choice full backs in position.
 
I also thought Danny got the team wrong last night. As soon as I saw the line up I thought we would struggle in midfield.

I'd have gone with Allsop, Eardley - Waterfall - Wilson - Williams (if Wharton was not fit), Woodyard - Bostwick - Pett, Palmer - Green- Rhead.

Pett deserved a start after some good sub appearances. Anderson and Whitehouse just haven't done anything for me the last few weeks.

All hindsight of course, but we were well second best last night in every department. The upside is that Danny will now know we are at least 4 players short of being a top 3 side.
 
I am sure if Exeter fans goading I would like to see them try that again if they ever meet a team with tasty fans - I bet they wouldn’t repeat it!
I’ve been to their matches at Mansfield and they move on much quicker in the old mining towns.
The lack of control of the ref on the match can often spillover into the fans which will have exaggerated the problems.
Is there any way to allow fans on the pitch to celebrate but not endanger anyone? Possibly permit them on 5 minutes after the match to allow our fans to be thanked and players cleared (some fans went for Rheady who was held back from making them regret that decision reportedly).
 
Completely agree.

Personally (and I’ll probably get shot down in flames for saying this), but I thought DC got his team selection and tactics wrong over the two games.

Clearly, injuries made that process significantly more difficult, but for me, not having Eardley at right back in both games, and not having Bostwick in midfield yesterday were errors.

Eardley has the most assists this season and is by a mile our best crosser from the right hand side. Putting him on the left doesn’t change much defensively - he’s still solid and dependable (as we saw at the start of the season) - but we lose our most creative source on his natural side. With people like Rhead and Palmer on the pitch, crosses are a massive part of our game, and although Wilson and Anderson (and Eardley on the left) did their best (Wilson’s cross for Rhead in the first leg was maybe the only really good ball we put in over the two games), we were sadly lacking in that department. It may be pushing it to make this comparison but you’d never consider lining up David Beckham on left midfield. I honestly think the same rule should have applied to Eardley in this tie - by hook or by crook, he HAD to be found a place at right back.

So how do you do this with no Habergham available? Well he could have played Wharton there from the first leg... and maybe even Williams could have drafted in... he certainly has the legs and the battling qualities for full back.

Tough one given all the permutations with availability but you do wonder if DC/NC might look back on this and think this was one factor in us losing the tie.
I think we had at least 2 players who started who were injured, Eardley & Frecklington, plus 2 injured players on the bench, Long & Wharton. All probably comes down to DC not recruiting a squad of 25.
 
Read on twitter one of their stewards was having a fun time hitting Imps fans...
The stewarding waa inadequate and inexperienced. But let's be clear, the problems in the away end were WHOLLY caused by the 15 or so morons who were intent on provoking trouble. They refused to go to the seating area for at least half of the 1st half (is it really so difficult to work out one letter and one number on yr tkt???)
As the stewards were repeatedly asking them to clear the area they should not have been stood in, they were taking close up photos of the stewards and their badges. A very provocative thing to do and must have been quite scary for the stewards themselves.
The scenes got much worse during half time with full on fighting breaking out. Now maybe some stewards acted then in ways they should not do but only because our idiots had created a mayhem situation.

For me, i had most of the match ruined as i was in the front row of the seats and could see very little of what was going on on the pitch. I really hope our club can do something about this small number of people who seem to have little interest in watching the game but instead aiming for deliberate confrontation.

Now, onto the Exeter fans.
Theyre behaviour at the end was totally disgusting. The charging down to our end to goad us was nasty enough (and credit here to ALL our fans for not reacting), the assaults on our players and staff though was appalling and to attack poor Dick Tacey is the lowest of the low.
I would not just have the culprits punished, i would punish Exeter City themselves. They made NO attempt at all to prevent any pitch invasion (and in fact ludicrously had ALL the stewards lined up to stop a nom existent pitch invasion from us. Exeter also made no attempt to protect our players and staff (as they are obliged to do)
As such i would expel them from the play offs as any financial penalty would have minimal effect on them.
And therefore let Cov & Notts contest the final promotion place.
Until Football takes a serious stand, scenes such as these will just keep happening.
An 78 year old volunteer violently assaulted. Dreadful dreadful dreadful.
 
Got back from Exeter at 18:00 tonight. Big thanks to Devon Imp and his wife for putting me and Hackney Ian up for the night. The excellent fried breakfast helped us come to terms with last nights game. Not the result we wanted but maybe another season in Div 2 will end in automatic promotion. Utmi.
 
I think we had at least 2 players who started who were injured, Eardley & Frecklington, plus 2 injured players on the bench, Long & Wharton. All probably comes down to DC not recruiting a squad of 25.
Bozzy has been struggling for weeks too
Totally agree the squad wasn't big enough to cope with the number of injuries we picked up late in the season.
 
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I also thought Danny got the team wrong last night. As soon as I saw the line up I thought we would struggle in midfield.

I'd have gone with Allsop, Eardley - Waterfall - Wilson - Williams (if Wharton was not fit), Woodyard - Bostwick - Pett, Palmer - Green- Rhead.

Pett deserved a start after some good sub appearances. Anderson and Whitehouse just haven't done anything for me the last few weeks.

All hindsight of course, but we were well second best last night in every department. The upside is that Danny will now know we are at least 4 players short of being a top 3 side.


But your not DC.
 
The stewarding waa inadequate and inexperienced. But let's be clear, the problems in the away end were WHOLLY caused by the 15 or so morons who were intent on provoking trouble. They refused to go to the seating area for at least half of the 1st half (is it really so difficult to work out one letter and one number on yr tkt???)
As the stewards were repeatedly asking them to clear the area they should not have been stood in, they were taking close up photos of the stewards and their badges. A very provocative thing to do and must have been quite scary for the stewards themselves.
The scenes got much worse during half time with full on fighting breaking out. Now maybe some stewards acted then in ways they should not do but only because our idiots had created a mayhem situation.

For me, i had most of the match ruined as i was in the front row of the seats and could see very little of what was going on on the pitch. I really hope our club can do something about this small number of people who seem to have little interest in watching the game but instead aiming for deliberate confrontation.

Now, onto the Exeter fans.
Theyre behaviour at the end was totally disgusting. The charging down to our end to goad us was nasty enough (and credit here to ALL our fans for not reacting), the assaults on our players and staff though was appalling and to attack poor Dick Tacey is the lowest of the low.
I would not just have the culprits punished, i would punish Exeter City themselves. They made NO attempt at all to prevent any pitch invasion (and in fact ludicrously had ALL the stewards lined up to stop a nom existent pitch invasion from us. Exeter also made no attempt to protect our players and staff (as they are obliged to do)
As such i would expel them from the play offs as any financial penalty would have minimal effect on them.
And therefore let Cov & Notts contest the final promotion place.
Until Football takes a serious stand, scenes such as these will just keep happening.
An 78 year old volunteer violently assaulted. Dreadful dreadful dreadful.

I had the misfortune of being at Barnet. Seems like very similar scenes played out here sadly.

I definitely think it’s time that the club did something about these pond life. They must know who they are, and let’s face it, it’s not like we’re going to miss the 20-30 idiots these days. Time to get this sorted if nothing else for the sake of families and decent minded fans. I was put off attending away games for a very long time after my experience at The Hive.
 
I had the misfortune of being at Barnet. Seems like very similar scenes played out here sadly.

I definitely think it’s time that the club did something about these pond life. They must know who they are, and let’s face it, it’s not like we’re going to miss the 20-30 idiots these days. Time to get this sorted if nothing else for the sake of families and decent minded fans. I was put off attending away games for a very long time after my experience at The Hive.

Me too 79imp, I certainly do my research before attending any away games now. The Barnet experience certainly disappointed and saddened me tbf, a fixture I look forward to (or use to) at that.
 
Goal one, was three free touches in the box area.
Goal two, if you get shrugged off and don’t fancy chasing him, just foul him on the halfway line whitehouse. Not black enough for us.
Goal three, time to set himself to shoot twenty yards out, no midfielder within five yards.
Think we contributed to our own downfall. Looked like we respected them too much.
Sums up our defeat last night perfectly.Say it as it was with no wriggling off the hook........midfield were no where!
 
Lots of magnanimous posters on here, but I feel very deflated. It was another entry in our collection of Bad Lincoln Play Off Performances where we don't do ourselves justice and concede goals we wouldn't concede in league matches (see Bournemouth, Bristol R). And, why do we have to always come across opponents at the absolute peak of their game (see ahem... Bournemouth, Bristol R.)?

I also don't think we got any decisions over the two legs. But Exeter were mainly helped by our team selection (forced by injury). As others have pointed out Bossie in the middle, Wharton at the back, Eardley on the right may have been better, in fact might have prevented all three goals, which were amongst the most disappointing we have conceded all season.

Me too! Whilst we weren't the best team on the night, we were in my opinion robbed of a goal and a penalty, and the best team doesn't always win. Had decisions gone our way we could so easily have nicked that match!

Anyway, onwards and upwards. Eardley believes, and with a few tasty signings we'll be bang there next season...
 
Me too 79imp, I certainly do my research before attending any away games now. The Barnet experience certainly disappointed and saddened me tbf, a fixture I look forward to (or use to) at that.

I'm very sad to read this. I thought neanderthal & tribal stupidity at football matches were a thing of history from the 70s and that people went along to football matches these days to be entertained and have good-natured banter across the ground. I suppose like all fashions things come around again eventually, but it saddens me to think this sort of brainless immature stupidity still surfaces. What a waste of energy and money - imagine it at other sporting events or concerts.
 
I'm very sad to read this. I thought neanderthal & tribal stupidity at football matches were a thing of history from the 70s and that people went along to football matches these days to be entertained and have good-natured banter across the ground. I suppose like all fashions things come around again eventually, but it saddens me to think this sort of brainless immature stupidity still surfaces. What a waste of energy and money - imagine it at other sporting events or concerts.

Not restricted to football sadly, the Sport of Kings, horse racing has been in the UK media recently for similiar stuff. Video footage of it as well on the net.
 
I had the misfortune of being at Barnet. Seems like very similar scenes played out here sadly.

I definitely think it’s time that the club did something about these pond life. They must know who they are, and let’s face it, it’s not like we’re going to miss the 20-30 idiots these days. Time to get this sorted if nothing else for the sake of families and decent minded fans. I was put off attending away games for a very long time after my experience at The Hive.

And my feelings too. Ive followed us away for well over 30 years at pretty much every ground we've played at in that period. But do i really want my games ruined repeatedly by these morons? I felt so sorry for alan long who had to spend most of thursday's match intervening to try and stop the violence in the away end.
I also feel sorry for genuine fans who couldn't get tkts because some of our small allocation went to the idiots.

One of the best away atmospheres of the season was the trophy match at Rochdale. A massive following who sung their hearts out from start to finish. And so so much better without any idiots there.