- Reds unbeaten in five on the road
- First meeting with Lincoln ends in 0-0 draw
- Camara goes closest in game of few chances
- Crawley stay 19th after third goalless draw in four games
As you were…
After producing our best performance of the season to hold leaders Luton last week it was no surprise that Harry Kewell named an unchanged team. There was one change on the bench with fit-again Mark Randall coming back into the squad.
Solid on the road…
Reds continue to find goals hard to come by but they remain a very hard side to beat, especially away from home. That’s now 12 points on our travels and just one loss in seven on the road. It took us until February last season to reach 12 points away from the Checkatrade.
There are good 0-0s and…
It wasn’t a classic. A blustery wind didn’t help and neither did the stop-start nature of the contest, punctuated by 32 fouls. Lincoln had 58% of possession but didn’t do a great deal with it and rarely got behind the visitors’ defence despite playing two wingers. Reds just needed some more composure in the final third.
They had the better of the clear-cut chances, but this was a game that won’t live in the memory for long. Some Lincoln fans even groaned when the fourth official’s board indicated five minutes of second-half stoppage time.
Camara goes close…
Panutche Camara produced another energetic performance and was still closing down defenders in the 97th minute with the same effervescence as the first.
He should also have been celebrating his first League goal. Dannie Bulman’s 19th-minute pass sent Enzio Boldewijn away into the box and the Dutchman picked out Camara eight yards out, but his placed effort was saved by Josh Vickers. The front-man should probably have gone for power.
In the second half, he fired over from an acute angle. When he adds composure in front of goal to his other attributes he could develop into a special player.
Vickers was also tested by Josh Yorwerth’s swerving effort and in the second half Jordan Roberts nearly capitalised on Sam Habergham’s mistake but Vickers again cleared.
Lincoln huffed and puffed but Glenn Morris had one his quieter afternoons of the season, although he was beaten in the 48th minute by Matt Rhead’s header when Neal Eardley picked him out with a lovely cross but his effort struck the crossbar.
Late finish
An impeccably observed Remembrance Day commemoration, including the playing of the Last Post, meant a delayed kick-off. With stoppages galore including a delay while a steward belatedly fished the ball out of the empty seats behind the goal the second half didn’t finish until 5.03pm!
We will follow…
Reds’ first visit to Sincil Bank attracted a good turnout of away fans with 137 making the trip.
Reds: Morris; Lelan, McNerney, Connolly, Evina; Yorwerth; Boldewijn, Bulman (Randall 75), Smith, Roberts; Camara. Unused subs: Mersin, Doherty, Djalo, Payne, Clifford, Lewis.
Attendance: 8038
Referee: Darren Handley
Bookings: Woodward (Lincoln, foul); Yorwerth (foul); Rhead (ungentlemanly conduct); Randall (foul).