This was the first afternoon match of the season that had crap weather at the start, not hard rain but that weak drizzly crap that we tend to get quite alot. This is where the football season really starts when the rain, fleece and wooly hats come out.
It is games like this that I am very glad I stopped stewarding three seasons ago, but as you can tell from the picture above some people still enjoy it!
I worked with most of the lads on the stacey west end and they are a cracking bunch (and very good at their job) all rumours of a romance between two of them are however yet to be comfirmed!
We got to the stadium at about 2pm and popped into the supporters trust bar behind the south park end of the ground.
I haven't always liked this place but for a quick drink for 20 mins or so before the game it does its job. To be honest it is one of the better club bars in this division. There's no entry charge, both home and away fans are welcome, there is SKY TV in there, showing whichever premiership match is being played in the midday kickoff (Wolves v Aston Villa in this case)
A represemtative of the supporters trust normally reads out the teams at about 2.20 or so and thats usually followed by an auction of one or more items of Lincoln City memorabilia with all money raised going to the club. Yesteday it was a signed Lee Frecklington away shirt from last season which fetched a very respectable £55. My only problems with the bar are 1) its three quid a pint and 2) the glasses are plastic and if you place the smallest amount of pressure on them when you are lifting them up you spill i small bit out the top on the first mouthful.
The food avalible in here has a very good reputation. Felice had a pork roll and said that although it was ok they had no stuffing left! You cant beat a bit of stuffing can you!
Torquay have come back into League two this season. Its by far the longest trip the Imps will face on the road this season. Its a six hour drive down there and its on the south coast of England (For the benefit of the International readers of this blog). We only have to make this trip once a season but Torquay have away trips of this length almost every other week as there arent any league two clubs near them. So for them to bring 128 fans with them in this crap weather is a great effort!
The torquay united following.
Chris Sutton had been busy in the week bringing in two young defenders from Aston Villa, an American youth international centre back called Eric Lichay and under 19 England internationl left back Nathern Baker both on month long loans plus Bermudian international Khano Smith had got internationl clearance to play. He has signed a deal with us till January to "see how it goes". All three started.
The Imps started by kicked towards the Stacey West end first half and lined up 4-5-1.
We have started playing the ball on the deck alot more and Sutton does seem keen to see us retain the ball as oppose to launching it fowards.
4-5-1 can be played as a attacking formation if you have players running from the midfield and you can get your full backs bombing foward. At the moment however, bar Cian Houghton on the right who got some great crosses in, we just arent doing this. I belive that Khano smith will help out in this area but he hasnt played for a while so it will take him time to get match fit. He did show some glimpes of what he can do though, which is encouraging.
Torquay came more into it second half but we held firm, although there were a few heart stopping moments from set plays. We could have won it right at the death as Lichay missed a good chance, but in truth a draw was a fair result and moved us 6 points clear of managerless Grimsby in the drop zone.
It was a poor game and yes i would have liked to see us attack more. In four games under Chris we have won 2,lost 1 and drawn 1 only letting in one goal.The plan seems to be make us hard to beat then go on from there. Under Jacko and Steve Clarke we were shipping them in game after game.
We need to stick with Sutton, not text in stupid messages to the Radio Lincolnshire post match phone in moaning about how little we attacked. All the best teams are built from the back!!
Addmission-season ticket
Programme £2.50
Beer £3 a pint
Food- had a cup of soup in the ground and for once i am going to praise the catering in the groung, it was proper tinned soup and not the cuppa soup type! 9/10
Match quality 3/10
Man of the Match - Cian Houghton
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