For reserve match's the club only opens the ST Andrews stand. For those who don't know the stand is known as "the library" by city fans due to the lack of noise and atmosphere generated on a match day. Its where the directors and staff of both clubs sit And has the most expensive seats in the stadium. I think i have seen about 4 games in all my time as a city fan in this stand but i must say that the view from the central section were i was sat today was fantastic.
For reserve games you enter via the executive club entrance and pay at the bar. I got in there at about 1.30 (2pm ko). There was a huge crowd of at least 6 in the bar. Team sheets were placed on a table on the corner. So i got a pint and read the programme for the Bournemouth game that we missed for the Scotland trip that i got in the club shop before i went in.
Lincoln had a young side out today. 1st team goalkeeping coach Paul Musselwhite captained the side. The only two other players with any first team experience of note this season were Shane Clarke and Lenell John-Lewis. Andy Hutchison who in the 2008/09 season became the Imps youngest ever goal scorer(against Bradford) started up front. Lincoln also gave a game to trialist Leon Hibbert from Corby town although he went of injured in the 37th minute.
It felt strange watching the game from a different stand. It also felt a tad weird being sat in a 10,000 seater ground with about 30 people watching. In the "crowd" was Bradford first team manager Peter Talyor, Former Imps manager Colin Murphy and ex City fullback Dean west.
City to my surprise played some decent football and had Bradford on the back foot for most of the first half. Nathan Adams gave Lincoln the lead after good work from James Reid on the left. It got worse for Bradford three minutes later when the Bradford keeper came out to punch an incoming ball on the edge of his area, got nowhere near in and allowed John-Lewis to head into the net. City more or less strolled the rest of the half to go in with a deserved 2-0 lead.
I grabbed another beer at half time. It seemed as if i was the only one drinking beer today,everybody else going for the tea or coffee. I got my beer in a plastic glass so i could take it outside for the second half.
Bradford came more into it in the second half but didn't really look like scoring. I must say though i thought Bradford got the short end of the stick from the ref as in looked to me as if they should have had two penalties but that's how it goes i suppose. It was 3-0 on 74 minutes following a great finish from Adams into the bottom right hand corner. Bradford did get one back but the Imps were good value for the win.
Much as been said by Lincoln fans about weather our Youngster are good enough or not. But on this showing with time a couple of them could make it in the game. I would like to say i thought that center back Kern Miller had a great game and looked very cool. If any of the youth squad are going to make it then its him.
I really enjoyed myself at this game and i hope to do more reserve match's next season. As i side note i thought i was sad going to watch this. Until somebody in the car park asked me the best was to the A1 motorway.He then told me it had driven up from Brighton to see this match!
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