Due to work being pretty hectic at the back end of last year i had a couple of days holiday rolled over to this year. One of them was used for the day after the Superbowl. Defeat hurt so much that night that I couldn't bring myself to blog about it. I decided to use the other one today so i could take in Lincoln City reserves Vs Leeds United reserves in the afternoon. Admission for reserve matches at Sincil Bank if free to season ticket holders so its a win win situation really (and you get a free teamsheet!!). It could also be said that booking a day off work to watch a reserve team game that really doesn't mean anything is quite sad, but with Leeds high flying in the Championship there is the chance of seeing one or two decent players in action.
Due to the number of games that the Imps have played over the past month or so i expected our team to be a very young one mainly made up of youth team players and maybe one or two trialists with a couple of fringe players thrown in for good measure.
After going up into the town to get my phone sorted (its only taken me about 4 months to get it fixed) I headed down to the ground. First stop as always with football was the chip shop to stock up on pie chips and peas. I then planned to tick off a pub on the high street that i haven't been in yet; The Shakespeare. Alas it doesn't open till 4.30 pm so i headed to the Golden Cross for one in the hope of seeing some of England's opening match against the Netherlands in the cricket World Cup. Again i was out of luck as they had Bargain Hunt on. Oh the joy.
Sincil Bank is first and fore most a football stadium but in recent years the club have really done a decent job on advertising the faculties for conferences, meetings, training courses etc etc and today was a great example of this. The NHS had a large conference in the Centre spot and there was also something going off in the executive club. Due to all of this going activity Lincoln City's elite Stewards had be brought in mantain order and make sure people didn't end up in the wrong place.
Due to the executive club being booked up you couldn't get a beer as you normally can at reserve matches but seeing as it was pretty cold it really wasn't much of a problem. The club had opened one of the catering points in the St Andrews stand which was serving hot food and drinks to the decently sized crowd that was in attendance; with a good few travelling from Yorkshire. I took up a place next to the press area in the St Andrews stand was quizzed by the chap from West Yorkshire radio on the strength of Lincolns line up. After telling him about the side and which players had first team experience he seem quite confident that Lincoln would win as with Leeds having a first team match with Barnsley tonight they were fielding a very young side. The man to watch in the Leeds side was their number nine Ramon Nunez. Lincoln had a side that for the most part could have been the starting eleven a few months ago as you can see below.
1) Joe Anyon
2) Cian Hughton
3) Joe Anderson
4) Karl Cunningham
5) Paul Green (C)
6) Patrick Kanyuka
7) Mustapha Carayol
8) Ali Fuesini
9) Ben Hutchinson
10) Scot Spencer
11) Jake Gibson
So only Jake Gibson and Karl Cunningham haven't played in the Imps first team this season. Whilst Anyon, Hughton, Green and Carayol had all played for the Imps in our 4-0 kicking at Leeds in the Carling cup 1st round tie back in August.
Leeds v Lincoln back in August
Lincoln dominated the first half. Cunningham playing in the centre of the park looked a class act and ran the game along with Ali Fuesini. You could see Ali has a very good footballing brain and very rarely gave the ball away, if i have a slight concern about him its that he doesn't seem to be very quick but his passing is a different class and if given protection, could well pick most league two defences apart.
Lincoln had already wasted a couple of good chances by the time Ben Hutchinson gave us the lead with a neat turn and finish into the far corner. Hutch and Scott Spencer had linked up well and were giving the young Leeds centrebacks quite alot to think about. The Imps went in 1-0 up with Joe Anyon yet to make a save of any note. It had been an entertaining match, watched on by former Imps Simon Weaver, John Schofield, Jon Whitney and Tony Cunningham.
I was expecting Leeds to come out all guns blazing in the second half and just after halftime they had their best chance of the game when Anyon smothered out Nunez from close range. Lincoln went further ahead on 53 minutes when a Carayol corner was miss judged by Gonzalez in the Leeds goal and Patrick Kanyuka (minus the beard) headed home.
Leeds were unfortunate not to get back into it shortly after when a free kick from Nunez was rabbit punched out by Anyon and luckily fell to a red and white shirt and cleared. Cian Hughton had been having a great game getting foward down the right and it was from one of these runs that the Imps got their third, as he won a Penalty when he was tripped in the box. I thought he fell over himself but as nobody seemed to complain i can only assume that i was wrong. Ben Hutchinson stepped up and sent Gonzalez the wrong way for 3-0.
Shortly after that it could have been 4-0 when Hughton blasted a great effort against the bar from about 30 yards after another great run. It was however the visitors who finished the strongest when the hit the bar with a headed from a corner then Grella sent the rebound over.
Full time Lincoln City res 3-0 Leeds res.
All in all i was pretty happy with the Imps today. Karl Cunningham really does look to be a decent prospect as did Jake Gibson. Lets hope they both continue to work hard and follow the examples set by Danny Hone and Lee Frecklington. Fuseini and Kanyuka both got another 90 minutes under their belts and are starting to get up to match pace. Scott Spencer worked hard upfront and just needs a goal to give him confidence. Overall the whole side did well but you have to remember that they were pretty much up against Leeds United's youth team. Had it been Leed's normal reserve side it would have been much closer.
None the less it was a very enjoyable afternoon and as season ticket holders get in for free, very good value for money.
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