Simmo’s Six Foot Soldiers Come Good

AFC Telford battled hard at Lincoln City, but for once lady luck and the officials smiled on Gary Simpson and the six-foot Sincil soldiers aka the Dogs of War. Simmo has delivered three of the six points The Chairman is expecting, just the win at Forest Green Rovers to go then. Depending on whether your glas is half-full or half empty, City sit seven off the play-offs and six off relegation. But let us not get too ahead of ourselves, first the teams & schemes then a blow by blow and finally more stats than one can shake an Imp or Buck at.

Thanks for reading Neil Gentleman-Hobbs

   2V 0  

H/T 0-0

Scorers  63′  Newton (pen) 76′ Tomlinson.

Attendance 2529 (2483 Imps  46 Bucks )

Ref Mr Hicks

The Teams & Schemes

Simmo goes 4-2-3-1

26 Townsend

5 Miller (Y)  25  Anderson 6 Brown 3 Newton

12 Mendy 14 Nolan

23 Sam-Yorke  10 Ledsham 11 Tomlinson (Y)

9 Burrow

18 Smith (Y)  7 Phenix

20 Poku

 11 Clancy                21 Todd (Y)      17 Platt  (Y)    23 Higgins 

  16 MacDonald 4 Byrne   24 Parry

1 Hedge

Watson goes  3-5-2

Subs & substitutions

The Imps Bench: 31 Preece, 17 Caprice,22 Marshall, 8 Power, 6 Diagne

Substitutions:  on for

The Bucks Bench:  25 Hall, 12 Cook e 9 Farrell 8 Barnett 6 Grogan

Substitutions:  ′69 Farrell on for Byrne 74′ Cook on for Todd.

To the game fellow football fans to the game…………

Anderson gets an early touch as Telford hit long. The ball spends a lot of time in the air suggesting the threat of rain and those poor first touches will have an influence on the game at some point.  The Imps get two long throws from Miller the second of which leads to a corner that Telford break from. Nolan puts in a timely tackle, the problem is he dwells on the ball when Sam-Yorke could have been one on one,  if only he had seen him.  Those with the radio glued to their ear would however hear Tommo plug himself. In answer to ‘who would be a manager’ he said  ‘me’.

Tomlinson beats Higgins and delivers to Sam-Yorke who goes down too easily, but,  the Imps win a corner.  Newton delivers, Anderson fires goalwards, but Byrne clears off the line.  Telford do win a free-kick, Poku takes, but Brown heads clear. Really this is a battle between too sides high on energy but very low in quality when it comes to knocking the ball to feet. Mendy sees Miller, he crosses yet

Miller is clattered by Smith – so late he should get a detention – yet it is just a yellow as both players receive attention for head injuries.  Ledsham has a chance to make things happen but his choice and distribution is shocking. You really should not be paying more than  £7 or £8 to watch him ply his trade.  That is a little harsh on the lad, the same could be said for half the players on display today. Given the  rows of  empty fading red seats it is just as well the club are kindly allowing the kids in free to introduce them to the thrills and skills football in the flesh.

The non-event continues until Nolan is pushed off the ball to allow Newton the chance to break the monotony and the deadlock.  Alas the shot is deflected for a corner but at least it has doubled the shot count.  Newton’s corner finds Anderson who forces a comfortable save from Hedges.  The move of the half sees Telford find Todd but his cross is closer to a weak shot that goes straight down Townsend’s throat. Ledsham get a result from a poor shot when the ball loops for a corner.  Todd has a dig which Townsend saves  then Newton clatters Clancy but somehow escapes a card.

The Bucks win a corner but the offside flag rules out a second after Platt’s header goes out off Miller. Nat Brown then lets fly but the shot is well wide. Poku and Todd both foul Miller with the second getting the yellow card.

Second half.

Both managers keep the faith which must say something.  Tom Miller gets a yellow for a two-footed lunge, suggesting our refereeing luck might be changing given the number of studs on show.  Smith gets hold of a 25-yarder but Townsend parries  into the path of Poku. The keeper saves again at the expense of a corner.  A superb free-kick from Platt forces another top save from Townsend.   Clancy’s corner goes straight out for a throw.  A Higgins throw is half cleared with Clancy sending a bicycle kick well over the bar.

Despite the risk of a nose bleed or altitude sickness the Imps get over the half-way line for the first time in the half. After a slow and elaborate 5 man build up Newton on the overlap thunders wide.  Newton sends a great cross over that the keeper punches for a corner under pressure from Burrow. Newtons set-piece finds the head of Burrow but Byrne blocks for another corner. This one sees Anderson hit the roof of the stand.

Mendy fouls Todd and the free-kick takes an age. Nat Brown heads clear and Phenix is crowded out after on the edge of the box.  Ledsham is fouled by Platt for a fourth yellow of the game.  Nolan ran at the defence Phenix fouls and the Imps get a much needed penalty.  Newton hammers the keeper guesses the right way but can only parry it into the roof of the net. Townsend then makes a super point blank save from Clancy to deny an equaliser.

Tomlinson gives Sam-Yorke a glorious opportunity but Hedges makes a super save for a corner.   Farrell comes on for Byrne as the Bucks go for it.  Newton fouls the lively Clancy on the edge of the box and Farrell waist s the free-kick.  Cook is brought on for Todd

Hedges does a sack the juggler and Tomlinson half volleys home to effectively win it.  Miller  sprints down the flank, exchanges with Nolan before thumping a hay-maker against the crossbar.  Newton again gets forward but Sam-yorke is penalised for hand-ball.  Tomlinson gets a yellow card for a high one on Parry. Tomlinson gets a terrific ball over to Burrow but the keepers saves again.  You have to feel for Telford, the Bucks have given everything for the cause and are clearly dead on their feet.

The Stats & League Table

   V   

Teams & Schemes

 

Note: shots on includes  goals plus all blocks and saves includes crosses claimed

*****

56 % Ball 44 %

6 Shots on 3

9 Misses 5

3 Saves 5

7 Corners 5

2 Offside 3

18 Fouls 13

2 Yellows 3

0  Reds 0

The Table

Conference Table

		P	W	D	L	F	A	+/-	Pts
1	Barnet	16	10	3	3	36	13	+23	33
2	Woking	15	9	3	3	29	14	+15	30
3	Gateshead	16	8	6	2	28	19	+9	30
4	Bristol Rovers	16	8	5	3	20	15	+5	29
5	FC Halifax Town	16	8	4	4	28	18	+10	28
6	Torquay United	14	8	3	3	25	12	+13	27
7	Forest Green Rovers	16	7	6	3	21	15	+6	27
8	Kidderminster Harriers	16	7	5	4	22	15	+7	26
9	Wrexham	16	8	2	6	21	19	+2	26
10	Macclesfield Town	16	6	7	3	19	14	+5	25
11	Grimsby Town	16	6	6	4	26	12	+14	24
12	Eastleigh	15	6	5	4	25	21	+4	23
13	Lincoln City	16	6	3	7	25	27	-2	21
14	Braintree Town	15	6	2	7	20	17	+3	20
15	Aldershot Town	16	5	5	6	17	18	-1	20
16	Chester	16	6	2	8	16	26	-10	20
17	Welling United	16	4	6	6	22	24	-2	18
18	Dover Athletic	16	5	2	9	18	26	-8	17
19	Dartford	16	3	6	7	16	23	-7	15
20	Southport	16	4	3	9	16	28	-12	15
21	Altrincham	16	4	3	9	16	33	-17	15
22	Nuneaton Town	16	4	2	10	12	28	-16	14
23	Alfreton Town	15	3	1	11	11	32	-21	10
24	AFC Telford United	16	1	4	11	19	39	-20	7