Northampton Town vs Lincoln City...AND ITS LIVE!

[Luke Imp]

We went 5-2-1-2 today, having only played it in the last two pre-season friendlies with a mix of a team and it didn't go to plan at all.

Well, it did, because we won but performance wise it doesn't read well.

Seems Josh Vickers kept us in it but that said, we've had a good knack of not playing great but still picking up points so we've started this season as we have done the previous two in that respect.

 

[Imp in Branston]

Yep, sounds like we have come away from Sixfields with a swag bag filled with 3 lovely points. Well played Vickers seems he single handedly kept us in the game.

 

[Guernica]

Smash and grab!

 

[dolph]

Could have won that by 3 or 4 goals but not too disappointed. If Lincoln are favourites to win the league then we shouldn`t be too far off ourselves hopefully

 

[EricSabin]

Agreed. If Lincoln are gonna be up there I'm confident we will be too. Burgled three points, but if you don't take your chances you lose.

Seen a few people saying Lincoln celebrated like they'd won the league, who bloody cares they pinched an underserved 3 points so of course they'll celebrate. Good following too, but quite muted through the game, suppose it didn't help they didn't really get out of their half.

Those three one on ones not going in killed us pretty obviously, but there were some big positives to take. Need more end product from out wide as Lincoln looked a bit suspect when we put them under real pressure, but overall a good performance despite the result.

 

[Imp in Branston]

Agreed. If Lincoln are gonna be up there I'm confident we will be too. Burgled three points, but if you don't take your chances you lose.

Seen a few people saying Lincoln celebrated like they'd won the league, who bloody cares they pinched an underserved 3 points so of course they'll celebrate. Good following too, but quite muted through the game, suppose it didn't help they didn't really get out of their half.

Those three one on ones not going in killed us pretty obviously, but there were some big positives to take. Need more end product from out wide as Lincoln looked a bit suspect when we put them under real pressure, but overall a good performance despite the result.

Think it will take us a few games to get used to the new system we seem to be playing and with lots of new faces it is going to be a testing first few games as I said a some days ago. Nice to nick an undeserved win and after watching the highlights, Vickers was a total one man MOM show.

 

[Davidimp]

Our first ever win at Sixfields I believe?
Also I think our first away win in the football league on the opening day since I reckon in 1995?
We really struggled for long spells of the game listening on the radio but thank god for Vickers and us managing to string one decent move together.
Need to up it a few levels as the manager didn't sound too pleased.
Edit we won at Shrewsbury 1-0 in 2004, should have remembered that I was flipping there! All the pubs were shut after and the police tried to get us on the Lincoln train even though we were stopping at my mates in Crewe, that was fun!

 

[wangle]

Just got round to watching the highlights after listening to the game. Only one way to describe that game: smash and grab.

Obviously you want to play well on the opening day but the result is the most imprortant thing, especially when you’re away to what will be a play-off chasing rival. A mixture of woeful finishing and excellent goalkeeping prevented Northampton getting the goal they deserved. We get one clear cut chance and take it. Zero surprises that it’s Eardley with the assist, head and shoulders the best right back I’ve ever seen play for lincoln.

Formation and tactics clearly need tweaking/ more practise, but early days. Onwards!

 

[Luke Imp]

Slightly concerning that all their chances came from simple direct balls down the centre of the pitch. We'd usually be dealing with them with ease.

Whether we were playing higher up the pitch or it was the '3' getting confused I don't know.

 

[StrangelyBrown]

I think the back 3 seemed to play 5 yards higher than the pre season at Scunthorpe and were caught napping two or three times

Everyone thinks this was a smash and grab- we weren't the better attacking team on the day but Northampton failed to score...and we didn't fail.

Not a smash and grab- just football. Result will always say 0-1 to the Imps.

Interesting comment about the away end- "muted". I guess you hear what you want to here as several Imps players have gone on social media about how loud we were. At the end of the day, you get jack sh*t for being loud or quiet. You get points for scoring goals and keeping clean sheets and, in week 1, we did both.

 

[GTFCfish]

Strange that Impish hasn’t bothered to comment on this thread, yet he’s already posted a couple of times on the Grimsby FGR thread.

 

[LordJord]

I think the back 3 seemed to play 5 yards higher than the pre season at Scunthorpe and were caught napping two or three times

Everyone thinks this was a smash and grab- we weren't the better attacking team on the day but Northampton failed to score...and we didn't fail.

Not a smash and grab- just football. Result will always say 0-1 to the Imps.

Interesting comment about the away end- "muted". I guess you hear what you want to here as several Imps players have gone on social media about how loud we were. At the end of the day, you get jack sh*t for being loud or quiet. You get points for scoring goals and keeping clean sheets and, in week 1, we did both.

I think Cowley basically admitted that it was a smash and grab, its not a criticism, just an observation of how the game panned out. Considering how well Lincoln did last year I expected a bit more, however i am sure they will improve as the weeks go on.

The frustrating thing is that Hoskins and Powell missing clear chances is not a shock but a weekly event, shows how lucky we were to have Holmes last time we were at this level as a wide man.

Still despite the result I am reasonably happy. We still need a wide man desperately though.

Rumours that Crooks is off to Rotherham which would be a huge blow, thought he was the best player on the pitch Saturday, with Mcwilliams going off injured we would have a huge hole in midfield.

 

[Davidimp]

Most comments I've seen have been in praise of Crooks.
New players and system may have had a lot to do with our display.

 

[StrangelyBrown]

I think Cowley basically admitted that it was a smash and grab, its not a criticism, just an observation of how the game panned out. Considering how well Lincoln did last year I expected a bit more, however i am sure they will improve as the weeks go on.

The frustrating thing is that Hoskins and Powell missing clear chances is not a shock but a weekly event, shows how lucky we were to have Holmes last time we were at this level as a wide man.

Still despite the result I am reasonably happy. We still need a wide man desperately though.

Rumours that Crooks is off to Rotherham which would be a huge blow, thought he was the best player on the pitch Saturday, with Mcwilliams going off injured we would have a huge hole in midfield.

Don't get me wrong- NTFC had some good chances to put the game away and either good goalkeeping or poor finishing or a combination of both helped us out.

Our first game of last season we drew 1-1 and had over 30 attempts on goal. Sometimes it doesn't go your way and that is the joy, and despair, of football.

NTFC clearly have a good squad with some nice passing moves- it is game 1 for us both and the season is always a marathon not a sprint. I expect us both to be up there at season end

 

[LordJord]

Don't get me wrong- NTFC had some good chances to put the game away and either good goalkeeping or poor finishing or a combination of both helped us out.

Our first game of last season we drew 1-1 and had over 30 attempts on goal. Sometimes it doesn't go your way and that is the joy, and despair, of football.

NTFC clearly have a good squad with some nice passing moves- it is game 1 for us both and the season is always a marathon not a sprint. I expect us both to be up there at season end

Agree both teams will be fighting towards the top. We are still a winger and a CM short of challenging for a top 3 place though in my opinion.

 

[Davidimp]

Agree both teams will be fighting towards the top. We are still a winger and a CM short of challenging for a top 3 place though in my opinion.

Same here...
An early 20s CM to charge about breaking up play like Woodyard has done for us the last two seasons and a left winger.
We have had Luque on trial with us for a month and he even did the warm up and warm downs with squad on Saturday but he still hasn't signed. So wonder if our manager has his eye on someone else and Luque is a back up plan if we cant get his preferred target whoever that may be.