Down the years, Lincoln City has had some superb goalkeepers who formed the foundation of some of the best line-ups in the club’s history and the decision to enter the loan market for a keeper over the last 3 seasons has been no less fruitful.
From the supporters raising the transfer fee to get Peter Grotier to join Graham Taylor’s legendary team to Welsh international David Felgate who was part of Colin Murphy’s side in the first half of the 80s to the more recent men like loyal servant Alan Marriott, City have had a string of fine performers between the sticks.
Josh Vickers was the first choice in goal, ably assisted by Grant Smith and the fantastic addition of Matt Gilks, when the club earned promotion from League Two and it would be Vickers and Smith who were the first team keepers the following season before Covid brought it to a premature end. Whether it be the financial uncertainty brought about by the pandemic or simply Michael Appleton wanting to shape his own squad could be a source of debate, however, it meant that Vickers was released leaving only young stopper Sam Long and new signing Ethan Ross in the first team goalkeeping ranks.
I asked Stacey West Blog for his opinion on the three keepers.
Alex Palmer
West Bromwich Albion man Palmer joined the Imps for the 2020/21 season, the season we were mostly restricted to watching our teams via I Follow and was an ever-present in League One keeping 21 clean sheets in total that season. Palmer was the last line of defence behind players such as Lewis Montsma and Adam Jackson as the Imps defied expectations and made it to the League One playoff final before losing out to Blackpool at Wembley.
Palmer Fan Opinion
Stacey West Blog – Palmer was a strong keeper, a good shot-stopper and had overall command of his area. He was also of an age where he had a bit more confidence in terms of talking to his defence and a great debut got him off to a good start. It’s also important to remember he didn’t have the pressure of a crowd behind him, so perhaps got off a little lighter when he did drop a couple of errors after Christmas.
Josh Griffiths
For the following season, City again went back to West Bromwich Albion for their first-choice goalkeeper this time in the form of 19-year-old Griffiths. The young goalkeeper played 35 times for The Imps but only kept a clean sheet twice in a season that was a real struggle for the club following the highs of the previous season and its end would see manager Appleton and the club part ways.
Griffiths Fan Opinion
Stacey West Blog – Josh Griffiths was a good shot-stopper but got off to a rough start making a couple of really quite basic errors. He cost us victory in our first game and was heavily to blame when we lost at Wycombe a week or two later. Griffiths suffered from not having a stable defence in front of him and he wasn’t always quick to release the ball. Of the three, he’s perhaps the one I wouldn’t particularly welcome back. Also, for a tall keeper, he wasn’t the strongest on crosses.
Carl Rushworth
The next loanee to don the number 1 shirt for the Imps is the incumbent, Brighton and Hove Albion’s Carl Rushworth. The Halifax-born shot-stopper has featured 41 times so far this season, keeping 18 clean sheets and conceding just 37 times as the club looks to secure their highest league finish since 1983. Rushworth has been called up to the England Under 21 squad this season, alongside Griffiths and you would imagine will be on loan in the Championship next season.
Rushworth Fan Opinion
Stacey West Blog – Despite some recent slips, Rushworth has been the best of the loan keepers. He’s not the biggest but is confident coming for crosses and rarely drops one or gets bullied. Like the other two, his reflexes are great and, aside from the last week or so, there’s no game I can look at and blame him, directly, for our defeat. He’s good at playing out from the back and has a couple of third assists to his name as well. He’ll go on and have a good career.
Writer’s View
For me, being asked to choose between Palmer and Rushworth for the spot of number one is a tough one, and that is not meant to disrespect Josh Griffiths in any way as he will no doubt go on to have a solid career in the game, with both having their strengths and performing superbly for the football club.
If I was choosing a starting XI and my goalkeeper was a choice between the two, I would hand Rushworth the start. I feel he is an excellent shot-stopper, has great handling and is good at claiming balls into the box and is also, despite recent errors, accomplished with his feet.
I have spoken to several people who regularly watch Lincoln City and there is a mixture of opinions between them in terms of which of the above three performed better in an Imps shirt which further demonstrates the quality the club have had in goal over the past three seasons.
