Saturday afternoon’s League One action had talking points up and down the table, including in a mid-table clash between two in-form sides at Sincil Bank.
Lincoln City hosted an Exeter City side who were hoping to get their fifth win in seven matches, whilst the hosts were hoping to extend their unbeaten run to seven. It was the Imps who came out victorious, with a 1-0 victory in a game that lacked too much quality early on before sparking into life in the final half hour of the game.
Fans at Sincil Bank had to wait for the excitement as the first half saw no shots on target from either side. Lincoln lacked the final pass to their attacks, whilst Exeter struggled to utilise their advantage in possession to create many clear-cut chances.
The goal came in the 67th minute, as Pierce Sweeney’s poor pass forward was cut out by a lightning-quick Joe Taylor, whose touches then allowed him into a one-on-one position against the visitor’s keeper, which he slotted away into the bottom left corner.
When taking a glance at the table, it would be easy to say that this result means relatively little for either side, and by the end of the season that may be the case, however, there are ramifications and things to have been learnt.
Therefore, on that, here are three things that we learnt from Lincoln’s victory against Exeter…
Lincoln’s push for the playoffs is still a possibility
This season has been a bit of a rollercoaster for Imps fans. The start of the season saw them pick up ten points in their first five matches, with back-to-back home 3-0 home victories, before an injury-ravaged attack stumbled through to January, albeit with some impressive results thrown in there, such as a 3-1 home victory against Charlton Athletic, and a 3-0 away victory against Cambridge United. New head coach Michael Skubala arrived in November, and with that, a change in style was slowly adopted.
Their turnaround in recent form is no coincidence. Their attack is now close to full strength, with returning injuries, loanees and signings, and they are beginning to show the form that they promised so early on. The former Leeds United U-21 head coach refused to rule out a late playoff push in his pre-match press conference, and it is becoming clear as to why. With their solid foundation at the back and the creativity they have begun to show going forward, that 11-point gap does not look as insurmountable as it once did.
Joe Taylor will now score six or more goals before the end of the season
As explained, Lincoln’s change in fortunes since the start of January is very much down to their improvements in squad depth. However, one player who they brought in during the winter window failed to score before today. Promising young striker Taylor joined the club on loan from Luton Town after spending the first half of the season at Colchester United in League Two. Although he has shown reason for Imps fans to be excited when he is on the pitch, the former Peterborough United man has failed to find the back of the net, and the opportunities have been there.
Supporters will now be hoping that this goal can be the start of an impressive scoring run, and it does seem likely. The blistering pace the forward has shown, as well as his desire to constantly win the ball has been a threat, and with the boost in confidence he will have gotten from this, it does not seem at all out of the question for him to grab another five in the final 13 games of the season.
Exeter are not out of the woods yet
The Grecian’s recent run has been nothing short of outstanding. Four wins in their previous six coming into this game have helped propel Gary Caldwell’s side up the table after the club decided to keep hold of their manager during their rough patch which saw them winless in 13. However, that form has only taken them so far, as they sit 14th with 39 points. Last season, only 46 points were needed to remain in the division, meaning at the same rate, Caldwell’s side only need to pick another seven points up.
However, with relegation-threatened Fleetwood Town next, failure to win against them could see major doubt being thrown onto Exeter’s chances, especially with Peterborough and Bolton Wanderers their two matches after that potential six-pointer. There is clearly a strong chance they will remain in the division, however, there is also no denying that they need to show more than they did in their trip to Lincolnshire on Saturday afternoon.
