Blackpool manager Steve Bruce believes Lincoln City will be ‘there or thereabouts’ at the end of the season following the two sides 1-1 draw at Bloomfield Road last night.
The Tangerines headed into the tie fourth in the League One table thanks to four successive wins since the appointment of Bruce. Meanwhile, Lincoln have also enjoyed an excellent start, beginning the night in third, level on points with their opponents but with a superior goal difference.
A 2-0 win over Cambridge United at the weekend saw the Imps hit a club record 13 away games without defeat. Ironically, their last loss on the road came against Blackpool on New Year’s Day.
The hosts were the stronger of the two during the opening exchanges and were unlucky not to enter the break ahead, with Lincoln goalkeeper George Wickens providing two excellent saves. The second period began in similar fashion and the advantage firmly swung in favour of the Lancashire side when defender Adam Jackson was dismissed for a second yellow card with 20 minutes remaining. Four minutes later, they had the lead. Ashley Fletcher beat the offside trap before squaring the ball to Kyle Joseph to notch his fourth goal of the season.
At this stage, the result seemed a formality. However, Lincoln took the game to Bruce’s team and almost immediately hit an equaliser through substitute Erik Ring. Perseverance eventually paid off when Tom Hamer nodded home from a corner in the fifth minute of added time to earn a share of the points.
Speaking afterwards, Bruce admitted he was disappointed with the result:
“It’s always disappointing when that happens isn’t it,” he told official club media.
“I thought we didn’t handle the last 10 minutes well enough. We’ll learn from it, but it’s always so disappointing when you concede late on.
🗣️ "It's disappointing to concede so late on, but we will learn from it."
The gaffer on tonight's 1-1 draw.
🍊 #UTMP pic.twitter.com/y6QtLGGMGw
— Blackpool FC (@BlackpoolFC) October 1, 2024
“Unfortunately tonight we’ve suffered from a little lack of concentration, haven’t dealt with a corner and they’ve managed to take two points away from us.
“(The lads) are disappointed, of course they are because we could’ve quite easily been five on the spin. But we’ve had a great month, we’ll dust ourselves down and get ready for Saturday and get ready to go again.”
The 63-year-old was full of praise for the visitors though, stating his belief that Michael Skubala’s team will be pushing for promotion this season:
“I don’t think they’ve been beaten away from home since we beat them last January. They’re a good side, very physical and ask you a few questions.
“They will undoubtedly be there or thereabouts. I’m sure of that (with) the way they’ve performed and they’re very difficult to play against.”
Lincoln return to action on Saturday when they take on Leyton Orient at the LNER Stadium, whereas Blackpool travel to in-form Mansfield Town.
Writer’s View
Steve Bruce’s assessment of Lincoln shows what a fantastic job Michael Skubala is doing at Sincil Bank. The former Birmingham City and Aston Villa boss was also full of praise for the Imps in the build up to the game, showing how far they have come this year. Bruce only took over at Blackpool a few weeks ago and is managing in a division he is unfamiliar with, so for him to recognise their achievements since the turn of the year is a big compliment.
Despite being one of the most in-form teams of 2024, Lincoln were written off as a genuine promotion contender by most prior to the start of the season. However, they have been quietly going about their business and have started strongly. They are just two points off Wrexham in second, with the Welsh outfit having played a game more. Three points against Leyton Orient on Saturday would put them right in the mix.
