Now pay attention class, Mr Turner is with us today and he’s going to give us a practical demonstration of what we need to do if we are to be a successful team. Watch carefully, it may be a little bit painful but it will be worth it in the end. Any Imp who believed that somehow Steve Tilson had miraculously fashioned a promotion winning side two or three years ahead of schedule, that City were the finished article and would go on to reach the play offs or better will have realised on Wednesday morning, having digested the events of the night before, the enormity of the task ahead. Like Bury before them Shrewsbury simply dismantled our hapless heroes and a slightly jaded City crumbled to a 1-5 defeat, the effort of playing catch up on the fixture list not helping. At 1-1 the game looked like being an absolute cracker with both sides scoring with virtually their first attacks but Shrews soon swept the Imps aside with a virtuoso display. Any hopes that City might emulate Newcastle with the comeback of all comebacks were swiftly disabused and at half time all fans could hope for was that the team would not be further humiliated which, to their credit they were not although to be fair, Shrewsbury, having taken their pleasure were, understandably, a little less lively but not much and Tilson’s boys did well to avoid a total whitewash and prevented Shrews from adding to their score. City could not get a consolation or two themselves to make the scoreline a bit more respectable though.
Tilson was characteristically straight forward;
Shrewsbury and Bury are the best two sides that have played here this season,” said the manager.
"They worked hard, had good movement, caused us a lot of problems and thoroughly deserved the win.
"They were better than us, it's as simple as that and we never got to grips with them.
"We have been on a good run and we wanted to keep that going but I just felt that they worked a bit harder than us and made it awkward for us.
"We have had a lot of games in a short space of time but Shrewsbury seemed more up for the game."
Whether that is true or not is debatable, any side that had won its last five games cannot be said not to be motivated but there is no shame in admitting you have been beaten by a better team. Let’s leave it at that because City are in the business of securing their league place, let us not forget and, as any manager will tell you defeats have to be taken on the chin, what matters is how you react to them so hopefully Morecambe, next on the fixture list, at Sincil Bank on Saturday will feel the full might of City’s retribution.
Morecambe sit two places and one point behind the Imps so a win would open up a little space on the Shrimps whilst a loss would see City below them and looking nervously over their shoulders back at the relegation morass from which they so spectacularly departed just days ago. There is a decent gap but Tilson will be anxious to keep the momentum going. He has recently stated that he is looking for five wins and a draw as quickly as possible to ease the nerves. Shrimps boss Sammy McIlroy meanwhile wants his troops to be more ruthless. He told the Morecambe Visitor;
“I said last week that I wanted us to be more consistent and the early signs are promising and we have played some great football in patches in difficult conditions”
A big game for both teams then. Steve Tilson, in a comment that indicated he was going to be firm with the supporters as well as his charges complained about the size of the attendance on Tuesday evening whilst praising those that were there for their vocal efforts. Doubtless rather more will be at the Bank for a Saturday game to see if Shrewsbury was just a blip or another downturn for the former Southend duo to grapple with.