Who saw that one coming then? Not us here at the mad house that’s, as our great leader would say, for sure. After the lesson that was Chesterfield most Imps assumed it would be back to business, ok we’re not as good as the front runners but, new improved, new formula Imps that we are, would soon dispatch the virtually down and out boys from Barnet. 544 confident supporters with red and white running through them set out for Underhill or on the hill as it might more descriptively be named to watch our boys make short work of dispatching the worst team in the league. Another of our saviour’s idiosyncrasies is to begin a sentence with the words “Yeah no” as in “yes we should have won but no we didn’t for it was the Bees that delivered the scalping.
Gavin Hoyte limped out of the previous game with a dejected look after a very short appearance so it was no surprise he did not feature although, presumably as an Arsenal player he could have had a cup of tea with his Mum and still have plenty of time to make the warm up. Kelly took his place at right back. The considerable presence of Kanuka returned to claim a seat on the bench. It was more a case of Barnet monsoon than Barnet fair after extensive showers in North London and the Bees proceeded to swamp City who soon found themselves two goals down as first Steve Kabba headed in and then a penalty after Ali Fuseini transgressed in the box, Kabba doubling his total from the spot. Hughes gave the scoreline an unassailable look to send Barnet in to the break three up.
Steve Tilson must have had his travel hairdryer with him as City emerged from the dressing room a different team and set about repairing the damage although it was Barnet that made the early running. Soon enough though Howell put a first time shot past keeper Cole and three minutes later Grimes scored. Game on. Grimes then saw his penalty saved before Izale McLeod netted to make City pay for their tardiness in the first half. What was billed as a short cut through the graveyard ended up with the corpse rising from the coffin and with a scary “Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaa” dispatched Lincoln north with nothing to show for their trouble.
A shell shocked Steve Tilson admitted;
“The first forty five minutes were a shambles if I’m honest, we weren’t at the races, we needed to get a decent start, we got totally the opposite, we didn’t start well and it could have been 5-0 at half time to be fair. We never got going.
“We said on Thursday and Friday, don’t think you can just turn up and win the game.
“That was what it looked like the first 45 minutes, we were nowhere near it.
“I didn’t think we had the right attitude, the first 45 minutes today.
The hairdryer?
“I just said to them, go and play with a bit of pride, the fans have turned up and watched that first 45 minutes, paid good money, it was miles off it, nowhere good enough.”
Oxford next, so that’s alright then?
“Two tough games, Oxford are on a decent run although they lost today, Accrington won, if you’re not mentally right you can lose any game.”
Two home games to come which City need to garner points from. Any team, any manager will live and let die by results. Sorry, had to get that one in.