Despite all the prematch hyperbole this one was played almost at a laid back canter with Southend United unable to overcome Jamie Clapham in his central midfield prime, for all their guile and style.
Both sides at times played some nice football with Clapham peeling a couple of thirty yarders that took the breath away. Not Jamie’s though with the mercurial 35 year old snapping into the tackle all over the shop, as if his pension depended on it.
It was a good move by Tilson, with any real opportunities for Southend limited to our own errors first half, although the goal did come against the run of play. Carayol, when fed a triumph again, hit a bobbling shot that calamity keeper Evan allowed to bounce back off him. Goal machine Grimes gobbled up the rebound to silence the two banks of travelling Shrimpers.
Second half with the Imps attacking the Stacey West, Delboy sent over a superb cross early doors, but Ben Hutchinson’s header was cleared off the line by Chris Barker. Quality player is Barber – he has Paul Morgan in his prime written all over him.
Sods law I guess, straight afterwards the Imps defence fail to deal with a free kick. Corr headed the ball to Blair Sturrock and the manager’s son gave Carson no chance with a crisp 12 yard volley.
This miffed the Imps who rallied eager to get their gaffer a win to make up for his missing wedge from his old club. It was pretty direct compared to the nifty footwork that Carayol’s cameos had shown us – my oh my Mustapha is magic with the ball at his feet. Carson hoofed long, the ball found its way to Grimes who turned his markers before hammering a humdinger into the top far corner.
Oh how we danced all day at the House of Imp with Lemmy and Billy starting a bit of crowd surfing with the ‘We Are Imps’ banner. There was time for Scott ‘Screech’ Spencer to show what a handful he can be when he replaced Grimes on 91 – perhaps not for the last time me thinks. He never gave up the ghost to win a corner and then hit a curler inches over the home end bar. Shades of Adrian Patulea perhaps but not quite the dream goal he craved against his old club.
So 16 goals for Grimes with 20 for the season pretty much a dead cert now. How many of you took Uncle Vics advice and had a tenner on him at 25’s when we lost 3-4 to Hereford in the Cup?
Lincoln City 4-4-2
Carson
Kelly Hone Watts Hunt
Carayol Clapham(Y) O’Keefe Facey
Grimes(Y) Hutchinson
Substitutions: Spencer on for Grimes 90+1
Substitutes: 20 Musselwhite, 2 Green, 40 Kanyuka, 9 McCallum, 25 Hughton, 31 Fuseini, 39 Spencer
Southend United 4-3-3
Evans
Clohessy Coughlan Barker Gilbert (Y)
Ferdinand Easton Sawyer
Hall Corr Sturrock
Substitutions: Comminges on for Gilbert 45+1 Grant on for Easton 51, Asante on for Hall 86
Substitutes: 1 Morris, 16 Prosser,19 Comminges, 7 Grant, 17 Soares, 20 Crawford, 28 Asante
Lincoln City 2 - 1 Southend United (HT 1-0)
Ref: Quinn
3,560 (2460 Imps and 1,016 visitors)
Possession
Lincoln City 50% Southend United 50%
Shots on target
Lincoln City 7 Southend United 2
Shots off target
Lincoln City 6 Southend United 3
Corners
Lincoln City 5 Southend United 2
Fouls
Lincoln City 12 Southend United 12
Offsides
Lincoln City 1 Southend United 3
Saves
Lincoln City 1 Southend United 3