Source: FOOTYMAD
Karma for Tilson as Imps see off Shrimpers after Sincil Bank showdown
The Imps of Lincoln City 2 Southend United 1. It had to happen; Southend United huffed and puffed but it was to be Lincoln City, and former manager Steve Tilson's, day, helped by a brace for Millwall loanee Ashley Grimes. Is this the day the play-off dream died?Over a thousand of the Shrimpers faithful had travelled to Sincil Bank in Lincolnshire to pay homage to the men who had brought such success to the club in the seven years they spent at Roots Hall but treated so shabbily by the chairman Ron Martin.They were at least able to stick a middle index finger up to him at the end of the game, if not to the fans who stayed on even in defeat to clap and applaud them and simply say thanks.But that's that, even as it's looks like this fixture will be repeated next season, life and sport move on, and it's with Paul Sturrock and his assorted band of veterans, players from former clubs, promising youngsters, and those plucked from the non-league, that we have to share our future with, as long as Sainsbury's for now keep paying the bills. As for the game itself, Luggy had a shock in store when dropping Anthony Grant for the returning Kane Ferdinand in midfield, who then looked slightly behind the pace not surprisingly. Also, again to be expected, Ryan Hall could never repeat the amazing heroics' of Tuesday evening where he seemed to be playing on sheer emotion alone, this time being kept relatively quiet. For all the pre-match build up there was little to write about in the first 45 minutes, a poor shot here, a misplaced pass there, with the away side looking fairly comfortable, passing the ball around, breaking up Lincoln flurry's forward with ease, Tilly's boys looking the more nervous side, it looked promising.Former Shrimpers trailist Jamie Clapham was included for the home team and did test keeper Rhys Evans form long range but he dealt with it easily enough.Sadly, that was not to be the case with the next effort, a speculative effort from 25 yards by Mustapha Carayol was not held by the former Chelsea youth and he parried into the path of the Imps top scorer, not a good idea, who stroked the ball home from six yards. Unfortunate, and it set off some nasty pushing and shoving with the odd verbal thrown in between a few Southend supporters by the cafe, not nice, half a dozen lining up to have their say against one bloke, who maybe should have kept out of it with tempers on an edge, but didn't deserve what he got. Not sure they were regulars and it was soon stopped yet it gave the old Bill a reason to get the video camera out, silly, got to stick together when things go wrong.In fact that man Grimes could have made it a quick brace, heading a right wing cross from Julian Kelly wide soon after the goal to waste a good chance.Left-back Peter Gilbert then limped off with an ankle problem to be replaced by Miguel Comminges, who it has to be said struggled in that position, poor sod's hardly had any football since joining the club. However, it did lead to a rare Shrimpers chance, 16-goal Barry Corr made a good run in to the box, but delayed his shot for too long and his effort went wide left.Then Luggy decided to make a second change, Anthony Grant replacing Captain Craig Easton in the middle as an offensive move, Lee Sawyer keeping the game moving forward for Southend in that department, one piece of wing play in the first half by Sawyer was brilliant, but he needed help in a misfiring midfield, it's a shame they can't all play with the change made further forward.As it was Snoop Dog, either just trying to prove a point to Sturrock, or maybe Tilson, was more rottweiler than labrador, running in to challenges it would have been best to have kept out of, going past one Lincoln man too many when a pass was the better option, he was a yellow card waiting to happen, and it eventually did.With the Essex boys looking no closer to equalising the Imps Delroy Facey made Graham Coughlan look the veteran he is before delivering a fine deep cross met by Ben Hutchinson whose lopping header drifted over Evans but cleared off the line, repeating his Gillingham heroics, by Chris Barker, who had another strong game. This let off breathed new life into the Shrimpers drew back level who minutes later on the hour finally drew level. The ball bouncing around the Lincoln area before an error by Lincoln defender Adam Watts allowed Blair Sturrock to half volley beyond Imps keeper Trevor Carson's outstretched fingers from 12 yards. A guy next to me immediately took his shirt off to wave above his head, the half-naked fans' embarrassed girl-friend informed me he'd promised to streak naked if Sturrock scored, that was son of Luggy's first goal in 12 games, so we have to be relieved he only carried out his threat by 50%. (Though I did ask what would happen if Sturrock got a second!) It now seemed the win was on, and Luggy sensed it too when maybe holding on to what we had was the safer option, however, who dares wins and all that, though it has to be done with some intelligence which we certainly didn't do.The game was to turn again.First, eleven minutes after Southend got back in the game Imps midfielder Josh O'Keefe forced a brilliant save from Evans which had goal written all over it, certainly made up for the earlier slip up, but off we went again, forgetting that loitering with intent out on his own on the left was a hungry Ashley Grimes. Sure enough, on 78 minutes, the Millwall loanee collected the ball, cut inside to the danger area, and curling a 12 yarder in to the top right hand corner off the underside the bar. This caused half the Lincoln team to rush over to Tilson as if they'd won the Cup, yes, emotions were high, but this seemed a touch over the top, blimey I'm pleased this fixture is over and done with.The majority of us just wanted to pass on our appreciation to a fine manager, not to turn the game in to a grudge match, something Tilson has to feel reponsible for, and he's gone down a touch in my opinion for doing that. Most of us know Uncle Ron is a shit Tills, there was just no need, he was obviously using this as a way of motivating a squad that had been losing it's way in recent games.Anyway, on came Kyle Asante for the hard working as ever, and even a goal this time, but ultimately ordinary Blair Sturrock, but with four minutes left there was little the youngter could do.But we also had a cameo by Scott Spencer, his late appearance brought on a few boos, the stuffing had been knocked out of the Shrimpers support by this stage, and at least Screech did the decent thing, the twat also hadn't helped the pre-match atmosphere, by shooting over the bar when in a great position, but it didn't matter, as the referee brought the match to a close. So the karma was with Tilly who fully deserves the standing ovation he and Brush both received, we wish him well, yet he's gone.We have enough to worry about ourselves. The play-offs are starting to slip away, and starting with Crewe away on Tuesday the Shrimpers must stand up and be counted before mid-table obscurity claims the rest of the season before Easter.Southend player markings: Evans - 6, Clohessy - 6, Barker - 7, Coughlan - 5, Gilbert- 5 (Comminges 46 - 4), Sawyer - 8, Ferdinand - 5, Easton - 6 (Grant 51 - 5), Hall - 6 (Asante 86), Sturrock - 5, Corr - 6. Referee - Mr. P. Quinn - 6.
