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First Team

Lincoln City: “I Love It Here”

Posted by Kelly Gilchrist
Posted on Sun 2 Feb 2014
Posted in First Team

A Ben Tomlinson hat-trick condemned FC Halifax Town to a 3-1 defeat at the hands of Lincoln City in a disappointing display for The Shaymen at Sincil Bank. Ryan Crowtherโ€™s free kick had reduced the deficit at the start of the second half but it couldnโ€™t prevent Town from falling to only their second defeat in six matches away from home.

Lee Gregory concedes the teamโ€™s performance wasnโ€™t up to their usual standards and made no excuses for the manner of the defeat: โ€œWe were shocking, weโ€™ve had some bad games before but today it just wasnโ€™t our day. It didnโ€™t fall for us and we didnโ€™t perform.โ€

Despite what was a poor performance, The Shaymen still managed to create goalscoring opportunities but failed to convert them which only adds to the frustration: โ€œWe had a fair few chances and any other day weโ€™d have been scoring those but today it didnโ€™t seem to go for us, we were just unlucky I suppose.โ€

Following a well earned point against Cambridge United and last weekโ€™s confidence boosting comeback at Aldershot, the mood was positive ahead of the encounter with The Imps so the clubโ€™s top scorer says itโ€™s hard to understand why things didnโ€™t click on the day: โ€œI honestly donโ€™t know what went wrong, we didnโ€™t give ourselves a chance at the start with those two early goals and it killed us. We relied on the wind too much in the second half.โ€

The playing conditions in Lincolnshire were not ideal as a cut up pitch coMBined with blustering wind as Town found it hard to strike up a rhythm. It certainly assisted Tom Millerโ€™s throw-in on three minutes which set up Tomlinsonโ€™s opener, and the visitors found it hard to recover from then on which resulted in a deflated away dressing room at the final whistle: โ€œYeah I think it shocked us because they scored so early and we didnโ€™t expect it but thatโ€™s football and it does that to you. Everyoneโ€™s disappointed but weโ€™re not going to dwell on it and weโ€™re going to move onto Tuesday now.โ€

Much like most defeats there are still a couple of positives to take from the match, most notably the performance of debutant Crowther who signed earlier in the week following his release from Fleetwood. He scored the goal and looked a lively presence throughout which is something Gregory certainly noticed, although heโ€™s not willing to accept that his free kick was intended to find the back of the net: โ€œYeah heโ€™s done well today, heโ€™s good when attacking and scored a great goal today but he canโ€™t claim that as a shot! It was a good goal from a good player.โ€

Gregoryโ€™s name was on the lips of all Shaymen fans yesterday as the Transfer Deadline Day clock ticked down, and as it eventually drew to a close the 25-year-old remained an FC Halifax Town player much to the delight of everyone involved at the club. Whatever may or may not have happened during the course of yesterday, he says heโ€™s glad to still be at The Shay and be part of the play-off push: โ€œDefinitely. I love it here and the fans make me welcome all of the time. Iโ€™ll be honest I did want to move on to push on with my career but it didnโ€™t happen and Iโ€™m happy and I want to see out promotion.โ€

Town now move onto Tuesday night for the re-arranged fixture at home to Salisbury City which represents a must win game in the race for a top five finish: โ€œItโ€™s a must win, weโ€™re very strong at home so we need the three points.โ€

Read more posts by Kelly Gilchrist

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