December 16th Highroadwellian
A great team performance in all departments, seals LDV Vans Semi-Final North place away at Blackpool in the New Year. Town’s triple headed attack must be singled out for special praise. Mallon, Sagare and Farrell not only ran at the Lincoln defence all night- but interchanged and re-invented the line.. Ryan Mallon receives my MotM vote, he came back to help the defence, the middle as well his role up front.

The extra revenue this win generates should ensure the players get paid on time.

First Half

Town continued where they finished on Saturday with a 4-3-3 formation, the three pronged forked attack consisting of Mallon, Sagare and Farrell.

02 Farrell shows his intent with a shot from a position wide on the right, saved by Marriott.

06 A good cross from Yates on the right, just eludes Farrell on 8 yards.

11 Town’s first corner from Midgley, cleared resulting in a goal kick.

12 Shot from Gain easily covered by Cartwright.

16 Midgley crosses from the left is met by Colley, his shot goes over the bar. Could have done better from there.

20 GOAL 1-0 After a succession of corners, the third one is played short from Midgley, to Sandwith, who’s cross eludes all inside the box and nestles in bottom left side of the net.

26 Town really pressing hard, good runs from midfield by Sagare fizzled out when there was no one left unmarked to pass to.

33 Farrell sets off on a long run down the left, beats his marker, reaches left edge of area, the resulting cross is cleared.

34 Farrell is just beaten to the ball in the area by keeper Marriott after a defensive headed error.

38 Good Town footwork a Yates long ball finds Midgley who switches direction forward to Owen, who plays to Farrell on the wing, his cross cleared for a corner.

43 A speculative shot from Dudgeon 35 yards from goal, saved by Marriott.

Straight down to the other end, a cross cum shot from Cropper caught by Cartwright.

44 Lincoln’s best move, ball played up to the goal line inside area on the left, angled ball crossed to Cropper who heads wide from 6 yards. Could have been Lincoln’s turning point.

Second Half

Hudson replaces the injured Bushell.

51 Owen forces the attack forward with measured aggression, finds Sagare, who crosses for Mallon, his header is good but pushed out by Marriott for a corner. Mallon gets another great header in from the corner, headed off the line by a defender, but the referee had blown for an infringement.

54 Farrell shot from edge of area clears crossbar.

55 Midgley steals into the box onto a Farrell pass, after Farrell received a defence splitting pass from Mallon, from a great position Midgley’s shot is struck well and just clears Marriott’s left upright. That could have sealed the tie.

57 Dudgeon heads over a Sandwith corner.

60 Midgley’s corner, Sandwith’s head and Marriott saves.

63 Farrell cuts in from the left along the top of the area and shoots, but it’s easily saved.

68 Cropper gets down the right wing unmarked, produces a cross straight across the face of the Town goal.

73 Mallon held off the ball by Bailey inside the box, looked a blatant penalty, but nothing given.

80 Another surging forward run from Owen, he releases Sagare, but his shot his saved by Marriott.

Halifax Town 1 (Sandwith 20)

Cartwright, Sandwith, Bushell (Hudson 45) , Mallon, Midgley (Hockenhull 76), Owen, Colley, Sagare, Dudgeon, Farrell (Allan 85), Yates.

Unused Subs: Lee, Killeen.

Yellow Cards: Sandwith (46)

Lincoln City 0

Marriott, Bailey (Bloomer 86), Mayo, Futcher, Morgan, Butcher, Yeo, Cropper, Gain, McNamara (Pearce 60), Liburd (Sedgemore 65)

Unused Subs: May, Whattley.

Yellow Cards: None

Attendance: 1162