Saturday’s away day at Lincoln brought another solid defensive display from the Blues with manager Paul Simpson explaining afterwards that there’d been a slight tweak with the threat of a team in good home form in mind.
“We were good in our shape, and we worked hard for each other,” he said. “I asked Jon Mellish just to play with a bit more discipline and to sit in because we’re finding that we’re getting exposed a little bit when he goes on his marauding runs.
“That can leave gaps, so I asked him just to play with a bit more discipline. Apart for that one run in about the 95th minute when he got down the line, I thought he did really well with it.
“He’s allowed to go on his marauding runs when the time is right, but away from home and at places like this where a team has won three nil in both of their games so far, you need a bit more discipline about it.
“You’ve got to come and have a solid base to build from, and I thought we had that. Then we’ve got players over in those forward areas, whether it’s starters or coming off the bench, who are really effective. When we do it all properly we can cause problems.”
“I thought Sam Lavelle locked on really well, Paul Huntington dealt with the nine down the middle, and Callum Guy did a good job in front of them,” he continued. “That all helps.
“I felt with the three centre backs working hard we could get a foothold in the game. For long periods it worked, but I also accept that they had the ball for spells as well.
“But I never felt as though we were troubled by it because of the areas they had the ball in. I’m comfortable if they’re outside the box and not getting through.
“Also I thought as a team we worked their socks off. The lads left feeling really disappointed that they didn’t come away with all three points.”
As ever, the goal conceded will being lessons to be learned.
“I just felt we dropped a little bit too deep,” he told us. “I thought Owen Moxon dropped in deep because our back five had stepped back, and that’s why we weren’t able to get close.
“I think if we’d all squeezed up a couple of extra yards we might have got close. It looked as if it went in a little bit too easy, but I don’t know.
“My perception of it is that it wasn’t a 30-yard screamer. There are things we need to improve on and that was one of them.
“Although they put balls in the box with long throws, free-kicks and corners, we dealt with it really well.
“The three centre backs were outstanding in the way they defended, and we got onto second balls that dropped in and around the box as well. We conceded, it’s disappointing, but we have to take it on the chin and move on.”
Callum Guy’s part in keeping things tight was appearance number 150 for the club.
“It’s good to hear that he’s hit that number and hopefully there’s many more to come from him,” he said.
“He worked really hard, as did the others, and that’s what it’s about. We had the base and he was able to cover, make blocks, and he moved the ball for us and started a lot of things off.
“He showed real control, and he’s another where I still think there’s more to come.”
