Lincoln City boss Chris Sutton positive after Johnstone's Paint Trophy exit
CHRIS SUTTON felt Lincoln City were unfortunate to exit the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy last night as they slipped to defeat against Rotherham.
Adam Le Fondre's second-half strike was enough to seal a 1-0 win for the Millers, who have now beaten the Imps twice in the space of a month.
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Lincoln's Ben Hutchinson reacts after he pulled his shot wide of the goal against Rotherham.
The striker's goal was the only highlight of a dreadful game which saw little in the way of goalmouth action with neither goalkeeper seriously tested.
Sutton felt there was nothing between the two sides and rued the deflection that aided Le Fondre’s goal which still leaves the Imps looking for a first win at Rotherham since 1957.
"Did we deserve to lose? Probably not. Was it a soft goal? Yes, it was," he said.
"These games are always 50/50 and we have to ensure we have more steel and resilience to make sure we win more than we lose.
"We are not doing things massively wrong, and we lost by a deflected goal so we are disappointed."
Sutton refused to blame the absence of key players for the defeat with Mustapha Carayol, Gavin McCallum and Albert Jarrett all missing.
"The players who played last night are in the first-team squad," he said.
"We didn't do too badly but I still feel we have to improve our service into the feet of the frontmen.
"When we did slide nice balls in to the forwards, we looked dangerous.
"Having said that there were a couple of square pegs in round holes because of missing players, but that’s not an issue."
Sutton had spoken in the build up to the game about avoiding injuries, and he was not pleased to see Paul Green limp off in the first half with a hamstring strain.
He is now doubtful for Saturday's trip to Chesterfield.
"I don't know how long he will be out for because I'm not a doctor," he said.
"But we’ll assess him and see how big the problem is."
Meanwhile, Lincoln completed the signing of Hamada Noussoura Adifane yesterday in their only business on transfer deadline day.
The midfielder, who is from the island of Reunion and has been on trial throughout the summer, has signed a deal until December 31.
Meanwhile, Shane Clarke and Chris Fagan both left the club yesterday after having the remainder of their contracts paid up.
IN YOUR ECHO: Match report, ratings and pictures.
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by Luke W, Lincoln
Thursday, September 02 2010, 6:16PM
“Fair point, Isambard.
Didn't mean to make it sound it wouldn't work, just trying to make clear that the Board have tried to do something different instead of taking the same line with appointments all the time.”
by High Cam Imp, My Bedroom
Thursday, September 02 2010, 5:30PM
“Lincoln are poo, discuss.”
by Isambard, Brunel
Thursday, September 02 2010, 1:46PM
“Luke, a well written post, however, I've always wondered why people are categorised in such a way. Just because one individual "who knows the division" (alledgedly) doesn't work out, shouldn't be the reason to move to another category.
Like with England, we hear that "we've tried foriegn managers"...no, we've tried Svena and Fabio.
Others (Jose or Arsene for example) would be the same i.e foreign but different people and they might work.
It's about the individual.
Up the Imps”
by Gary, Newtoft
Thursday, September 02 2010, 11:12AM
“Look 'Pops' clearly we are going to have to agree to disagree. My Chesterfield comment was based on the assumption that should we fail to win then the usual bile will be spouted on here by people who are not at the game. I will grant you the fact it isn't cheap to support the Imps and if I didn't do the job I did there I wouldn't make as many games as I do. I never said not going to games means you are less of a fan, I suggested not going to games leaves you in a slightly less informed position to comment on performance - a la Hykeham Imp.
I don't think 'fans' of the club are graded by how many games they attend a season, but the weight of their evaluation of performances does. Does Hykeham Imp go to games? Probably not. Does he then come on here to try and get a rise out of fans with ill informed comments? Yes he does. Does it work? 31 comments later suggests it probably does.
I am angry at the moment, bordering on seething with the attitude of several sections of City fans, and frankly Pops I don't know whether you fall into that catergory or not. As I said in Mondays Echo too many people expect a quick fix, instant results and that doesn't happen. As a season ticket holder of 17 years, how many times have we progressed further than the first couple of rounds in the JPT? Once? Twice? Yet not progressing during the Keith era never did us any harm did it? The key competition is the League, pure and simple. Therefore my 'pointless' comments were aimed at the insane ramblings of posters who feel a JPT defeat with five first teamers out is in some way detrimental to our clubs progress overall.
The players hear the rumblings of discontent in the stands, in my opinion premature rumblings by the same old faces. Sincil Bank needs to be a place of noise, of unending support for the boys. Even if we are losing or playing badly the fans have an important role to play and this is a point I am trying to get across. I'm sorry if my support and passion for the club is pointless, and if my ability to see beyond one or two results at the start of a long campaign is somehow obtuse but thats the way it is. I am a fan, not judged on the number of games I go to or how long I've been going, but judged on the fact I actually get behind the team.”
by Jonathan Ricketts, London
Thursday, September 02 2010, 11:05AM
“Pops, that is a fair post but I don't mind people being negative, if it is rational. The only reason I have said Hykeham is a Grimsby fan is that previously he was unheard of and strangely Mark Budgen, Mariner and Mike Cycott have all vanished who espoused similar views to get people wound up. It worked and even gets people arguing over their existence.”