MOTM: Lincoln City 0-1 Bolton Wanderers

That was a great textbook away performance, getting stronger as the game went on and taking advantage of a sloppy moment from the Imps, while benefiting from some luck, to secure a priceless three points. We’re off the mark!

There’s probably half a dozen men in White who could be in the reckoning for the much coveted LoV MOTM award.

Sarce put in another captains shift, despite things not quite coming off for him at times in the final third. Scoring the winner is a pretty compelling case, though.

Ricardo Santos and George Johnston were part of a defensive effort that yielded a second consecutive clean sheet for them as a pair, after their shut-out versus Barnsley. I felt like both were caught out playing out from the back at times, though, which is obviously an occupational hazard with Evatt’s preferred way of playing.

MJ did his usual important screening job and played a cracking ball into the channel, one which led to Josh Griffiths making the decision to charge out of his goal and the chaos that ensued ended with the ball in the Imps net!

My choice for last nights star man was between someone who just puts in so much effort every time he plays and our actual star man, playing for the Whites, in Dapo Afolayan.

Dapo took the bull by the horns in the second half and his direct, skilful and tireless running at defenders pushed the whole team up the pitch ten to fifteen yards, as we gained territorial advantage around the hour mark, just as the feed came back on our friends at iFollow.

He’s so often the catalyst for our wins with the fear he puts into defenders, and certainly played a huge part at the LNER stadium last night.

The player who has just pipped Dapo though, is a man who’ve I’ve grown to love in a white shirt, who’s effort and determination shines through. He consistently does what’s best for the team.

Lloyd Isgrove arrived at Bolton as a fairly low key, free agent signing. Coming in on a one-year deal, pre-Newport County debacle, he was announced at 2pm, alongside Arthur Gnahoua. He took his time to make an impact in a white shirt. But after Ian Evatt realised his industry and off-the-ball work was becoming pivotal in our victories, he became a mainstay in the promotion run in. He scored the vital winner at the Peninsula in the 1-0 win over Salford with a cross-cum-shot that drifted in and then capped off a wonderful day in Essex with the fourth goal in the promotion sealing win at Crawley.

He has had to be patient this season, only starting the Barnsley Carabao Cup tie thus far, as the more direct threat and brawn of Amadou Bakayoko has been difficult to shift.

But boy did he take his chance after Baka’s unfortunate calf strain last night.

No sulking about being left out so far in the league this season, just 52 minutes of pure industry, heart and some great link up with fellow Welshman Gethin Jones down the right flank. The culmination of this was him nicking the ball off ex-Wanderer Liam Bridcutt on the touchline; a perfect example of his relentless, intelligent pressing that is so key to creating turnovers high up the pitch. In tandem with Elias Kachunga, he set in motion the sequence of events which led to our winner.

His final act was to harass and force a mistake from a Lincoln winger, just as they were about to swing in a cross as the clock ticked towards 95 minutes. This despite only four minutes added on time being raised up by the fourth official’s board. This epitomises Lloyd’s attitude and endeavour. We’ll need all our squad to have a successful season and Evatt knows how important character and heart are in his players. This boyo has it in spades.

Lloyd Isgrove, I salute you Sir!!

COYWM!!!