Exeter City vs Lincoln City

[Moomin]

Bleddy hell it only seems two minutes ago we were up against each other in the play offs....

Since then a lot has happened at our place and Lincoln seem to have done some very good transfer business which should see them improve on last season. I always felt they were a decent striker away from being a top 3 team and now having Akinde plus McCarten will make them much stronger in that department. Shackell is also a superb signing.

Both teams have started well although we were curtailed on Saturday and made some silly errors in giving away two penalties but a positive is that we played well with 10 men.

I am hoping Brown will be back to partner the impressive Aaron Martin and I’d like Abrahams to partner Jayden Stockley up top. It will be a very tough game and I can see either a draw or a win by the odd goal either way.

Think it may end 1-1. Lee Martin for us and Matt Green for the Imps.

 

[gijsbert_bos]

In the League we've looked much more assured at home than away, so this will be a big test for us and I can see us losing, maybe 2-1.

 

[GodsGift]

Would take a draw. 1-1, Harry Anderson for us.

 

[Devon_Lad]

Can't see us losing. We've looked very solid in all of our matches, beaten a full strength championship side without a full team ourselves out. Only lost to MK thanks to two penalty decisions and a sending off - And even then with 10 men we looked like the better side.

Either 2-0 or 3-1 to us.

 

[wangle]

Would run to the hills with a draw. Big test on Saturday, and has already been said we’ve pretty dire away from home (apart from against Vale in the cup). However we have scored in every game. Should be a cracker!

 

[denzel ecfc]

1-1. Stockley and Akindepen.

Should be a good crowd

 

[Imp in Branston]

Definitely take a point right now, expect it might be our first league defeat though.

 

[Moomin]

Well it looks like both clubs are resting plenty of players in readiness for Saturday.

 

[Sydney Posse]

Has the feel of a big game. I notice both teams rested players in the cup. Will be very tough and a bit of luck may come into it. I think we will nick it, we won the home league game and the play off overall last season and we are VERY good at getting results at home

 

[Wooderson]

How is Forte getting on, Grecians?

 

[Devon_Lad]

How is Forte getting on, Grecians?

Great start to the season, very good player. He's injured now though and out for at least a few weeks with a hamstring.

 

[Moomin]

Great start to the season, very good player. He's injured now though and out for at least a few weeks with a hamstring.

Has that been confirmed officially?

But yeah he’s done well so far and has scored 2 goals. I get the feeling he will get these type of injuries fairly often due to him being an explosive runner and he’s now 32, which is a huge shame.

 

[Devon_Lad]

Has that been confirmed officially?

But yeah he’s done well so far and has scored 2 goals. I get the feeling he will get these type of injuries fairly often due to him being an explosive runner and he’s now 32, which is a huge shame.

Not sure if it's been confirmed how long he's out for or if it is his hamstring.. But from when he came off it looked pretty obvious. And Matt is considering a loanee to replace him so I'd imagine it's not going to be an immediate recovery.

 

[Wooderson]

Good to hear he is doing well, although he did have a few problems with his hammy at our place. Pretty glad he will probably miss our game to be honest - he would likely have scored and prompted a meltdown among our fanbase, although his chief nemesis has now obviously left.

 

[Davidimp]

From the bit I've seen us so far (3 league home games and a couple of friendlies) my star man has been Bruno Andrade.
Looks like he's going to be some player.
We've played a variety of formations and styles and I'm pretty certain the whole squad has started at least one of the seven games so far.
Thought we looked at our best playing a 4141 formation last week v Notts. O'Connor was the shield giving Pett and Frecklington freedom to support Akinde, who in turn was far more involved in the game that he had been before.
Very happy with a drawing this one,think I was at our last win in Exeter way back in December 1997 when goals from Lee Thorpe and Steve Brown got us a 2-1 win having been behind.

 

[Luke Imp]

^ Looked very much 4-3-3 last week!

If we go 4-3-3(!) again, it'll be much different to the 4-3-3 we played in the PO game. It worked for a part last season but wasn't overly convincing because we didn't really have the players to play it effectively. This season we do, and in Akinde we've got more of a mobile, all round striker who can deal with being up front on his own.

No Vickers or Habergham for us. Hoping Wharton and McCartan will be available after missing the last two. Not sure Shackell will be playing three games in a week.

Don't think we'll risk going with Akinde, Andrade, Anderson and McCartan from the off. That's probably a little too attacking away from home at who I expect to be a promotion rival.

Only slight concern is that, even at this early stage, our home and away performance seem quite a way apart, which is similar to last season.

Smith

Eardley
Bostwick
Shackell/Wharton
Toffolo

O'Connor
Frecklington
Pett

Anderson
Akinde
Andrade

 

[Conker]

Matt Green was great upfront on his own for Mansfield, his pace and power worked havoc.

Been a few years mind, does he still have the pace and power?

 

[wangle]

Matt Green was great upfront on his own for Mansfield, his pace and power worked havoc.

Been a few years mind, does he still have the pace and power?

He’s a great player in my mind, maybe sometimes underrated because he probably doesn’t score enough. He might not have all the pace he used to have, but he’s still quick and he will chase any thing and everything. He has a surprising amount of upper body strength and is excellent at holding up the ball. That added to his work rate means he constantly wins you territory, cheap throw ins and corners. He does love to give away stupid free kicks though.

 

[Davidimp]

Matt Green was great upfront on his own for Mansfield, his pace and power worked havoc.

Been a few years mind, does he still have the pace and power?

As wangle says he's still got a great engine and covers so much ground in chasing lost causes. Real class act and I rate him highly. Much prefer him playing through the middle than out wide, wastes his goalscoring ability.

 

[Conker]

Steve Evans biggest mistake, Green would have loved to stay here probably until he finished his career if possible.

He went for ‘better value’ and didn’t find it in Hemmings, Angol or Spencer. Idiot.

His biggest downfall is in front of goal, but I bet with a bit of luck he’s still capable of 20 a season down the middle, he’s got so much more than the goals though.

 

[Davidimp]

Some of our fans really don't appreciate what he does for us during the game, very odd as for me his workrate is awesome

 

[Imp in Branston]

Green would be starting for me, guess it shows the options Dc has with Akinde, Rhead, McCartan and Andrade too.

 

[Luke Imp]

Agree Green could still play up front on his own - he did it well last season. Even when he went 15(?) without scoring he was still contributing, running the channels etc, which is why he was never dropped.

As David says, some didn't fully appreciate what he was offering the team at that time, which was a little surprising given that, at the time, we had had just over a year under DC with several numbers 9's who's primary job wasn't necessarily to score (Southwell, Muldoon, Margetts etc) - they were there to do a specific job for the team.

I'd suggest Akinde is better at holding the ball up than Green and can win more in the air.

 

[gijsbert_bos]

So 2-0 up at half time. Freck's goal sounds a lovely move and Akinde's sounds like classic Akinde. Still 45 minutes to go but I am very pleasantly surprised that we are winning.

 

[denzel ecfc]

Crap defending. Games not over yet.

 

[Moomin]

We’ve been very poor really and Lincoln fully deserve their lead. Akinde took his goal very well but the defence was all at sea.

Need to improve massively and the next goal is crucial. A shot on target would be nice.

 

[GodsGift]

3-0, own goal. Absolute dreamland.

 

[Imp in Branston]

Unexpected win, will definitely take 3 points after such a tough start to the season. Looks like Akinde is finally getting into his stride, not going to be complacent though, as long as we stay in and around the top 7, I will be happy.

 

[Conker]

Lincoln fans should be feeling very confident after that result, not to mention the promotion rivals you would expect are struggling too.

 

[Davidimp]

A real statement of intent today by the sounds of it from listening on the radio.
Danny Cowley has said it was our best away performance in the league under him.
Really thought we'd only get a draw today but the two goals on half time after some pressure from Exeter totally changed it.
Our experienced players are really coming to the fore, like Shackell, Bostwick,Eardley, Frecklington, O'Connor and Akinde. Keeping these guys fit and using the the rest of the squad to unable us to do that is going to be the key for us.
5 wins out of 6 is beyond my expectations that's for sure.