Defender Tom Hamer felt that Lincoln City conceded preventable goals during their defeat to Birmingham City on Saturday.
He spoke to the media after the Imps defeat to the SkyBet League One table-toppers.
“Sloppy goals”:
On the game overall, Hamer said: “We conceded two sloppy goals, we can’t let them get shots from the edge of the box, we should have blocked them despite us giving it a good go.
“They didn’t get too many chances, but the chances they did create they worked well.”
Hamer had a lot of admiration for Saturday’s opposition, giving the table-toppers the credit they deserve.
“They’re the best team we have played this season. Everyone knows that they’ve spent a lot of money and that they want to get back to the Championship but that is what it is.”
Despite gaining no points from the match, the Englishman was happy with the way that he and his teammates performed over the duration of the 90, as well as the first 10 league matches overall.
He said: “Off the ball I’d say we’re one of the best teams in the league, especially with the press and counter-press. We’ve seen all season that we have been good on set pieces. It’s something we work hard on in training but that [sticking pressure on them from the start] was the tactic.”
The 3-1 scoreline could be considered an unfair reflection on the match, as Lincoln City showed their usual desire and hunger to fight throughout the match.
Hamer noted the team’s mentality, and said: “A team like them [Birmingham] have a lot of possession and they’re good on the ball. The way we press takes a toll but we have a fit and strong team.
“We have a long season ahead and we need to keep doing what we’re doing.”
Influenced by a spot-kick:
Reeco Hackett missed from the spot with his first kick of the game, following Conor McGrandles being impeded. Blues goalkeeper Ryan Allsop made a good save down to his right, much to the disappointment of the fans in the LNER Stadium.
On the miss, Hamer said: “With the score at 2-1, we could have gone on to win the game or get a draw which would have been a good result but people miss penalties, it’s a part of the game. It’s how we react to it. We go again on Tuesday.”
Tuesday night sees the Imps travel south to Crawley in SkyBet League One action, as City look to get back to winning ways on the road.
Feature Image Credit: Graham Burrell