Michael Skubala was left frustrated after a game that he thought summed up Lincoln City‘s season.
Cambridge United levelled before the break, after Freddie Draper had given the Imps the lead in the game that followed the signing of his new contract.
It ended that way, with Lincoln reduced to 10-men late on after the controversial sending off for debutant Joe Gardner.
A good start but “disappointing” end:
Speaking in the hours after the game, Skubala said: “It was disappointing after the first 30 minutes. I thought we started the game well, went 1-0 up, and we had chances to score again. At 2-0 the game is done.
“But, I think their first chance of the game we concede, and all of a sudden it’s a different game and they have something to hang on to.
“We had chances cleared off the line, we had another one saved. We have to score, and that feels a little bit like the story of our season really. We’re having chances to score goals, and it doesn’t matter who puts it in, we’re not scoring.
“We’re trying every way possible to try and get those goals, and it’s not like we’re not creating those chances. But, then we get sucker-punched and it’s 1-1.”
The late red card:
The Imps boss described the second-half as frustrating, after his Lincoln City side found it difficult to break down a dogged Cambridge, who came into the game bottom of Sky Bet League One.
Skubala said: “Those types of games where Cambridge, and let’s be honest, will be happy to take a point from here with where their position is. They make the game slow and stodgy, and we don’t react to that.
“And we can’t get going on, and that’s the disappointing thing.”
Nottingham Forest loanee Joe Gardner was dismissed only a few minutes into his debut off the bench. It was a tackle that happened right in front of the visiting dugout, with the youngster lunging in.
Skubala said: “I think their bench got him sent off if I’m honest… because there’s hardly anything in it. I’ve seen worse tackles throughout the game that than.”
“There’s hardly anything in it, the poor kid’s come on for his debut and in two minutes he’s made a tackle. I don’t even think he’s off the ground, he’s just got there late and because their bench is up in arms, I think the referee gives them the red card.
“It’s a yellow card, there is no doubt about that, but it’s not a red card. And, I think if it’s over the other side of the pitch or in the middle of the pitch then it’s a yellow card.”
A poor goal to concede:
The defensive work of the Imps was questioned in the post-match interview, with Skubala asked about the goal James Gibbons netted before the break.
He replied: “We have to do better individually in those moments. And that’s the disappointing thing… there’s a few things in there as a team that we can do better at. It’s an awful goal to concede really, it’s a soft goal.”
The ball was deflected in off Sean Roughan, after Gibbons lashed his effort from outside the box when given too much space to shoot.
Skubala was keen to emphasis that his squad are not dropping points due to their efforts, but instead a lack of goalscoring.
He said: “It’s not through effort, and I’m not going to challenge their effort in terms of how hard they work off the ball and how hard they want to win. It’s not through desire, that’s not the thing.”