A gallant effort

[Barmby Rover]

Myself, and others were giving up hope at half time. It was a really big mountain to climb, but give the lads a massive amount of respect, they came out and pushed a £50-60 million pound team into panic and disorganisation, and nearly pulled off what seemed impossible. So this season's FA cup campaign has ended, but what they have shown themselves and us is what they can do if they let go and do what they can with their skills. Fingers crossed the second half of the season can be like the second half of this match and we will see them rise up the division. The way it is working out nothing is beyond possible.

[ncRover]

Fot mobs player fact

Francis Okoronkwo had the least touches (29) of any outfield player to play 90 minutes.

Often the case for centre forwards in any game.

[DollyRover]

Some positives from the second half for sure but still some of the issues that have led to us being where we are. Losing the ball in midfield and they are right at our back 4 for the first goal. Not being able to put together a full 90 minute performance. We can sign all the forwards we want but its another game where we have conceded too many goals. We desperately need some quality at the back. Also not sure what i make of two loan keepers, maybe one has an option to sign at the end of the season but at the moment i don't see that being tlt.
Definitely positives but it means nothing if we don't take that second half performance into the next few games for the 90 minutes

[BillyStubbsTears]

It should also be said they were and and are a good championship level club, with aspirations of getting back in the Prem.

For reference, Bolton went off a shorter price to beat us than Saints did today.

I'm not surprised.

Southampton played nearly a full second XI.

In that context, the first half was an utterly shocking performance. Yes we gave them a game in the second half, but overall, that was a massive chance missed.

[GazLaz]

It should also be said they were and and are a good championship level club, with aspirations of getting back in the Prem.

For reference, Bolton went off a shorter price to beat us than Saints did today.

I'm not surprised.

Southampton played nearly a full second XI.

In that context, the first half was an utterly shocking performance. Yes we gave them a game in the second half, but overall, that was a massive chance missed.

So obvious what our issues are and what needs to be addressed to stay in L1.

[Chris Black come back]

Not sure how long this front 4 is going to endure as that leaves Bailey and Gotts to do a hell of a lot of tracking and covering. Interested to see Adelakun play in the role Gibson did today.

[GazLaz]

Not sure how long this front 4 is going to endure as that leaves Bailey and Gotts to do a hell of a lot of tracking and covering. Interested to see Adelakun play in the role Gibson did today.

Interesting that Grant chose to play Gibson there in this game. Thought he linked up well with Haks. Certainly two good footballers on the same wave length. I thought Gibson looked tidy in there. He’s got so much ability it’s crazy. Just don’t see 100% of it every week do we. Haks looked tidy without setting the world alight. Again, more ability than our other men, hopefully we can get him at it for the next 4 months.

Same praise for Gotts as mentioned by others. Busy, better on the ball than others and good without it.

[Chris Black come back]

We had a devastating 10 minutes in the second half where we crucified them and that was when the two full backs joined in the punishment beating we were giving out, so there was a huge overload of 8 of our players all attacking.

[Lesonthewest]

Mainly due to excellent balls in from Gotts and then Middleton, finally we have some threat from corners today. Created all kinds of issues for them.

Agree, I thought our crosses/corners were the best I've seen for a long time.

[jmt23]

Gotts corners and free kicks were superb today, so hard to defend when they come in like that.

I also think that new midfield lad(forgot his name) looks like he could be a player based only on that short cameo, he’s physical,gets about and isn’t scared to shoot.
Bring on the league games now.

[GazLaz]

Mainly due to excellent balls in from Gotts and then Middleton, finally we have some threat from corners today. Created all kinds of issues for them.

Agree, I thought our crosses/corners were the best I've seen for a long time.

Finally started taking a few in swingers as well!! Gotts is a good set piece taker. They were a big weapon for Barrow when he was there.

[big fat yorkshire pudding]

It surprised me he's not taken so many. I remember pre barrow last year McCann calling out Gotts' set pieces.

The new midfielder Robinson got involved too, he probably should have hit the target with the one in the box, but both shots he hit had huge power.

[BillyStubbsTears]

We had a devastating 10 minutes in the second half where we crucified them and that was when the two full backs joined in the punishment beating we were giving out, so there was a huge overload of 8 of our players all attacking.

Grand. Trouble is, the "you score 3 and we'll score 2" school of buccaneering football doesn't win you many matches.

Yes it was good to watch in the second half, but overall, over the full 90 minutes it was a poor performance against a side we could and probably should have beaten. Setting ourselves out with such an attacking line up from the start, but playing 45 minutes with so little organisation or intensity or basic work rate is absolutely unacceptable.

They played a starting outfield 10 with an average age of 22, and we showed in the second half that we could out-mester them. But for much of the first half, it felt like we were playing a training game where our players had been told to play at 75%.

[dickos1]

It should also be said they were and and are a good championship level club, with aspirations of getting back in the Prem.

For reference, Bolton went off a shorter price to beat us than Saints did today.

I'm not surprised.

Southampton played nearly a full second XI.

In that context, the first half was an utterly shocking performance. Yes we gave them a game in the second half, but overall, that was a massive chance missed.

They had a striker who they paid 15 million for and a centre half who played for England last year.
And you’re mocking the level of opposition

[Bentley Bullet]

Didn't their side cost £100m?

[BillyStubbsTears]

It should also be said they were and and are a good championship level club, with aspirations of getting back in the Prem.

For reference, Bolton went off a shorter price to beat us than Saints did today.

I'm not surprised.

Southampton played nearly a full second XI.

In that context, the first half was an utterly shocking performance. Yes we gave them a game in the second half, but overall, that was a massive chance missed.

They had a striker who they paid 15 million for and a centre half who played for England last year.
And you’re mocking the level of opposition

Where am I "mocking the level of the opposition"?

I'm pointing out facts that it was a talented but very young side, few of whom have been regular starters in a side that has struggled in the Championship.

And we made it embarrassingly easy for them to put the game out of our reach.

If you have any counter comments to that, please do make them without making shit up.

By the way. The side that Macclesfield harried out of their stride today collectively cost about £150m and had just shy of 200 caps for England, Spain, Argentina, Croatia, USA and Nigeria.

And we demonstrated in the second half that we could put battle the young opposition we faced today, once we actually started to play with a bit of momentum and aggression.


As usual, I'm not entirely sure what your point is.

[ncRover]

I think some people’s expectation of us getting to and staying in the Championship is an outdated expectation.

Clubs there have wage bills of £20m+. Even teams at the lower end of the table routinely spend 7 figures on signings.

And even then, how would our scouting network compete? Every Championship club seems to have spawned 2 or 3 top quality South Korean / Japanese players, while our recruitment is mostly players we notice by playing against or playing for McCann in the past!

It isn’t 2010 and it isn’t a division of Glenn Murrays and Luke Varneys anymore.

Lincoln have taken four seasons in this league to get to where they are! They are worth keeping an eye on as something for us to realistically aim for.

(This isn’t me being grumpy, I don’t have an issue watching 3rd tier football, especially nowadays)

[DollyRover]

while our recruitment is mostly players we notice by playing against or playing for McCann in the past!

Don't forget being the offspring of 

[Pancho Regan]

It should also be said they were and and are a good championship level club, with aspirations of getting back in the Prem.

For reference, Bolton went off a shorter price to beat us than Saints did today.

I'm not surprised.

Southampton played nearly a full second XI.

In that context, the first half was an utterly shocking performance. Yes we gave them a game in the second half, but overall, that was a massive chance missed.

They had a striker who they paid 15 million for and a centre half who played for England last year.
And you’re mocking the level of opposition

Where am I "mocking the level of the opposition"?

I'm pointing out facts that it was a talented but very young side, few of whom have been regular starters in a side that has struggled in the Championship.

And we made it embarrassingly easy for them to put the game out of our reach.

If you have any counter comments to that, please do make them without making shit up.

By the way. The side that Macclesfield harried out of their stride today collectively cost about £150m and had just shy of 200 caps for England, Spain, Argentina, Croatia, USA and Nigeria.

And we demonstrated in the second half that we could put battle the young opposition we faced today, once we actually started to play with a bit of momentum and aggression.


As usual, I'm not entirely sure what your point is.

Bore off BST.

[Draytonian III]

The England centre half’s father in law was a fairly good player

[Usher wide.]

We had a devastating 10 minutes in the second half where we crucified them and that was when the two full backs joined in the punishment beating we were giving out, so there was a huge overload of 8 of our players all attacking.

Grand. Trouble is, the "you score 3 and we'll score 2" school of buccaneering football doesn't win you many matches.

Yes it was good to watch in the second half, but overall, over the full 90 minutes it was a poor performance against a side we could and probably should have beaten. Setting ourselves out with such an attacking line up from the start, but playing 45 minutes with so little organisation or intensity or basic work rate is absolutely unacceptable.

They played a starting outfield 10 with an average age of 22, and we showed in the second half that we could out-mester them. But for much of the first half, it felt like we were playing a training game where our players had been told to play at 75%.

Pardon me for pi**ing on your negative bag of chips but….

We gifted them their first, a wicked deflection fell nicely for their second, but I will grant you we should have dealt with their third better, notwithstanding they are a Championship side still benefiting from parachute payments thus able to pay for & attract better players than us.

Second half they were surprised at our ‘up & at ‘em’ attitude allied with pace, conviction & will to attack which we did with great conviction in midfield, width either side & that with two new starters to the line up.

Many sides would have capitulated at 3-0 down at home against a team that has consistently played at a level or much more above us for so many years.

Shame on you for ‘playing the vulture’ & picking at the bones yet again today.

It’s become a feature of your posts.

[Colemans Left Hook]

I had to listen on their local radio - here are my quotes from lucky pint

"listening on radio Solent they are quite good  - he never stops speaking to his foreign mate.

He just said Harry Clifton was in the Grimsby team who embarrassed Southampton 3 years ago in the F A Cup.

Commentator said Tutala could have been to blame for the first goal when he parried but Tutala did a good save to keep it 2-0

Apologies for the late report but had to make Mrs Coleman a cup of tea -- AT LEAST THE TEA IS STILL IN THE CUP"

-------------------------------------


0-3 "A really good header from someone not known for his heading ability"
---------------------------------------

commentator says Gotts has been everywhere today

robinson has been signed from hartlepool according to radio solent
------------------------------------

Soton either hadn't won for 6 games or lost them all and pre-match the lead commentator was still recovering from being hammered 4-0 by Middlesbrough. They mentioned we beat them 4-0 but forgot to mention we were away.
Soton made the changes due to the hammering was it 8 from memory ?.

So the 3rd goal goes down as a fluke.
when it got to 3-2 their commentary was like the Battle of the Alamo waves and waves of attack from us and they expected the worst.

With Bailey having his "so called "worst game of the season it hopefully keeps the last minute of the transfer window vultures away?

[Padge_DRFC]

We had a devastating 10 minutes in the second half where we crucified them and that was when the two full backs joined in the punishment beating we were giving out, so there was a huge overload of 8 of our players all attacking.

Grand. Trouble is, the "you score 3 and we'll score 2" school of buccaneering football doesn't win you many matches.

Yes it was good to watch in the second half, but overall, over the full 90 minutes it was a poor performance against a side we could and probably should have beaten. Setting ourselves out with such an attacking line up from the start, but playing 45 minutes with so little organisation or intensity or basic work rate is absolutely unacceptable.

They played a starting outfield 10 with an average age of 22, and we showed in the second half that we could out-mester them. But for much of the first half, it felt like we were playing a training game where our players had been told to play at 75%.

It should also be said they were and and are a good championship level club, with aspirations of getting back in the Prem.

For reference, Bolton went off a shorter price to beat us than Saints did today.

I'm not surprised.

Southampton played nearly a full second XI.

In that context, the first half was an utterly shocking performance. Yes we gave them a game in the second half, but overall, that was a massive chance missed.

They had a striker who they paid 15 million for and a centre half who played for England last year.
And you’re mocking the level of opposition

Where am I "mocking the level of the opposition"?

I'm pointing out facts that it was a talented but very young side, few of whom have been regular starters in a side that has struggled in the Championship.

And we made it embarrassingly easy for them to put the game out of our reach.

If you have any counter comments to that, please do make them without making shit up.

By the way. The side that Macclesfield harried out of their stride today collectively cost about £150m and had just shy of 200 caps for England, Spain, Argentina, Croatia, USA and Nigeria.

And we demonstrated in the second half that we could put battle the young opposition we faced today, once we actually started to play with a bit of momentum and aggression.


As usual, I'm not entirely sure what your point is.

It's probably the sentence about we should be beating the side they put out. We're in no position to be saying that since September 2025

[tommy toes]

Once again I’ll be accused of being BST’s fan boy, but I largely agree with him.
We didn’t compete in the first half and just let them do what they wanted. It could have been 5-1 to them at half time.
Their big left back was strolling through the game, having as much time as he wanted to pick out killer passes under absolutely no pressure.
It was unforgivable.
Second half, when we got stuck in, the same player was booting it anywhere.
So it figures that if we’d been up for it from the start, we could and should have beaten them.

[GazLaz]

Once again I’ll be accused of being BST’s fan boy, but I largely agree with him.
We didn’t compete in the first half and just let them do what they wanted. It could have been 5-1 to them at half time.
Their big left back was strolling through the game, having as much time as he wanted to pick out killer passes under absolutely no pressure.
It was unforgivable.
Second half, when we got stuck in, the same player was booting it anywhere.
So it figures that if we’d been up for it from the start, we could and should have beaten them.

We did some good things yesterday, showed spirit and could have nicked an equaliser at the end. A couple of things need to be highlighted though…

They had some very good players involved, love Harwood Bellis in particular, but they did make lots of changes and in football teams are only as strong as their weakest few players, not as strong as their best few. That’s why they went of greater than even money to win the game.

The other thing is that what happens at 3-0 down is far less of a performance barometer than what happens at 0-0.

Yet again the players didn’t lack spirit, that’s not something that they have been guilty of at all this season. They just lacked quality.

It could have been an extremely fun end to the game but it wasn’t.

[tommy toes]

How can you say they didn’t lack spirit Gaz?
It was exactly what they lacked in the first half.

[GazLaz]

How can you say they didn’t lack spirit Gaz?
It was exactly what they lacked in the first half.

Individual mistakes cost us first half. It wasn’t a lack of effort.

[Ian Nimmo]

Besides the 3rd goal Senior was very good
Gotts MOM by a mile
Bailey was that his last Rovers game ?

Could well be last game, I don’t think he’s been at his best in last couple of games, and he may be aware he is wanted elsewhere, which he will have to seriously consider.

[Ian Nimmo]

Fantastic second half, Gotts was excellent and Haks just makes things happen

I agree. Also think the lad from everton showed promise & never stopped running.
We do need to strengthen the defence tho, particulary centre half.
Billy offered nothing again im afraid.
Bailey had an off day by his standards

Billy offered nothing? he wasn't amazing by any stretch but he nearly scored twice at the end so think you're being a tad too harsh.

Totally agree, to say he offered nothing is a joke. He gave the centre backs more to deal with than in the first half.
Personally I would have started Billy.

Nice to see the appreciation from their fans when he came on.

[Fal]

Besides the 3rd goal Senior was very good
Gotts MOM by a mile
Bailey was that his last Rovers game ?

Could well be last game, I don’t think he’s been at his best in last couple of games, and he may be aware he is wanted elsewhere, which he will have to seriously consider.

A bit confused here, are you basing this on the so called Middlesbrough rumours that clearly was created by some random bloke on X?