MERRY WHITEHOUSE
Elliott goes from man about Town to City slicker to snatch glory for Lincoln
ELLIOTT WHITEHOUSE’S career has taken him on a tour of some of football’s lesser-known Towns.
But the 24-year-old from Worksop turned into a big-City slicker under The Arch with the only goal to win the Checkatrade Trophy.
Whitehouse has plied his trade at Alfreton Town, Nuneaton Town and Halifax Town in a journeyman career, struggling to find a home.
The striker hasn’t even been a regular at Lincoln this season but he was on hand to scoop home a 16th-minute winner (below) after Luke Waterfall’s volley had cannoned off Shrews keeper Dean Henderson.
An awe-struck Whitehouse said: “What a journey and what a way to finish it off. We might not be the prettiest team but nobody beats us for spirit and determination.”
Whitehouse’s inclusion was just the latest in a series of wonder strokes pulled off by Lincoln’s sought-after manager Danny Cowley.
Cowley can do no wrong after last season’s glorious run to the FA Cup quarterfinals. He said of his matchwinner: “I’m delighted for Elliott. You haven’t seen anybody work harder than him. Nobody in football does.
“And it’s been really hard for him because he’s a boy who needs to achieve and most Saturdays I’ve been stopping him from achieving by not selecting him.
“He’s stuck at it, kept working hard and I said to him this morning: ‘I’ve got a feeling it might be your day today.’”
Matt Rhead should have been sent off for what looked a deliberate forearm smash into keeper Henderson’s face at a free-kick five minutes before Lincoln’s goal.
But Cowley defended the giant striker. “I thought it was just a collision. Rheady got a hell of a lot of physical treatment against him,” he said.
Shrewsbury will point to Bryn Morris’s 20-yard strike which clipped the crossbar, as well as a wonder stop from Lincoln keeper Ryan Allsop to claw away an Omar Beckles header and a hand-ball by Waterfall in the follow-up.
For manager Paul Hurst, attention switches back to their League One promotion campaign. Hurst said: “At least we didn’t drop any points today. We just didn’t play well enough.”