IMPS JOY OF SIX Lincoln romp ends with a Vale lock-in
SHATTERED Port Vale players were shut in their dressing room by manager Neil Aspin for almost TWO HOURS after this drubbing.
Aspin emerged at 6.45pm to admit: “It’s obviously a result that could get you the sack – no question about that.”
But the day belonged to Lincoln and, equally, there was no question about that either.
Danny Cowley’s Imps are steamrollering their way to promotion and remain four points clear at the top of League Two.
Lincoln were 3-0 ahead by half-time thanks to goals from Harry Anderson, Shay Mccartan and Leon Legge, who headed into his own net.
Vale could not live with Lincoln’s physical, hightempo approach and were hit again when Michael Bostwick hooked in from a corner.
Tom Conlon curled in a free-kick to pull one back before Scott Wharton and James Wilson both headed home in front of 1,165 ecstatic travelling fans. Ben Whitfield replied for Vale from the spot in injury time, but it meant little in the face of a Lincoln juggernaut that claimed a fifth win in six games. Cowley said: “It’s a good day for us at the football club but we need to dust ourselves down now. “We have picked up some nasty injuries over the last 48 hours, so we have to see how they recover. “We must not get carried away with ourselves. It was a good performance but now we need to turn our focus on Cambridge at home next week.”
Cowley praised the attitude of his team who were forced into changes, including Jason Shackell’s withdrawal in the warm-up.
He said: “It was credit to the players. I thought they handled themselves really, really well.
“They would have been valid in making excuses but excuses never win you points.
“Their performance was excellent – as was their commitment to the cause. Credit to their tactical intelligence. They were really good in that respect.”
Meanwhile, Aspin came out swinging. He said: “I think by the fact that it’s quarter to seven and there are still 10 press stood outside – you either expect me to have been sacked or you expect me to have walked out.
“So I would say that I am not the type of person that would walk out because that’s something I have never done in my career and I am not that type of person.”