All in all it was a fair point, says Skubala
IMPS STRETCH UNBEATEN RUN TO 16 GAMES AGAINST READING
LINCOLN City were pegged back late on by Reading to draw 1-1 and end a five-game run of consecutive victories.
The unbeaten run continues for the Imps – now at 16 games – and boss Michael Skubala was content with the point on the road, especially with Freddie Draper getting on the scoresheet for the first time since his loan recall.
The dropped points for Lincoln did open the door for Oxford United to reclaim sixth spot, which they did with a win on Saturday, but with four games to go, it will be a battle that will likely rage on until the end for that final play-off position.
Skubala was disappointed to see the lead slip away late on at Reading but he had no complaints about the end result.
“All in all, it was a fair point,” Skubala said.
“But I keep saying it, there are many more twists and turns to come.
“Reading have been great at home so, to come here and get a point, I’m pleased with that.
“I think it is probably a fair scoreline, when you look at it over the 90 minutes, though maybe a little bit disappointing for us after being 1-0 up.
“We wanted to see it out and we’ve been good recently with set-pieces [at defending them]. So that’s a bit disappointing as well.
“We have high standards, we want to win games and we came here to win.
“We started the game fast and had a couple of chances but then it settled for Reading. We were getting pulled about a little bit in the press.
“But in the second half, when we tidied things up, we looked the better team. And when we went 1-0 up, it felt calm.
“Okay, a set-piece has done us, but we go again, we keep fighting. I always say to the lads: ‘If you can’t win it, don’t lose it’.”
Draper has had to be patient in waiting for that first Lincoln goal after returning from a productive loan spell with Walsall in the first half of the campaign, but it finally came off the bench on Saturday – his 11th Imps appearance this term.
On this, Skubala added: “It’s really good to see Freddie get his goal because he has been working hard behind the scenes and has had a bit of a clunky start with a few injuries.
“We know what he has got as a player and I was really pleased with Freddie and Jovon [Makama] again with what they did when they came on.
“It’s a point on the road which we were always going to take, we’ve just got to make sure it’s three next Saturday.”