Shackell sets the example

DANNY COWLEY talked up the impact of the Lincoln supporters after a superb comeback victory sealed by captain Jason Shackell’s winner.

Rhys Healey opened the scoring after 64 minutes to put MK Dons ahead, but Shay Mccartan equalised for the home side eight minutes later when he smashed the ball home from John Akinde’s knockdown.

However, Shackell headed home Bruno Andrade’s corner in the fifth minute of added time to send the Sincil Bank crowd wild.

Lincoln retain their three-point lead at the top of the table as the visitors suffered defeat for the first time this season.

Cowley (below) said: “I thought the supporters were brilliant.

“Before the game you could feel it and, particularly when they scored, they stayed right with us.

“Our supporters can go home really happy knowing that they’ve had a big influence on proceedings.

“I want to see that from the fans week in, week out, it’s doesn’t matter who we’re playing because we haven’t got a divine right.

“When it’s like that, it’s never 11 versus 11.

“When there’s so much atmosphere and will in

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the stadium, it makes it really powerful. I thought we played right at the top of our game in the first half and had good control.” Dons boss Paul Tisdale was devastated with the defeat, saying: “It’s gut-wrenching. We all feel down about it, but the reality is the performance was better than the last couple of games. “We wanted to be unbeaten coming out of this game, but we wanted to do that with a win, not a draw. There was progress, but ultimately we walk away with nothing and it has been a disappointing day.”