Appleton’s relief after Imps fail to sink Shrews

By Ben Thomas

LINCOLN CITY 1

Bayliss 4

LINCOLN: Wickens 6, Darikwa 6, Montsma 6 (Hamer 80, 6), Jackson 7, Roughan 7, Bayliss 8, McGrandles 6 (Erhahon 67, 6), Ring 6 (House 61, 6), Gardner 6 (Okoro 67, 6), Hackett 7, Collins 6 (Draper 80, 6). Subs not used: Jeacock, Hamilton.

SHREWSBURY T 1

Pierre 23

SHREWSBURY: Blackman 6, Feeney 6, Feeney 7, Pierre 8, Hoole 6, Perry 6 (Wheeler 77, 6), Gilliead 6, Marquis 7, Nurse 6 (Benning 77, 6), Gape 7, Lloyd 7. Subs not used: Young, Dinanga, Nsiala, Stewart.

Att: 9,282 Rating: ★★★★★ Ref: Stephen Parkinson 7/10

MICHAEL Appleton was glad former club Lincoln didn’t relegate his current Shrewsbury team as Aaron Pierre’s goal salvaged a point at Sincil Bank.

Defeat would have seen the Shrews’ decade-long stint in the third tier ended, but Pierre ensured their slim hopes remained intact after he cancelled out ex-Town midfielder Tom Bayliss’ opener for the Imps.

“It’s great for everyone [that we’ve not been relegated],” said Appleton.

“We’ve got a home game for people to enjoy and if we win and can score a few goals for people enjoy then who knows? You can keep it goingabit longer.

“It was a good away display. We got a point and we move on.

“It would be a lie if I said it didn’t come into my mind. You look at the fixture list you know it could happen. But there was no talk about it.

“We didn’t start well. We weren’t aggressive. We didn’t get up to people quick enough in that first five or ten minutes.

“But we could have had a couple more goals with the opportunities we had. I’m very happy. I can only ask them to show belief and bravery.”

There were muted celebrations after four minutes when Bayliss picked up the ball in the visitors’ half and coolly slotted into the far corner.

Former Imp John Marquis squandered a great chance for Town when he fired straight at young goalkeeper George Wickens.

Pierre then levelled in the 23rd minute as his deflected strike, from a scramble, nestled in the bottom corner.

Reeco Hackett should have done better when he fired wide on the half hour for City.

After the break, Dominic Gape tested Wickens from distance as he tipped his effort over. Lewis Montsma should have wrapped it up for the hosts when he struck a shot over at the back post.

The Imps are sat in mid-table unable to go up or down this term and boss Michael Skubala admitted afterwards: “There is frustration.

We started brightly and went 1-0up early on. But then we took our foot off the gas.

“I told the lads at half-time we can’t do that. We concede a sloppy goal and that gives them something to hold on to.

“We lacked that intensity to try and open them up.

“There’s no doubt in my mind we had enough quality to win if we had the right intensity.”