Joey Barton believes Lincoln City "could not believe their luck" as the Imps claimed a 6-3 victory over Bristol Rovers at the Mem on Saturday.
With several key players missing, Joey Barton fielded a makeshift backline – while leaving out centre-back Alfie Kilgour – and they struggled on a bizarre afternoon in BS7, with the Gas not enjoying the rub of the green at times and creating enough good chances to score six or seven themselves, yet they were also defensively porous and their winless run in League One extended to six games.
Ben House opened the scoring in the 7th minute before Jack Diamond doubled the lead from the penalty spot. Aaron Collins pulled a goal back for Rovers and they were the dominant force ahead of half time, with Antony Evans hitting the post and Ryan Loft seeing a shot cleared off the line, but a freak goal in stoppage time restored the Imps' two-goal cushion as a clearance struck Luke McCormick's back and fell perfectly for Diamond to get his second.
The energy had been sucked out of the stadium by that sucker punch and the mood worsened early in the second half when Matty Virtue hooked home for 4-1. Diamond would complete his hat-trick with a deflected strike before Loft finished well at the other end to make it 5-2. However, Lincoln hit back immediately with House's cross taking a cruel deflection off Lewis Gordon and into the net.
Collins scored what proved to be a consolation with 25 minutes remaining, rounding Rushworth for his second of the afternoon and sixth of the season, but it was a miserable afternoon for the Gas otherwise, dropping to 21st in the table after nine games.
"It was tough (to watch)," Barton said. "We’re coming in at half time and I don’t know how we’re behind in the game. It was a Keystone Cops moment before the break we kick it into one of our players and put one of their lads through.
"You can tell – sometimes you can tell when you play against teams – they could not believe their luck and I think if we had a bit more care and composure in the final third, we could’ve easily been going in level if not ahead in that game.
"It was tough and tricky to take, but we’ve lost three points. I’m proud of the players, I really am. They kept trying to get on the ball and create opportunities. They were brave and I will take responsibility for the team shape and the fact we were so porous there.
"We’ve tried to play a really aggressive system, taking the game to them, and it didn’t go to plan today."
Despite having several players unavailable through injury, Barton plans to continue being aggressive in his team selection and tactics.
He said: "Loads of managers would have shut up shop and maybe in my time as I get a bit more experience, maybe that’s what I’ll do and I’ll batten down the hatches and be happy to lose a game 3-1. I don’t think it’s my nature. My nature is to keep pushing forward and be aggressive. Some days that pays off for you and you beat Scunthorpe 7-0. Other days, you lose 6-3 to Lincoln.
"In my world, that’s three points lost and that’s all it is. We must take great heart from the character of our team to keep trying to play and keep carving out opportunities."
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