The table never lies, but doesn’t always tell the whole truth

Manchester United are separated from Yeovil Town by 53 league positions. The same number separates Chelsea from Brentford, Manchester City from Colchester United, and Walsall Town from Lincoln City.

That gives you some idea of the task The Imps had in front of them when they welcomed the League One side to The 12th Imp Sincil Bank Stadium, vying to earn a place in the second round of the FA Cup.

However, it was the home side who dominated the majority of the match, and it was only an 86th minute goal from George Bowerman that prevented Lincoln from advancing. Until that point, Imps’ keeper, Paul Farman, had been as much a spectator as the 2,032 in the stands. Only a combination of the crossbar and opposing no. 1 David Grof kept the scoreline down, as Lincoln were unable to add to Jamie Taylor’s sublime 45th minute chip.

It was a performance that belied Lincoln’s position of 18th in the Blue Sqaure Bet Premier, and Taylor was the star of the show. Gaffer David Holdsworth dropped the former Horsham striker for four consecutive league games in September, but since being recalled, Taylor has been on top form. His performances earned him the Conference Player of the Month for October.

His strike on Saturday was his fifth goal in six games in all competitions, which has coincided with an unbeaten run for The Imps. While they need to turn more of those draws in to wins – four out of the six finished level – Lincoln’s current form certainly suggests they have the ability to pull away from the relegation places.

Similarly, they will take encouragement from their performance against Walsall, and should go into next Tuesday’s replay at the Bescot Stadium full of confidence. It will give them a chance to show that, on some occasions, league positions don’t tell the whole story.