Town boss Paul Lambert felt the Blues deserved their last-gasp 1-0 FA Cup replay at Lincoln believing they had been the better side in the second half with the Imps having been on top in the first. Lambert also dismissed criticism of his rotation policy and not fielding what is perceived his strongest side in cup ties.

Alan Judge’s injury-time goal, his first for the club, saw Town to their first FA Cup victory since January 2010.

“First half I thought Lincoln were better, second half I thought we were better. Brilliant, kids playing, team was great in the second half, really happy,” Lambert said.

The Blues boss dismissed the suggestion he was expecting extra-time when Judge netted his goal.

“No, best substitution I made in my life, Tommy Hughes!” he joked. “Great. I thought in the second half we were the better team.”

"What changed after half-time? “There are things you say to the guys, the pleasing thing is that Brett McGavin played, Idris [El Mizouni] came on again, Tommy Hughes came on, lads coming back from injury, lads coming back from their national teams.

“Doz [Andre Dozzell] didn’t get back until two in the morning and played brilliantly in the second half when he dropped deeper. So there were so many things there.

“Another game for Will [Keane], 90 minutes, Toto [Nsiala] as well. I thought the back two lads were excellent, the back two lads were excellent.

“I thought they deserved the clean sheet. As a team I thought we deserved to go through in the second half. Lincoln had one or two moments.

“I changed the whole team. As I’ve said before, I don’t have a ‘strongest team’. I don’t have a ‘strongest XI’.

“I have belief in everybody to perform, I talk with the medical team who are experts on fitness and muscle injuries and I pick a team that I think lads can get around the pitch.

“And that’s what we’ve done. I’ve said before, football’s changed. It’s not just 18 guys, it’s everybody. All this crap that people have turned around and said about ‘a strongest team’, a lot of shite, that’s what it is, shite.”

Regarding McGavin, who was handed his second senior start having made his debut at Colchester last week, he said: “It’s just a knock, I thought he was excellent in the second half. I thought he was getting better and better as the game wore on.

“We pushed Emyr and Dozzell a little bit forward in the second half and Brett as the sitter was very good. Against Colchester I thought he was excellent and tonight I thought he was getting going in the second half.”

He added: “It shows me that there are good kids here. They need a bit of time to progress. If I don’t believe in them and I don’t try them I’ll never know.

“Players like Brett and Tommy Hughes and Idris and Dobra and all the kids that have come through, it might just save the club a few million pound.”

Regarding Judge’s goal, ending a 46-game drought for club and country, Lambert said: “Long overdue, I think he knows that himself. Again, he was another one just back from international duty.

"It’s tough when you come back from your national team, it’s really, really tough. But I’m delighted for him to score a goal, so I’m happy for him.”

Lambert felt Keane was another to improve after the break: “Second half I thought he grew into it as well, I thought the whole team grew in the second half.

“In the first half I thought Lincoln were better than us without us ever looking like we were going to concede. Lincoln had more of the ball than I would have liked. In the second half I thought we dominated it.”

The Blues manager was pleased that Keane, Nsiala and Huws had got another game under their belts as they continue their progress after their spells on the sidelines.

“It’s great, we spoke the other day with the lads about how many minutes they played,” he added. “Last year this football club had some guys playing 2,000 minutes, some playing 300 minutes.

“As I said before, it’s unfair and people who don’t know the game, who don’t have a clue about keeping people fit, that’s what annoys me.

“But everybody’s game time is really getting there. I trust every one of them to perform. I don’t have any favourites, I don’t have any guys that I think are more important than others. We’re a team.

“The football club’s going to a helluva good place, the support coming all this way on a Wednesday night is fabulous.”

Looking ahead to the round two tie against Coventry at St Andrew’s a week on Sunday with a 2pm kick-off, he added: “The cup’s a good competition. We go and try and win. The league’s the most important thing. Let’s see what happens.”

Photo: TWTD

DifferentGravy added 19:42 - Nov 21 BurleyGloryDays - a lot of assumptions on your part there. I have every respect for Lambert and what he has achieved throughout his career, more than me. But using that logic, Arsene Wenger would never have become such a successful manager. He had a handful of professional games at a lower level prior to management......surely his thoughts and ideas should have been disregarded at the time....or perhaps this is being pedantic-nay-facetious. I base the opinion on my own experience, which wasnt park football. Professional training certainly has no comparison to playing a match day. It is easy to lose match fitness and sharpness. This, added to the fact that the quality of performance has been generally poor when key players have been rotated. We have been fortunate in some games and lost/drawn others. With a number of fixtures during the xmas period i can only imagine Lambert continuing to rotate his squad. Town may not be so fortuitous with results as we were last night, versus Gillingham etc. When Norwood, Jackson play we look a goal threat. Without them we look goal shy. WIth Woolfy, Young and Garbutt we look defensively solid, without them we look frail. But as you pointed out, what do i know, it is merely my opinion......and ultimately we are second and in a healthy points position. Hopefully Lambert/Town this Saturday and we continue onwards and upwards. Cheerio

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cat added 20:51 - Nov 21 Agree Dissboy, I haven't witnessed a game this season when we've turned up for both halves, let alone after an International break. Luckily for us this league is pish poor In standard and having the luxury of one of the largest squads with arguably the most quality players on paper are the reasons we are where we are. Still, massive games coming up against the mighty Blackpool and Wycombe, quacking in my boots here 😂

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nineteenseventyeight added 20:52 - Nov 21 older fans have bigger expectations due to what we grew up with, younger fans are just grateful to see a season where we win even if its ugly at times
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Bert added 22:52 - Nov 21 I'm not yet convinced by the argument put forward by PL but I understand his thinking. I will support him but if he starts to use McCarthy like arguments to defend his thinking he will lose respect. He, like others in the public eye, have to live with criticism and turn the other cheek. We all have to at times.
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tractorboybig added 06:56 - Nov 22 burleyglorydays. pl has the gift of the gab. its on the field he should be judged. Let the season unfold, next season is a different chapter .
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BeattiesBackPocket added 09:13 - Nov 22 He's right it is a squad game and as a manager he does need to see of the year pinger lads can slot in should they be needed now all that concerns me is the first team haven't played for over two and a half weeks meaning some of the match day sharpness will have gone. This always seems to be the issue with our performances after the international break we seem to come back a yard of the pace. Fingers crossed for Saturday otherwise the moaners will have a point

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Dissboyitfc added 11:16 - Nov 22 Sans dad I agree no one needs to apologise for having a different opinion. What I object to is people arguing obvious facts, the facts are we never put in a good performance after an international break and we have not played well for an entire game all season! And no one has given me an example to contradict these facts!
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SamsDad added 13:20 - Nov 22 Maybe you're right dissboy, but its not all about performances. Results mean we are in a great position, one that should improve if our performances improve and results reflect that. Arguably our best home performance this season was Sunderland, but we didn't win. Nothing wrong with the performance apart, Sunderland barely threatened, their goal was more to do with us than them. You could argue that in this league we should be dominating but we aren't Liverpool or Man City, should we really expect to rock up every week and witness an easy win. That would get boring anyway, its more fun on the edge!! I get that you worry this might be our limit and that theres nothing more to give, we all do secretly, but equally we should all hope theres more to come. Maybe just enjoy the ride while we are at (or near) the top :)

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BurleysGloryDays added 13:51 - Nov 22 Yes let's certainly keep it all positive, no need to be entrenched in arguments. I would add that to countenance liverpool or city as examples is totally irrelevant. At the standard they play and with world class players they have, it is an entirely, entirely different proposition. For what it's worth, City have the stronger squad - and it's not harmed them in the last few seasons! A single starting team tires badly. As for the performances/luck we have had - name a single successful side that doesn't depend on it. Liverpool would be far closer to the chasing pack if they'd not had some serious luck this season already. It's football, 11v11, no one dominates and wins everything always. I'm grateful for the luck, long may it continue. And, when the squad continues to build and learn together, we will, i'm sure, start to show some imperious performances. But it's still 11v11, never take anything for granted. And finally, on Lambo and his 'gift of the gab'. First, accept that he doesn't want to say, publicly, everything he thinks. He doesn't want to prepare other teams. Show them his cards. He speaks to fans through code, and in the faith that his respect is earned by outcomes. Judging the man for what he's saying in public is simply naive. I dearly hope we win our next couple of tough games. If we don't, nothing changes. Keep going Lambo mate. COYB

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