Down and out

Stephen Robinson

ATHLETIC'S exit at the hands of non-league opponents was labelled as "embarrassing" by manager Stephen Robinson, who went as far as to hint that some players involved in the Lincoln defeat will not feature for him again.

Theo Robinson's double and one from Terry Hawkridge put the Conference high-fliers 3-0 up in the televised FA Cup second-round clash.

STRIKES

Though Athletic pulled back to 3-2 late in the game thanks to strikes from Peter Clarke and Billy Mckay, it was too little too late in order to get through to a third-round date at Ipswich.

Robinson, who made five changes to his side with Ryan Flynn missing through illness, was left fuming at a display he took responsibility for.

"The first hour was embarrassing. You can only apologise to the fans who turned up tonight and those watching on television," Robinson said.

"We warned them that Lincoln are a big, physical side who launch balls into the box. Matt Rhead is a big handful. We worked on it all week to deal with it and physically, they didn't perform.

"There were eight or nine players who got beaten up, if we are being honest.

"Ultimately, I take the blame for that as I gave people opportunities here that weren't up to playing at this level. Changes will be made.

"There were players who hid from the ball. It was blatantly obvious they didn't want the ball when the going got tough, so they won't play for me again.

"We will deal with that and I have to make tough decisions."

Even the late fightback failed to cheer Robinson, who now switches his attention back to the league and a test at Oxford United on Saturday.

"We shouldn't be in that position against a team in the Conference," he added. "We had chances early on to go one or two-nil up and didn't take them again.

'CONCEDED'

"If you conceded goals like the ones we conceded and play people in on goal then you are going to lose football matches."

Lincoln's second goal on the night saw Carl Winchester present the ball to Hawkridge and his manager was at a loss to explain the aberration.

"I don't know what he saw," he said. "We try to tell people to be positive on the ball and go forward. If you pass sideways you get yourself in trouble and that is where the goal came from.

"It was inexcusable, the performance for the first 60 minutes. I take the blame.

"It was a good performance in the last 30 minutes but that is not good enough, to come to a Conference team and not expect a battle. They were well aware of it.

"They could have got themselves out of it and produced a Houdini act. Ultimately, we didn't and I don't think we deserved to."