Match Report : 25/01/2014

Report

Mo Fofana, Todd Jordan and Conner Robinson all returned to the starting XI for this Skrill Premier game against Woking at Gelder Group Sincil Bank Stadium.

Heavy rain greeted the two teams as they were led out of the tunnel by referee Jason Whiteley and following a minute's applause in memory of the late, great Andy Graver, play got underway with Woking kicking off.

The visitors were the first to adapt to the conditions with only an offside flag denying Kevin Betsy a sight of goal in the opening couple of minutes before Guiseppe Sole's left-footed drive beat Paul Farman only for the ball to crash against the post before bouncing to safety.

City's response saw Woking 'keeper Mason Springthorpe spill a bouncing ball into the box for a corner and when the set-piece fell to Robinson he had a shot charged down before skipper Alan Power fired into the side netting.

An end-to-end opening continued with Sole hitting the bar for second time in the eighth minute as Farman deflected his effort on to the top of the frame and out for a corner.

John Goddard then tested Farman with a shot from just inside the box before Nat Brown got in a timely intervention to block a Kevin Betsy cross.

Betsy was at the centre of things again in the 19th minute as, after latching on to a forward ball down the right, he advanced forward and drilled in a low effort which somehow saw the ball squirm through Farman's legs before trickling agonisingly over the line.

Brown denied Betsy a second following a Nutter cross four minutes after the restart before the Woking striker was crowded out as he prepapred to pull the trigger in the box.

Having saved a goal at one end, Brown then came up with the goods at the other end as, after Newton fizzed in a cross following a throw-in on the City left, the ball bounced kindly for the defender who prodded home his first of the campaign from a foot out.

A change for Woking in the 29th minute saw Niall Wright replace Mike Cestor whilst a minute later Delano Sam-Yorke slipped on the wet surface as he looked to bear down on Springthorpe.

Power was inches away from giving the Imps the lead after good work by Sam-Yorke saw him skip past a couple of challenges before squaring for his skipper who curled just wide.

The action continue in the 38th minute when Sam-Yorke appeared to be clipped by Springthorpe in box but referee Whiteley waved play on, much to the annoyance of the Cambridge loanee.

There was no doubting the next attack though as, five minutes before the break, Ben Tomlinson followed up a scuffed, blocked effort with his left foot by firing into the top corner from the edge of the box with his right. Two in two for the top scorer.

An offside flag robbed Betsy of a leveller after he followed up after Farman palmed away a goal-bound drive. At the other end, and midway through two added minutes, Sam-Yorke was denied by a fine Springthorpe save. When the resultant corner came to nothing, the half came to a close.

HT: IMPS 2 WOKING 1

Both teams emerged unchanged for the start of the second half and after a scrappy opening few moments, the first chance saw Kieran Murtagh fizz a shot wide of the target.

The assistant's flag denied Sam-Yorke in the 51st minute after a surging run forward from Robinson down the left saw him spring past his markers and exchange passes with Power before playing in Sam-York who had strayed offside.

The Imps' next attack brought about a corner which was hurriedly cleared by the Woking defence whilst at the other end Nutter had a shot blocked by Foster as the former City man looked to get his name on the scoresheet.

City's response saw them attack through Tomlinson who was denied by a fine save from Springthorpe before Robinson's follow-up effort deflected over the bar. The next attack saw Robinson create space before his pull-back to Sam-Yorke saw the striker see his shot clip a visiting defender and out for another corner.

Springthorpe held a Tomlinson snap-shot as the Imps continued to push for a third whilst a swift Woking counter-attack saw them win a corner before Anthony McNamee replace fellow substitute Niall Wright.

Another Woking corner followed and the visitors kept up the pressure in the 72nd minute when a ball into the box brought about some hesitation giving Sole the chance to nip in and prod past Farman for the leveller.

A couple of minutes later McNamee blazed over as Woking surged forward in numbers again before Sole fired a cross through a packed six-yard box. City's response saw Robinson test Springthorpe before Tomlinson was flagged offside before netting.

Woking's next foray forward was halted by Fofana who upended his man for a yellow card whilst their next saw Sole go to ground for a free-kick on the attacking left which was taken by Sole and held well by Farman.

A late challenge on Sam-Yorke earned Josh Payne a booking before Dan Gray replaced Fofana in midfield. A Betsy cross was then cleared superbly off a flying Sole's head by Miller.

Farman then blocked a Sole shot and the Woking striker curled an effort just wide as the visitors pushed for a third. They were presented with the perfect chance to do just that when Brown upended Betsy in the area.

Sole took responsibility but was denied by a superb Farman save before the City stopper kept out the follow-up effort before Miller hacked to safety. A dramatic end to an enthralling afternoon of football.

FT: IMPS 2 WOKING 2



LINCOLN CITY
1 Paul FARMAN
2 Tom MILLER
23 Nat BROWN
27 Luke FOSTER
3 Sean NEWTON
4 Todd JORDAN
6 Mamadou FOFANA
8 Alan POWER
16 Conner ROBINSON
11 Ben TOMLINSON
18 Delano SAM-YORKE

subs
7 Waide FAIRHURST
12 Jake SHERIDAN
15 Dan GRAY (for FOFANA 84)
19 Jon NOLAN
28 Mitch AUSTIN

GOALS: BROWN (25), TOMLINSON (40)

BOOKING: FOFANA (79)

WOKING
21 Mason SPRINGTHORPE
2 Adam NEWTON
5 Joe McNERNEY
6 Brett JOHNSON
3 John NUTTER
26 Keiran MURTAGH
20 Josh PAYNE
15 Mike CESTOR
22 John GODDARD
10 Giuseppe SOLE
11 Kevin BETSY

subs
14 Anthony McNAMEE (for WRIGHT 70)
17 Niall WRIGHT (for CESTOR 29)
19 Adam BRICE
34 Reece BECKLES
18 Sam BEASANT

GOALS: BETSY (19), SOLE (72)


MATCH OFFICIALS

REFEREE: Jason Whiteley
ASSISTANTS: Sean Richardson & Martin Dexter
FOURTH OFFICIAL: Chris Ward

ATTENDANCE: 2,017 (73 visiting supporters)