Match report...
There were two changes to the City starting line-up for this Vanarama National League game against Welling United at Sincil Bank Stadium with Greg Tempest and Matt Sparrow replacing Terry Hawkridge who dropped to the bench and Liam Hearn who opted to join Barrow on Thursday. New loan signing Nathan Blissett, meanwhile, was amongst the substitutes.
It was a cold and very blustery late November afternoon as referee John Busby led the two teams out of the tunnel and once the two captains did the pre-match honours with the officials, play got underway with City kicking off.
The strong wing was quickly evident as a Tempest free-kick, given for a push on skipper Alan Power, drifted away from the box, giving the Welling defence the chance to hammer the ball through to Paul Farman at the opposite end of the pitch.
The first half-chance came in the fifth minute with Matt Rhead heading a Craig Stanley cross wide of the target whilst at the other end Farman had to be on his guard to claim at the feet of Michael Bakare.
A low Jack Muldoon cross flew across the face of goal before another centre from the City number seven was cleared as the Imps attacked down the right in a bid to unlock the United defence in the opening 10 minutes.
The strong wind was playing a big part in the game with both teams struggling to adapt to the conditions and it wasn't until the 20th minute before the next effort at goal came along; Luke Waterfall flicking on a Lee Beevers free-kick but straight into Tom King's gloves.
In the 27th minute Waterfall deflected a Sam Corne drive behind for a Welling corner and after Rhead headed Harry Lee's delivery behind for another flag-kick, this one flew across a packed box and out for a goal-kick.
City forced three corners of their own at the other end shortly afterwards before Power, at full stretch, headed a curling Bradley Wood cross over the bar. A good spell of City pressure followed with Muldoon forcing King into a fine save before the Welling keeper claimed a low Sparrow drive.
Three minutes before the break George Porter hacked down Sparrow to earn himself the game's first yellow card but the Welling man had the last laugh before the break as, in the final stages of one additional minute City were hit on the counter-attack as Porter set up Reece Harris who drilled powerfully past Farman to give his side the lead.
HT: IMPS 0 WELLING 1
Both teams emerged unchanged for the start of the second half with rain hammering down as Welling restarted proceedings.
City were the first to press with a Tempest cross cleared for a corner which was hurriedly cleared before Sparrow had a drive charged down by Harry Osborne.
In the 56th minute, just after Power fizzed a snap-shot wide, Terry Hawkridge replaced Greg Tempest on the left for City's first change of the afternoon. Hawkridge was quickly in the action seeing his cross cleared for a corner which ended up with Rhead volleying over.
Craig Stanley was replaced by Nathan Blissett on the hour mark and three minutes later Farman pushed away a low Harris drive before Beevers concedes a corner which City dealt with.
In the 67th minute Howe's header from a Hawkridge corner was held well by King before a deflected Rhead effort trickled inches wide of the post. Waterfall then headed another Hawkridge corner wide of the target.
Shortly afterwards Muldoon was hacked down by Harris with Hawkridge firing the low free-kick inches wide. At the other end Osborne headed a corner well over.
City responsed with the lively JACK MULDOON capping an impressive showing as he let fly from 25 yards with King unable to keep out his powerful right-footed drive.
Welling quickly brought on Kieron St Aimie for Michael Bakare before Blissett headed a corner a foot wide. A fantastic save by King then saw him keep out Rhead's header from a Beevers cross whilst at the other end Farman pulled off a great stop to deny Corne.
City kept up the pressure and came close to taking the lead in the 84th minute but, after a Sparrow drive was kept out by King, Rhead fired the loose ball over from narrow angle.
As the clock ticked on a Sparrow effort from the edge of the box flew a foot over the bar and before three additional minutes was indicated, Welling skipper Ricky Wellard was booked for kicking ball away after Corne fouled Power
The last action of the game saw a long Wood throw lead to a City corner before the match ended with Blissett unable to latch on to a Hawkridge cross.
FT: IMPS 1 WELLING 1
LINCOLN CITY
1 Paul FARMAN
2 Bradley WOOD
3 Greg TEMPEST
4 Craig STANLEY
5 Luke WATERFALL
7 Jack MULDOON
8 Alan POWER
9 Matt RHEAD
18 Lee BEEVERS
21 Matt SPARROW
26 Callum HOWE
subs
6 Chris BUSH
12 Terry HAWKRIDGE (for TEMPEST 56)
24 Kyle WOOTTON
29 Nathan BLISSETT (for STANLEY 60)
13 Aidan GRANT
GOAL: MULDOON (74)
WELLING UNITED
21 Tom KING
4 Zach FAGAN
5 Harry OSBORNE
6 Michael CHAMBERS
7 George PORTER
8 Harry LEE
11 Ricky WELLARD
15 Nortei NORTEY
20 Sam CORNE
22 Reece HARRIS
34 Michael BAKARE
subs
9 Sahr KABBA
10 Kieron ST. AIMIE (for BAKARE 75)
18 Joey TAYLOR
19 Kevin LOKKO
1 Mike McENTEGART
GOAL: HARRIS (45+1)
BOOKINGS: PORTER (42), WELLARD (90)
MATCH OFFICIALS
REFEREE: John Busby
ASSISTANTS: Alex Guy & Tom Hancock
FOURTH OFFICIAL: Stuart Richardson
ATTENDANCE: 2,528 (46 visiting supporters)
