City booked their place in the Carabao Cup second round with a comfortable victory at Notts County.
The Imps had the first effort of the game in the fifth minute as some pressure from Tyler Walker inside the Notts’ area allowed Reeco Hackett to steal possession and strike low towards goal, but his effort was cleared away from the goalline.
The duo caused more trouble for the hosts again in the 20th minute as Hackett rushed Sam Slocombe's clearance which resulted with in Walker gaining the ball to curl an effort straight back at the goalkeeper.
Notts had a chance of their own a minute later as Dan Crowley’s cross from the right ended up falling to Sam Austin who was denied the opener through some late City defending.
The Imps took the lead in the 23rd minute when Danny Mandroiu’s low corner was flicked on by Paudie O’Connor towards the back post and stabbed home by Sean Roughan who threw himself at the ball to turn it in.
Hackett tried to double the lead five minutes before the break after he found space to rifle one at goal from the edge of the area, though Slocombe met it well to parry behind for a corner.
Roughan could’ve had a second in the 47th minute after he met Mandroiu’s dinked free-kick into the box, but he could only put his unmarked header wide of the target.
City did get their second shortly afterwards though as Mandroiu’s shot from inside the area was initially blocked by Richard Brindley which left Lasse Sorensen to run onto the loose ball and stroke into the bottom left corner.
The Imps took confidence from this goal as Mandroiu burst into the box from the left before striking a firm effort against the inside of the post which bounced kindly across the line and into Slocombe’s grasp.
Things continued to get worse for the hosts in their first home game since returning to the EFL as Aden Baldwin received a second yellow card in the 56th minute for dragging down Walker.
Mandroiu and Sorensen were involved in another City attack in the 60th minute when the Irishman played the ball forward to the Dane whose outside of the foot shot was jumped on by the goalie.
City looked comfortable in the following 20 minutes which followed this and were able to deal any danger that came their way as well as bring on some fresh legs with the likes of Ben House and Ethan Hamilton.
Lukas Jensen was called into action in the 80th minute when a delivery from the right popped out to Sam Austin outside the box whose effort went straight into the keeper’s gloves.
The Imps continued to control the game following the substitutions made, who looked to get in on the act as Jay Benn’s cutback to Ben House from the byline was comfortable for Slocombe to deal with.
Notts: Sam Slocombe, Richard Brindley (Ollie Tipton 76’), Kyle Cameron ©, Jim O’Brien, Dan Crowley (Jodi Jones 64’), Sam Austin, Aden Baldwin, Cedwyn Scott (Junior Morias 76’), Tobi Adebayo, Adam Chicksen, Geraldo Bajarami (John Bostock 11’). Subs (not used): Connell Rawlinson, Macaulay Langstaff, Aaron Nemane.
Imps: Lukas Jensen, Lasse Sorensen (Jay Benn 82’), TJ Eyoma, Paudie O’Connor, Sean Roughan, Jaden Brown, Ali Smith (Oisin Gallagher 82’), Ethan Erhahon (Ethan Hamilton 71’), Reeco Hackett (Dylan Duffy 71’), Danny Mandroiu, Tyler Walker (Ben House 63’). Subs (not used): Jordan Wright, Jovon Makama.
Goals: Roughan (23’), Sorensen (49’).
Referee: Martin Woods.
Attendance: 6,468 (1,744 away).
