City slipped to a late defeat at the hands of Exeter City on Saturday afternoon, despite having enough chances to win the game.
The Imps had numerous opportunities to claim all three points, but it looked as though they were going to be forced to settle for a draw until the visitors struck in the fourth minute of added time through Kevin McDonald.
Skubala made one change from the side that defeated Peterborough United last time out, with Conor McGrandles missing out as a precaution after a knock in training on Friday, with Ivan Varfolomeev coming in to make his first league start.
The first real chance fell to City as after 23 minutes Exeter failed to clear their lines allowing a cross to be floated to the back post where Street rose above the defence to nod it across the face of goal finding James Collins whose header was only denied by a last-ditch block from Josh Magennis.
After 42 minutes Adam Reach switched play with a perfectly weighted long ball to Darikwa who in-turn played a well-placed ball of his own towards James Collins but was headed over by the visitor’s backline before it could reach him.
Half Time: Imps 0 Exeter City 0
The Imps started the second half fast as after a sequence of play following a long throw attempt from Adam Jackson, the ball fell to Freddie Draper at the edge of the Exeter box and he unleashed a shot that clattered the woodwork before being cleared by Pierce Sweeney.
A sustained period of pressure for the Imps came in the 56th minute as both Rob Street and Collins were denied by reflex saves from Exeter goalkeeper Joe Whitworth to keep the score level.
On 80 minutes City won a throw deep in the opposition half, a Tom Hamer launched the ball into the area before it was cleared out only as far Hamer again who looped a ball into the danger zone where it was met by Reeco Hackett, but he was then denied by Whitworth.
After 94 minutes the visitors took the lead through Kevin McDonald after Jack Aitchison made his way into the City box and his cross was cleared only as far as McDonald who took a shot from the edge of the box and beat George Wickens who was left unsighted.
Full-time: Imps 0 Exeter City 1
Imps: Wickens, Darikwa (Hamer 78’), Reach, Jackson, Bayliss, Collins (Hackett 68’), Bradley, Street (Obikwu 78’), House (Ring 87’), Varfolomeev, Draper
Unused Subs: Jeacock, Towler, Okoronkwo
Exeter City: Whitworth, Niskanen, Sweeney, Fitzwater, Yfeko (Higgins 62’), Andrew (Turns 89’), McMillan, Brierley, Cole (Aitchison 82’), Magennis, Wareham (McDonald 82’)
Unused Subs: Bycroft, Woodhouse, Wilson
Attendance: 9,053 (251 away)
Referee: Andrew Humphries
