Lincoln City made the perfect start to the 2025/26 campaign, with an impressive 2-0 victory over Reading at the LNER Stadium on Saturday.
A goal in either half from Rob Street and Reeco Hackett did the damage for City, who won on the opening day for the second season in a row.
Summer recruits Ryley Towler and Sonny Bradley came into the side for their debuts, with Street starting in attack following a successful loan spell with Doncaster Rovers in the second half of the campaign.
Jack Moylan also came in for his first start since recovering from injury. Jovon Makama was left out after the club accepted a bid from a Sky Bet Championship club.
The visitors forced a succession of corners in the opening exchanges, but the first effort on goal went the way of the Imps after 10 minutes. Hackett did well to collect a cross from the opposite flank from Street and tease a ball towards Moylan, but he could only stab his effort wide.
With 15 minutes on the clock, an excellent Street centre just needed a telling touch before McGrandles saw a goalbound low strike deflected wide of the target, after the visitors had only partially cleared following a Wickens delivery from halfway.
City were rewarded for their early pressure with the opening goal and it was Street who got it. The striker carried on from where he’d left off last term with a composed finish from a wide angle after collecting a long pass from Wickens with half an hour gone.
Five minutes later, Reading thought they’d found a leveller after a spell of pressure. A corner was worked short to Wing who unleashed a powerful low effort from distance. The midfielder was unlucky to see his effort bounce back off a post before Abrefa was flagged offside after capitalising on the rebound.
Half time: Imps 1 Reading 0
Only an excellent save from Pereira prevented City from doubling their lead inside the opening two minutes of the half. A pinpoint delivery from Street was met by a powerful header from Moylan, who was denied from point-blank range by Pereira.
The Royals immediately countered through Ehibhatiomhan, who forced Wickens into his first save of the afternoon, with a low effort. The away side came even closer moments later and it was through another long-range Wing effort, but like in the first half, the midfielder saw his effort bounce back off a post.
City weathered the pressure and doubled their lead with 67 minutes gone. A sublime pass from McGrandles put Hackett through on goal and he kept his composure to place his effort off Pereira.
The Imps did well take the sting out of the game, with the visitors only really threatening from set-pieces. It was from a corner where Jackson did well to get his header to a dangerous delivery.
Into the third of six added minutes, Tom Bayliss very nearly added gloss to the scoreline, but could only drag his effort wide across the face of the goal.
Full time: Imps 2 Reading 0
Imps: Wickens, Darikwa, Jackson, Towler, Hackett (Ring 78’), Bayliss, Collins (Draper 88’), Moylan (Hamilton 78’), McGrandles, Bradley, Street.
Unused: Jeacock, Hamer, Okoro, Okewoye.
Reading: Pereira, Abrefa, Dorsett (Jacob 78’), Elliott (Fraser 63’), Savage, Ehibhatiomhan, Wing, Burns, O’Mahony (Lane 72’), Stickland, Camara (Kyerewaa 63’).
Unused: Stevens, Garcia, Ryan.
Attendance: 9,054 (1,323 away).
