City beat Bolton Wanderers in a pulsating game to make it six games undefeated at the LNER Stadium on Easter Monday.
The Imps raced into a two goal lead in the opening 20 minutes with goals from Erik Ring and James Collins putting them a commanding position, but Wanderers fought back to go in level at the break.
Skubala’s side rallied in the second half, with another goal from Collins and a goal of the season contender from Reeco Hackett wrapping up a second successive win over a promotion-chasing side.
Michael Skubala made three changes to the side that defeated Reading on Good Friday, with Collins rewarded for his match-winning goal against the Royals with a start. Ethan Erhahon also came in for his first start since February, with Ring named in the side.
There was a place on the bench for Jack Moylan who was named in the matchday squad for the first time since January following an injury layoff, with skipper Paudie O’Connor also coming back in after serving a suspension.
Collins – clearly full of confidence after his winning goal in the previous match – went close to giving the Imps the lead in spectacular fashion with just three minutes gone. The striker robbed possession back from 40 yards and spotted the keeper off his line, with his audacious lob landing on the roof of the net.
The Imps started the much better of the two sides and continued to turn the screw. Inside 10 minutes, Hackett and Darikwa combined on the right side with the latter seeing his cross cleared as far as Erhahon. The midfielder took aim, seeing his effort charged down by Forino, before the follow-up was sent wide by Roughan via deflection.
Skubala’s side were rewarded for their fast start with the opening goal on 10 minutes. From the resulting corner, City took a corner short with the resulting cross from Ring diverting over everyone and in.
The home side kept their foot on the gas and were very nearly 2-0 up on 12 minutes. Ring picked Jones’ pocket and advanced into the area before forcing a block from Thomason.
City continued to surge forward and Forino was forced to concede a corner to halt Hackett’s progress and from the resulting set-piece, Skubala’s side were awarded a penalty.
Ring’s corner was cleared as far as Erhahon, who was clattered in the area by Abimbola, giving the referee no choice but to point to the spot. And it was Collins, who stepped up to blast the ball down the middle and put the Imps deservedly two goals to the good with 18 minutes gone.
The stunned visitors had their first opportunity with 26 minutes gone, when Matete fired his free kick straight into the wall. Three minutes later, though, he made no mistake to pull one back. It came from the left flank when Murphy’s low cross was directed into the path of Thomason, who laid it off to the midfielder to stroke the ball into the bottom corner from 25 yards.
Buoyed by the goal back, the visitors went in search of the equaliser and again, Murphy was the dangerman as his low delivery towards Dacres-Cogley was cleared by Darikwa. Then on 33 minutes, Thomason worked room for a shot from the edge of the box, but could only fire straight into the arms of Wickens.
The comeback was complete with eight minutes to go until the break and it was Abimbola who atoned for his earlier error to equalise, although he didn’t know much about it. Dacres-Cogley's delivery from the right was directed on target by Murphy and his header deflected off the forward to divert it past Wickens for 2-2.
In the second half, a loose ball in the middle gave Jones the chance to spring a counter for the away side on 47 minutes and he surged forward before slipping in Thomason, who saw his strike blocked by Darikwa. They created a better opening two minutes later when Thomason picked up possession just inside the City half and advanced to the edge of the area before cutting inside from the right and curling an effort just wide of the far post.
It was the Imps who regained the lead though with the next attack through Collins’ 10th of the campaign. Dacres-Cogley could only clear as far as Roughan after dispossessing Hamilton, and he floated a cross towards the striker, who powered a header past Baxter to make it 3-2 on 54 minutes.
And they could have put further daylight between themselves and the Trotters a minute later. Again, Roughan was the provider as he played a ball down the channel towards Ring, who looked to catch Baxter off his line from a wide angle, but his effort was wide of the post.
City were back in the groove and had another opportunity when Hackett manoeuvred ahead of Murphy before cutting the ball low, forcing Baxter into action. They found the fourth in scintillating fashion through Hackett, who executed a sublime effort from a free kick right in front of the dugout, taking advantage of the gap left by Wanderers keeper Baxter with a low strike that kissed the post before going in.
The Imps had to rely on the brilliance of George Wickens to keep their two-goal intact, when he got across to make a spectacular one-handed save to claw Forino’s header out away from the bottom corner on 65 minutes.
With 16 minutes remaining, Wanderers looked for one back when a free kick was headed clear towards Thomason, who saw his effort from range charged down, with the deflection diverting the ball over the bar. Four minutes later, an excellent defensive header from McGrandles from under the cross bar prevented Johnston converting Murphy’s right-footed delivery as the visitors pressed for a way back into the contest.
Skubala’s side survived a scare inside the final 10 minutes, when substitutes Joel Randall and Kion Etete combined, but the latter couldn’t convert the low delivery on the turn.
The away side's afternoon got worse in second half injury time, when Josh Dacres-Cogley was shown a second yellow card for a late challenge on halfway, as the Imps recorded another impressive win.
Imps: Wickens, Darikwa, Jackson, Erhahon (McGrandles 62’), Hackett (Moylan 71’), Hamilton, Ring (Bayliss 71’), House (O’Connor 82’), Hamer, Roughan, Collins (Draper 82’).
Unused: Jeacock, Gardner.
Bolton Wanderers: Baxter, Jones (Etete 80’), Murphy, Thomason, Johnston (Randall 80’) Dacres-Cogley, Collins (lolos 59’), Forino, Matete, Sharples (Dempsey 46’), Abimbola (McAtee 59’).
Unused: Southwood, Santos.
Referee: Jacob Miles
Attendance: 10,240 (1,761 away)
