Town find themselves 1-0 behind to Lincoln at half-time, Ben House having given the visitors the lead on 24.

Wes Burns, Luke Woolfenden, Freddie Ladapo and Marcus Harness all returned to the Town starting line-up having been subs for the 2-1 win at Morecambe last week.

Woolfenden replaced Richard Keogh at the centre of the defence with the former Derby man dropping to the bench.

Burns was wide on the right with Kyle Edwards also among the subs, while Harness took over as one of the number 10s from Tyreece John-Jules and Ladapo from lone central striker Kayden Jackson with the two players dropping out on the bench.

Aside from Janoi Donacien, who used to wear two but now dons the 44 shirt, Town were numbered one to 11.

Dominic Ball was also back in the squd as a sub having missed out last week due to a gash on his leg.

Lincoln, with ex-Town full-back Mark Kennedy in charge, were unchanged from last week’s 0-0 home draw with Charlton with former Blues midfielder Teddy Bishop absent due to a hamstring injury.

Following a minute’s applause in tribute to former Town boss John Duncan, who died aged 73 last week, the game got under way with the Blues, with Three Lion Berke Bakay watching from the directors’ box, dominating the ball but without breaking into the Lincoln final third.

As the match reached the five-minute mark, the North Stand sang in honour of Pablo Couñago, who has been back at this club this week and was at the game.

On seven, a neat exchange midway inside the Imps half involving Ladapo and Conor Chaplin sent Burns away on goal but the Welshman had strayed offside.

Town still hadn’t come even close to threatening by the 18th minute, too many passes around the area having gone astray, when Donacien suffered a knock in the middle of the Lincoln half having stolen the ball from one of the visitors. After treatment, the defender was able to continue.

The Imps won a corner on 23, then a minute later TJ Eyoma sent over a dangerous ball from the right which Donacien turned behind at the far post.
"George Edmundson put the first corner from the left high and into the stand, but from the second flag-kick the visitors took the lead.

Skipper Regan Poole stopped the under-hit corner from going straight behind, looping the ball into the air. Paudie O’Connor won the subsequent header and sent it to the far post where the unmarked Ben House nodded into the net.

It was a poor goal to concede from a Town perspective with players perhaps also having thought it had gone out of play before Poole’s header.

The Blues started to get going from an attacking perspective as the game approached the half-hour mark, Leif Davis winning a corner on the left from which a Chaplin effort was deflected over. From the subsequent flag-kick, Lee Evans headed powerfully but wide.

Davis created a brilliant chance for Town to level in the 34th minute, the wing-back getting round the outside of his man from Woolfenden's excellent pass before cutting back to Chaplin, who uncharacteristically mis-kicked.

Captain Sam Morsy shot wide from 30 yards a minute later, then on 36 Evans struck a low effort which Imps keeper Carl Rushworth tipped behind for a corner from which Edmundson headed across goal and wide.

After their slow start, Town were beginning to get up a head of steam and were creating chances.

On 40, Davis shot over after a corner from the right had reached him deep on the left of the area.

Two minutes later, Harness was fouled five yards outside the area and Evans hit a free-kick which beat the wall but was snaffled with ease by Rushworth.

In the final scheduled minute of the half, the Welshman was booked for a foul on House just inside the Town half.

A disappointing period from the Blues who saw virtually all of the ball in the early stages without breaking into the final third with too many passes going astray.

Then, for the second week running, they conceded a poor set-piece goal, again the opposition’s first opportunity of the match.

Town subsequently started to look a little more their usual selves and created a number of chances, Chaplin’s the standout opportunity, but while still not overly convincing against a Lincoln side who were making it difficult for them to make attacking headway.

Town: Walton, Donacien, Woolfenden, Edmundson, Burns, Morsy (c), Evans, Davis, Chaplin, Harness, Ladapo. Subs: Hladky, Keogh, Vincent-Young, Ball, Edwards, John-Jules, Jackson.

Lincoln: Rushworth, Poole (c), Jackson, Sanders, O'Connor, House, Mandroiu, Eyoma, Roughan, Virtue, Diamond. Subs: Wright, Vernam, Oakley-Boothe, Garrick, Robson, Sorensen, Draper. Referee: Andy Davies (Hampshire).

Photo: Matchday Images

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