Lincoln City continued their surge towards the Championship with a blistering second-half performance against Plymouth Argyle to secure a fourth successive victory, writes Kyle Kennealey at Home Park for The Deck.
A brace from Reeco Hackett, including an ‘Olimpico‘, helped the Imps turn around a one-goal deficit in the south west. After a slow start, in which Bim Pepple gave the hosts an early advantage, City turned on the style in the second period to return from their longest journey of the season with yet another three-point haul.
Michael Skubala named the same starting XI for the fifth consecutive match, with no place in the matchday squad for deadline day arrival Kamil Conteh. There were two alterations for the injury-ravaged Pilgrims, as they handed a debut to Wes Harding, and Owen Dale returned to their line-up.
Despite missing several first-team players and facing the side second in League One, it was Tom Cleverley’s side who began on the front foot. Ronan Curtis sent a teasing ball across the face of the goal, but was unable to find any player in a green shirt. Caleb Watts was denied by a Tom Hamer block, with Curtis and Dale also going close in the opening exchanges. Lincoln briefly showed some attacking intent, with half-chances falling to Freddie Draper and Tom Hamer from distance.
But after the Imps centre-half sent an effort over the crossbar, Plymouth had their deserved opener. A long punt forward from Luca Ashby-Hammond found its way to Pepple, who sent a rasping effort from distance in off the post. As the conditions worsened, the away side tried to force themselves back into proceedings. The closest they came was appeals for a penalty after Jack Moylan hit the deck, before Pepple had another shot from distance, this time comfortably saved by George Wickens.
City’s first real opportunity off the match came after the half-hour mark, when a well-worked counter-attack saw Hackett fire wide. Adam Reach had a shot deflected behind for a corner, and Lincoln found themselves on terms following another set-piece. Draper got away from his marker in the middle to head home a pinpoint Hackett delivery seven minutes before the interval.
Then came perhaps the turning point of the game. A clash between Pepple and Ivan Varfolomeev saw an early end to the afternoon for Argyle’s goalscorer, as he was unable to continue. After Tom Bayliss replaced the latter at the break, Lincoln took an early second-half lead. Plymouth failed to deal with danger inside the area, and Hackett picked up the pieces with a composed effort into the far corner. Moylan went for a killer third but was denied by Ashby-Hammond.
Argyle’s keeper then had a moment to forget. With 65 minutes on the clock, City gave themselves breathing room. Hackett, on a goal and an assist, saw his corner go all the way in. Plymouth finally worked their way back into proceedings with a quarter of an hour remaining, as Wickens kept out a deflected Curtis shot. The home side had plenty of the ball in the final third, but to no avail. Their attacking input ended with another excellent Curtis delivery, but no one was there to meet it.
Substitute Ryan Oné wrapped up the points on debut; City hit on the counter, and the Sheffield United loanee was left all alone to calmly dispatch the Imps fourth goal of the afternoon in the 97th minute. Lincoln remain in second-place, six points ahead of Bolton Wanderers, ahead of the monumental clash between the sides next weekend. Plymouth have a five-point buffer to the relegation places after back-to-back defeats, as they prepare for a long trip to face Blackpool in six days’ time.
