The Exercise Stadium saw League Two side Harrogate Town welcome League One outfit Lincoln City as both sides ramped up preparations for the start of the league campaign in two weeks time.
The hosts included new-boys Zico Asare and Stephen Duke-McKenna in their starting eleven alongside former Imp Jack Muldoon and George Thomson, who recently penned a new deal with the Sulphurites.
Today's squad to face the Imps 📋 pic.twitter.com/2WPjBjLRNG
— Harrogate Town AFC (@HarrogateTown) July 27, 2024
Lincoln City lined up with new signing George Wickens in goal along with fellow arrivals Tendayi Darikwa, Tom Bayliss and JJ McKiernan.
🔢 Here's how we start at Harrogate.#WeAreImps | #HARLIN
— Lincoln City FC 🇺🇦 (@LincolnCity_FC) July 27, 2024
The visitors got us underway and immediately went on to the attack. Jovon Makama nutmegged a defender and looked to break into the box before the ball was cleared into the crowd.
The Imps continued to press and saw the ball flash invitingly across the penalty area after a neat interchange down the left between Tom Bayliss and Dylan Duffy, with the latter providing the overlap only to see his cross miss everyone.
Harrogate looked to get a hold of the ball and created an opportunity down the left only for Duke-McKenna to be flagged offside. From the resulting free-kick, the ball was played into City’s left channel into the path of Duffy. The 21-year-old held off his man before rifling the ball across James Belshaw and into the side netting just inside the post to hand the lead to his side after only four minutes.
Just four minutes later it was two as Paudie O’Connor knocked down a JJ McKiernan free-kick onto the left foot of Sean Roughan. The Republic of Ireland Under 21 international met the ball sweetly and powered it above and past Belshaw before he could react. The opening ten minutes had seen the League One side assert themselves on the home team and play on the front foot.
After the initial burst, the game eventually settled and fell into a quiet spell before George Thomson latched onto an uncharacteristically loose Ethan Erhahon pass and tried to chip Wickens from the halfway line. Manager Simon Weaver will have been pleased with how his team composed themselves after the hectic opening period but must have been frustrated with how they failed to keep any meaningful possession.
City manager Michael Skubala insisted that right wing-back Darikwa played high up the pitch and threatened Matty Foulds on the overlap. As we approached the half-hour mark the lively Tom Bayliss picked out the former Burnley man at the back post but his header was easily claimed by the home keeper.
At the other end, veteran striker Jack Muldoon was testing the Imps’ backline, specifically captain O’Connor who could do nothing but foul the 35-year-old on two occasions. The striker, who found the net 11 times last season, was tidy in his hold-up play and was always looking to bring others into play.
It was the 32nd when Harrogate had their first attempt at Wickens’ goal when Thomson had a go from distance on his left foot following some more good ball retention by Muldoon. The 32-year-old’s effort flew harmlessly over the former Fulham keeper’s crossbar.
With just under ten minutes to go before the break, Harrogate looked to threaten again as Duke-McKenna entered City’s third of the pitch and began to drive towards the goal. His pass to Thomson forced the midfielder wide and the opportunity was gone. That was followed by some excellent work by Matty Daly who spread the play to Asare on the right before Thomson’s snapshot from the edge of the box was blocked by the Lincoln defence.
The home side ended the half better than they started it and were starting to put attacks together only for the final ball to let them down and see them fail to trouble the Imps. Despite the home side’s possession, it was the visitors who could and should have increased their lead. Some neat play again between Bayliss and Duffy led to a teasing cross into the box that wing-back Darikwa managed to chest wide from a few yards out in front of goal.
At half-time, it was the goals from Duffy and Roughan that separated the sides.
Half time: Harrogate Town 0 – 2 Lincoln City
Harrogate emerged unchanged while the Imps made two changes, with Ben House and JJ McKiernan making way for Jack Moylan and Freddie Draper.
Town started the second 45 with more of a spring in their step but it was the Imps who created the opening chance of the half. Sean Roughan clipped a delightful ball across the pitch to the advancing Darikwa whose deft touch set up Bayliss. The former Shrewsbury man sent his left-footed drive curling over.
Some determined play from Ethan Erhahon in the middle of the park saw the much-admired midfielder come away with the ball before setting up Duffy. The goal scorer cut inside and scuffed his right-footed shot tamely wide of Belshaw’s post.
After an hour, Simon Weaver made a raft of changes including replacing skipper Josh Falkingham and striker Jack Muldoon with Levi Sutton and Ellis Taylor. For Lincoln, new signing Rob Street entered the match replacing Jovon Makama.
There was a worrying moment for City after 65 minutes when Freddie Draper needed treatment after going down closing down Warren Burrell. The 19-year-old was straight back into the action, defending a freekick in his box as Harrogate pushed for a goal of their own.
Matty Daly, who looked lively throughout, combined with substitute Josh March on the edge of the Lincoln box but March had to stretch to get his shot off and fired against the roof of the stand. Two minutes later, it was March looking to create from the right only for his cross to come to nothing. Harrogate’s changes had given them a new lease of life but they still couldn’t test Wickens in the City goal.
Just as Michael Skubala was planning to make changes, Adam Jackson played nothing more than a hopeful ball down the right that looked to have been dealt with by Foulds. Rob Street turned the ball from hopeful to useful as he nicked it off the defender’s toes and drove into the box. He was patient, waiting for strike partner Draper to make his move before rolling the ball into his path for an easy tap-in.
The Imps made multiple changes, including captain O’Connor and Adam Jackson being replaced by Lewis Montsma and Tom Hamer.
Just minutes after finding the net, Draper again looked to be struggling and he was taken off the field leaving his side to finish the final five minutes with ten men. It didn’t make a difference as City extended their lead immediately through Rob Street’s neat finish. The former Cheltenham man latched on to a ricochet on the edge of the Harrogate box that put him one-on-one with James Belshaw. The former Crystal Palace striker side-footed calmly into the net.
That was the last meaningful action on an afternoon that will prove to be a useful workout for both sides. City ran out 4-0 winners but the match was, at times, keenly contested and good preparation for the league campaigns just around the corner.
Full time: Harrogate Town 0 – 4 Lincoln City
