Lincoln City heaped further misery on Crawley Town following a convincing 4-1 victory under the Sincil Bank lights.
Imps Attackers
Lincoln have scored at least three times in three of their past four outings, but this was the best display of the lot. Two late goals at Mansfield added a gloss on the scoreline, while on Saturday, the goals overshadowed a horror show at the back, shipping four against Barnsley.
Dom Jefferies was at the heart of the first two last night, providing the pinpoint delivery for James Collins to head in the first, before Jovon Makama got his second in as many games, following his own effort in after striking the woodwork from the Welshman’s cross. For the third, the latter two switched roles, with Makama’s drilled cross allowing Jefferies to add a goal to his two assists. It was relatively plain sailing from then on, with Joe Gardner adding the fourth following an excellent solo run late in the game.
Mid Table Security
The Imps are almost positioned perfectly in the middle of the League One standings. Michael Skubala’s side sit twelfth, thirteen points above the bottom four but twelve adrift of the top six. City can look forward to a relaxed end to the campaign now after this dominant performance.
Next on the agenda is a trip to the second city to face league leaders Birmingham City. The Blues lost for just the third time in League One last night at Bolton, perhaps giving the Imps a slither of hope of getting a result. With the pressure now off, it will be an interesting test to see how Lincoln can fare against a Championship team in waiting.
Red Devils Relegation?
Crawley had the perfect start in this midweek encounter when Lincoln made a hash of what was a relatively straightforward delivery from Charlie Barker. George Wickens, returning in goal for the hosts, parried the ball straight into the path of Kamari Doyle, who made no mistake with the finish.
That was as good as it got, though the Red Devils looked bright in spells going forward. But they looked lightweight at the back, hardly helped by injuries and suspensions decimating their lineup. While they had begun to make a fight for their safety, a seven-point gap appears a tall order in their remaining twelve games.
Two home games are on the agenda in the next seven days; getting a result in at least one of them is imperative for survival. Rob Elliot’s side have two more monumental meetings with Peterborough and Bristol Rovers in the next month.
Writer’s View
Michael Skubala has had his critics recently, but he celebrated like a relieved man at the full-time whistle. Lincoln didn’t need to get out of second gear to sweep aside the strugglers. Crawley must be hugely concerned at their current position, with an instant return to League Two looking inevitable.
