Jovon Makama netted his first professional hat-trick as Lincoln City dismantled Bristol Rovers 5-0 for the second successive season.
Tom Bayliss and James Collins also found the net in a dominant display at the LNER Stadium, with the Imps running riot in the second half to secure a second consecutive home win.
Makama breaks the deadlock as City dominate
Lincoln started brightly, forcing Rovers goalkeeper Jed Ward into early saves from Reeco Hackett-Fairchild and Makama. The visitors struggled to cope with City’s intensity, but managed to hold firm until the half-hour mark.
That was when 21-year-old Makama struck, latching onto a perfectly weighted pass from captain Paudie O’Connor before holding off his marker and finishing emphatically past Ward.
Moments later, Makama almost turned provider for Collins, who fired narrowly over after some neat hold-up play in the box. Lincoln continued to push forward, with Conor McGrandles testing Ward just before the interval.
Relentless second-half display crushes Rovers
The floodgates opened after the break, beginning with Bayliss’ 49th-minute corner curling straight into the net. Lincoln’s advantage doubled in the blink of an eye, as Makama turned provider for Collins, who curled a superb strike into the top corner.
Rovers barely had time to regroup before Makama netted his second, powering through a challenge before smashing home at the near post in the 66th minute. The young forward wasn’t done yet, completing his treble ten minutes from time when Erik Ring’s corner fell to him on the edge of the box, allowing him to fire clinically into the bottom corner.
“Jovon was unplayable. When I came into the building, I said he had talent, but we might have to wait for it. His challenge now is to keep it up consistently, but you saw his quality, his power, his physicality, and his goals were magnificent. The crazy bit is he can still get better, he still has lots to learn and improve on.” – Lincoln City head coach Michael Skubala.
Skubala hails ‘electric’ Lincoln performance
The emphatic victory was not just about Makama’s brilliance, as Lincoln delivered a complete team performance. Skubala praised the squad’s tactical discipline and attacking verve.
“From start to finish, I thought we were electric. That’s what we want to look like. Everyone was top. Tactically, we were brilliant, and the structure was great. We were exciting going forward, kept the threat going, and had too much for them,” he added.
Writer’s view
Lincoln City’s ruthless display sent a statement to the rest of League One. Makama’s development into a match-winner will be a huge boost for the Imps, and if he can maintain this form, he could be the difference-maker in their promotion push. With their attacking firepower clicking into gear, few teams will relish facing them in the weeks ahead.
