Lincoln City survived a late scare to edge past Plymouth Argyle 3–2 at the LNER Stadium, handing Tom Cleverley a third straight League One defeat.
Plymouth’s late surge through Owen Oseni and Xavier Amaechi gave the visitors hope, but a red card for Brendan Sarpong-Wiredu halted the comeback as Michael Skubala’s side held firm.
Plymouth Argyle sunk by early blow and decisive double
Tom Bayliss put Lincoln ahead inside six minutes with a crisp 20-yard finish that set the tone for a home display built on tempo and direct running. James Collins then seized control after the interval, first reacting quickest to a parry from Luca Ashby-Hammond on 59 minutes, before sending the goalkeeper the wrong way from the spot six minutes later after Sarpong-Wiredu was penalised for handball.
Cleverley’s changes did lift Plymouth. Substitute Oseni coolly found the far corner on 78 minutes after sharp work from Amaechi, who then drove in an angled strike two minutes later to make it 3–2 and turn the closing stages into a siege. The momentum was punctured on 86 minutes when Sarpong-Wiredu received a second yellow card for simulation, and Lincoln, roared on by 8,503, saw the game out.
This result leaves Plymouth without a league point after three matches for the first time in 30 years, underlining how damaging slow starts can be at this level. The wider picture is equally stark. Eight goals conceded in those three fixtures points to structural issues at the back and a need for reinforcements before the window closes on 1 September.
For Lincoln, Bayliss’s early control and Collins’s penalty-box craft were decisive, while George Wickens produced the key saves when called upon. Skubala’s side have two wins from three and, more importantly, a clear route to goal through quick transitions, tidy wide play from Reeco Hackett and Tendayi Darikwa, and a willingness to commit runners beyond the ball.
Cleverley, cautioned on the touchline, will know there were positives. Amaechi was lively, Oseni offered punch from the bench, and Bali Mumba’s late influence hinted at avenues for improvement. Yet set-piece defending, second-ball reactions and discipline must tighten quickly if the Pilgrims are to stop this slide.
Writer’s View
The comeback showed there is resilience in this Plymouth group, but resilience cannot be the defining trait every week. Argyle are conceding first too often, which forces games to become chaotic and undermines any control Cleverley wants. With a heavy injury load and new ideas bedding in, short-term pragmatism feels essential. A specialist centre-back and a screening midfielder would address the spaces Lincoln repeatedly exploited between the lines and around the second phase.
Skubala’s Imps, meanwhile, look well-drilled and direct without being wasteful. They turned pressure into high-value chances and then managed the key moments. That contrast decided the match.
