Ben House struck a superb late winner to send Lincoln City through to the third round of the Carabao Cup.
The substitute curled in from the edge of the area on 89 minutes to secure a deserved 1-0 victory at Burton Albion’s Pirelli Stadium.
House Delivers For Skubala’s Side
With both managers rotating heavily, the tie lacked tempo in the opening stages, though Lincoln created the brighter chances. Zane Okoro was lively, forcing an early foul from Julian Larsson, while Erik Ring and Rob Street both threatened with efforts that narrowly missed the target. Adam Jackson also tested Kamil Dudek from close range, but the Burton goalkeeper stood firm.
The second half opened up with opportunities at both ends. Charlie Webster’s long-range drive drew a save from Zach Jeacock, while Dudek denied Street twice in quick succession. The hosts’ best chance arrived with just over 15 minutes left when Webster’s free-kick clipped the crossbar. It was a moment that seemed to galvanise Michael Skubala’s side, who introduced Freddie Draper, Conor McGrandles, Reeco Hackett and James Collins to push for the breakthrough.
Collins was denied by a brilliant one-on-one stop from Dudek, but the decisive moment finally came in the 89th minute. Draper linked up smartly on the edge of the box, laying the ball into House’s path, and the forward curled an inch-perfect strike into the top corner to seal progression for the Imps.
The result maintains Lincoln’s momentum and ensures they reach the third round for the first time since 2023/24. Manager Michael Skubala praised the impact of his substitutes afterwards, with him being able to add quality to a game that had desperately lacked a killer edge.
With a place in the third round secured, City will now look forward to testing themselves against higher-level opposition in the weeks to come, and possibly another big draw like West Ham and Liverpool, both visitors to Sincil Bank in recent seasons.
Writer’s View
This was a professional performance from Lincoln, who managed the tie well and grew into the contest as the game wore on. The bench made the difference, underlining the depth of the squad and the attacking options available to Skubala this season.
House’s goal was the standout moment, a strike of real quality in a game that otherwise looked destined for penalties. With rotation still producing results, the Imps have reason to believe they can balance league ambitions with another cup run.
