Lincoln City’s charge towards the Championship shows no signs of slowing after Bradford City were ruthlessly dispatched at Sincil Bank.
In one of the most one-sided games of the season, City were excellent, not even having to defend as such, thanks to a relentless press and constant control in all areas. there were three goals, but this performance was about everything, from front to back, not just what happened in the area.
There were no changes to the Imps XI from the team that beat Burton on Thursday night, but the big news was on the bench. Ben House and Tom Bayliss both returned, replacing Bola Okewoye and Lewis Monstma. New signing Deji Elerewe didn’t make the squad.
Bradford were missing Will Swann and Antoni Sarcevic, while one-time Imps target Josh Neufville was also on the bench.
Lincoln made an early statement, creating the first chance after two minutes when the ball was nodded into the box for Freddie Draper. He turned sharply under pressure but sent his effort well over after being crowded out.
Draper was then on the receiving end of a nasty challenge six minutes in, caught flush in the face by a high boot around 25 yards out. The free kick was given, but the lack of a booking was baffling. The breakthrough arrived from the free kick. Reeco Hackett delivered a delicious ball into the box and Draper rose to nod home, giving Lincoln a deserved 1-0 lead.
City continued to press. After 12 minutes, a neat break involving Tendayi Darikwa and Jack Moylan ended with the ball dropping for Rob Street, but his shot was blocked and gathered by Walker. Moylan was involved again shortly after, exchanging a sharp one-two with Draper before shooting, though the effort lacked power and was easily saved.
Bradford looked rattled. Panic spread through the visitors’ defence when an Adam Reach ball into the box appeared Walker’s, only for a defender to intervene at the last moment and almost slice it into his own net. From the resulting corner, Ivan Varfolomeev somehow missed an open goal, to the disbelief of the home crowd.
City were rampant. Moylan sparked another break as Street cut in from the left and curled an effort goalwards, with Walker stranded, but the ball drifted just wide. The tempo dipped briefly around the midway point of the half as Bradford found a little composure, but it did not last.
Moylan soon weaved into the area again, causing chaos before Sonny Bradley stumbled onto the ball and fired over. Varfolomeev then lined up a strike from distance, his control letting him down, but he recovered well to lay it off for Reach, whose cross was met by Street, heading narrowly over.
Frustration crept into the away end, with Bradford fans booing after a couple of sloppy giveaways. They even started singing about Andy Cook, the striker recently allowed to leave the club. The toxicity from the away end didn’t affect City; Hackett almost punished them when he latched onto a loose ball and fired at goal, forcing Walker into a parry.
The second goal felt inevitable, and it arrived four minutes before the break. Hackett’s initial effort from the right was blocked, but Street nodded the ball into Moylan, who lashed a low, hard strike into the net to make it 2-0. City deserved two, maybe three or four, and were completely dominant.
Just before half-time, Bradford picked up the first booking of the game as Pennington hacked down Street after briefly winning possession, only to lose it again immediately. City weren’t even done, with Hackett again creating an opportunity which squirmed across goal and somehow evaded Moylan at the back stick.
After Stephen Parkinson blew for half time, the stadium erupted with cheers for City’s first 45 minutes, and a chorus of ‘what the effing hell was that’ for Bradford’s efforts.
City were outfirst in front of the 10,064 strong crowd, with very different moods in the dressing rooms at half time, one would presume. Tyriek Wright didn’t emerge from at half time, replaced by Calum Kavanagh.
Early in the second half, Adam Reach went into the book after 52 minutes. The ball ran loose ahead of him and he lunged in, winning the ball cleanly but conceding a foul in the process. The first 15 minutes were Bradford’s best spell, but only in so much as they didn’t concede a lot of chances.
They showed a rare flicker of attacking intent four minutes later when Humphrys sent a cross in from the right, comfortably claimed by George Wickens. It was notable largely because it was a Bradford attack. Moments later, a loose touch from Ivan Varfolomeev let Humphrys in again, but Wickens was sharp to save.
City responded through Moylan, driving down the left before feeding Street and then Hackett. His effort was deflected and then took a touch off Draper, looping behind for a goal kick. Hackett remained involved, picking up the loose ball from a long clearance shortly after, but his shot was deflected straight into Walker’s arms.
Lincoln felt hard done by on the hour mark when Conor McGrandles went down on the edge of the area under pressure, but nothing was given. Soon after, there was another clear grievance as Bradley was shoved in the back by Power. Hackett took responsibility from the resulting free kick, curling it just wide of Walker’s right-hand post.
City went close again when Draper flicked on for Street, who laid it back for Moylan. His clean strike was well saved, denying Lincoln a third.
Bradford shuffled the pack just before the final 20 minutes, with Leigh, Ashby and Pennington withdrawn and Neufville, Baldwin and White introduced as the visitors switched to a 4-4-2. Lincoln responded with changes of their own, bringing on Ben House and Dom Jefferies, with Hackett and Moylan making way.
As the clock ticked down, the mood in the away end turned. With around ten minutes left, the first Bradford supporters began to drift towards the exits.
House almost made an immediate impact late on, chasing down a long ball and battling with Walker and Kelly. He emerged with possession but could not quite get a shot away, with Tilt scrambling back to clear off the line with the goal gaping. It was House on target when the contest was finally put beyond doubt four minutes from time. A delicious cross from Hamer picked out House, who had time and space to rise and head past Walker, making it 3-0 and sending the Bank into raptures.
Further changes followed as Towler, Bayliss and Lloyd were introduced, with Draper, Reach and Varfolomeev withdrawn. Five minutes of added time were signalled, during which the Imps fans serenaded the visitors with chants of “can we play you every week”, rounding off a dominant night.
Jefferies almost added a late fourth, the ball bouncing off the corner flag, but with time and space, he blasted an effort straight at Walker.
With Bolton, Stockport, Cardiff and Huddersfield all winning, it was a case of ‘as you were’, aside of course from the Bantams. This was still a big statement, a huge win against a side who had previously been considered our main rivals for a top two spots. Now, with Stockport and Bolton six points behind, the Imps’ destiny is in our own hands.
Hard to pick a Man of the Match. The sponsors went with Darikwa, but Freddie Draper gets our shout, another perfect performance from our starting centre forward.