The youth team came up against a strong Doncaster Rovers side in their first home game of the season
The match, played at Lincoln Christ's Hospital School, started in a typical early season game format with neither team wanting to give anything away early on.
The first chance came to City’s Alex Simmons who broke inside and hit a good shot just wide from the edge of the box. After an attack broke down Matt Bowles picked up the ball from around 30 yards and pulled the trigger but it missed the target.
The next effort fell when Bowles won a free-kick and played it quick to Matt Cotton who swiftly turned and shot but went marginally over the bar.
Even though it was evident that Doncaster had a real aerial threat about them, the Imps managed to counter from a corner with the ball played out wide to Simmons who drove forward into the oppositions half, cut back inside and put in an excellent delivery but Jordan Harper was pulled back and the strong appeal was turned down by the referee.
Doncaster failed to create a good chance for the entire first half due to the young Imps pressing and a solid back line throughout the game which consisted of Kieran Walker, Connor Griffin, Callum Ward and Nick Green.
The start to the second half was very similar to the first and 10 minutes in it took a very well worked set piece which was nodded down from Doncaster’s biggest threat in the air which was then cleared off the line by Kegan Everington and then turned in by the away side’s striker.
The Imps responded extremely well and started to play better quality football and were very nearly rewarded after hitting the bar from a well whipped in cross.
Doncaster got another corner soon after and a bullet header from their centre half put them two up and proved their aerial threat once again.
Once again the imps responded well getting the ball more to the tricky Rob Smith, Cotton and Simmons who looked bright throughout and creating many half chances for themselves.
The Imps made three changes bringing first years Mason Love, Josh Barr-Rostron and Kieran Helsdown on for Kieran Walker, Bowles and Harper. The three substitutes did not look out of place with their first appearance this season in Youth Team football and helped create a late chance as the ball was played into Helsdown who held off the defender and laid it off to Simmons on the edge of the box, but his strike was saved.
