Newton bags hat-trick as City secure place in FA Cup First Round...
City welcomed Alfreton Town to Sincil Bank Stadium for this FA Cup Fourth Qualifying Round Replay with available-again Hamza Bencherif replacing Marcus Marshall in the starting line-up. The Imps were up against an Alfreton side who were forced to name midfielder Anthony Howell in goal due to injuries.
With the prize of an away game at Eastleigh up for grabs, play got underway with the Imps kicking off attacking the Stacey West Stand.
A third minute knock to Arnaud Mendy following a meaty challenge by Duane Courtney was the first incident of note but the Frenchman was able to continue without treatment but it wasn't long before the Imps were pushing forward.
After Jon Nolan had a shot charged down by Tom Shaw, the City midfielder was upended 25 yards from goal by Luke Graham as the clock ticked into its sixth minute. SEAN NEWTON duly set his sights with Howell's first touch being to pick the ball out of the bottom left corner of his net.
A minute later Jordan Burrow headed an Alan Power cross wide before the City skipper volleyed a foot over as the Imps pushed for a quick second. In the 14th minute a foul on Newton as he surged down the left then ended with Power setting up Nolan who drilled wide.
Alfreton's first half chance saw Dan Bradley volley well wide of Paul Farman's net whilst at the other end Howell dropped a Tom Miller cross but Burrow was penalised for a foul on the stand-in Town keeper.
City's next attack saw Newton fizz in a cross which flew past everyone in a packed area whilst in the 25th minute Alfreton's Graham was booked for entering the field of play without permission; the defender having gone off to adjust his footwear.
Alfreton won the first corner but City cleared; this coming before Ben Tomlinson dragged a lame effort well wide of the target. The Imps' next break ended with a Nolan cross flying just in front of Power.
A 37th minute sweeping City move ended up in a corner which was taken by Newton and headed over by Miller whilst two minutes later a Newton free-kick bounced in the box but Howell saved at full stretch as the ball headed towards the top corner.
Having just kept Newton at bay, Howell failed to deal with the defender's next delivery into the box; a long-range free-kick from the right flank curling in and bouncing into the net for his second of the game.
Alfreton then made a switch with Joe Ironside replacing Paul Clayton before the half ended after two additional minutes of play. Karl Hawley was booked for the visitors before referee Joyce blew for the break.
HT: IMPS 2 ALFRETON 0
Both teams emerged unchanged for the start of the second half with the first half-chance seeing Audel test Howell with a lob from 25 yards.
Six minutes in Howell tipped behind a Burrow drive but nothing came of the resultant corner whilst four minutes later a long punt forward from Farman was allowed to bounce but a combination of Howell and Davies somehow managed to deny Bencherif and then Burrow twice within the six-yard box.
On the hour mark Tomlinson picked out Burrow but a covering defender flicked the ball off him and out for a corner which was headed over by Audel but it wasn't long before the Imps were on the attack and when Power was upended in the box it gave SEAN NEWTON the chance to complete his hat-trick. He duly did this clinically, firing into the bottom right corner.
Delano Sam-Yorke replaces Burrow for the Imps in the 65th minute and after Nat Brown advanced & fired well wide, Jake Sheridan and Massiah replaced Shaw and Bradley respectively for Alfreton.
In the 70th minute Alfreton's cause wasn't helped when Hawley was shown a straight red card following a clash with Miller. Referee Joyce was quick to brandish the card before players from both sides squared up to each other.
Conner Robinson replaced Bencherif for the Imps a minute later but Town's heads didn't drop and when a long throw was hurled into the box, Wood rose well with his header hitting the inside of the post before going in.
City responded within five minutes though and when a long clearance from the City defence bounced in the Alfreton half, DELANO SAM-YORKE shrugged off Courtney, closed in on Howell and finished neatly.
Less than two minutes later SAM-YORKE bagged his second, with the striker prodding home from close range after Howell kept out a Robinson effort.
City's final switch saw Karl Ledsham replace Ben Tomlinson with six minutes on the clock whilst a deflected McDonald effort went out for a Town corner which was cleared. City corner in the first of three added minutes also came to nothing.
FT: IMPS 5 ALFRETON 1
LINCOLN CITY
1 Paul FARMAN
2 Tom MILLER
23 Nat BROWN
24 Thierry AUDEL
3 Sean NEWTON
12 Arnaud MENDY
14 Jon NOLAN
8 Alan POWER
5 Hamza BENCHERIF
11 Ben TOMLINSON
9 Jordan BURROW
subs
10 Karl LEDSHAM (for TOMLINSON 84)
15 Delano SAM-YORKE (for BURROW 65)
16 Conner ROBINSON (for BENCHERIF 71)
17 Jake CAPRICE
22 Marcus MARSHALL
31 David PREECE
GOALS: NEWTON (6, 42, 62 pen), SAM-YORKE (79, 81)
ALFRETON TOWN
GK Anthony HOWELL
2 Bradley WOOD
3 Lathaniel ROWE-TURNER
4 Duane COURTNEY
5 Luke GRAHAM
9 Paul CLAYTON
10 Dan BRADLEY
12 Tom SHAW
15 Jordan KEANE
23 Karl HAWLEY
25 Tom DAVIES
subs
6 Chris SMITH
7 Nathan HICKS
14 Jake SHERIDAN (for SHAW 67)
17 Massiah McDONALD (for BRADLEY 67)
18 Joe IRONSIDE (for CLAYTON 42)
GOAL: WOOD (74)
BOOKINGS: GRAHAM (25), HAWLEY (45+1)
SENDING OFF: HAWLEY (70)
REFEREE: Ross Joyce
ASSISTANTS: Dean Chapman & Chris Ward
FOURTH OFFICIAL: Jamie Rhodes
ATTENDANCE: 1,529 (68 visiting supporters)
