Michael Skubala’s Lincoln City recovered from back-to-back home defeats to Barnsley and Harrogate Town to dispatch Mansfield Town this weekend to make it two league wins from three thanks to an impressive display from the Imps’ back three, each of whom registered a goalscoring contribution.
Their performance, despite having under 30% possession over the ninety minutes, earns them the accolade of The Deck’s League One Team of the Week.
Lincoln City 4-1 Mansfield Town
Two pieces of terrible goalkeeping allowed the home team to go in at half-time in a comfortable position and it took just five second-half minutes for that lead to be doubled, with striker Ben House equalling his tally from the entirety of last season with the fourth and his second of the League One campaign.
30-year-old defender Adam Jackson grabbed a brace, scoring both with his head as Mansfield Town handed the game to Lincoln City with some poor defending. Skubala continued with a back three and should be delighted with the exploits of his defenders as Sean Roughan got his name on the scoresheet and captain Paudie O’Connor set up Jackson’s second and Lincoln City’s third.
Mansfield Town failed to capitalise on their domination of the ball and Nigel Clough may be disappointed by the nature of their first defeat of the league season since sealing promotion from the fourth tier as the home side had the better chances and looked much the better side in attacking areas.
A win at Barnsley on the opening day was an impressive result and they drew 3-3 with Burton Albion last weekend but have now conceded eight goals in their three League One matches, hinting at potential defensive frailties as the season progresses.
However, the scoreline will excite Lincoln City fans as the Stags had shown in their previous outings that were a side that could compete at this level and the win may ignite their push for a playoff position this campaign, after narrowly missing out on the top six in 2023/24. They have lost both of their top scorers Joe Taylor and Daniel Mandroiu so it will be a relief to to see Ben House get off to a goalscoring start as he looks to replace the goals lost by the departed duo.
Future Prospects and Upcoming Fixtures
Lincoln City travel to Stevenage before hosting Northampton Town in the next two game weeks as they look to build on the thrashing of Mansfield Town. Both of these fixtures appear very winnable with neither side overly impressive even at this early stage of the League One season.
They picked up just two points across their four outings against their next two opponents in 2023/24 and it is an opportunity to show how much more capable this side is of finishing in a top-six position this season. However, there does appear to be a lack of depth outside of the three main defenders and this could be exposed later in the campaign if any of the trio are unavailable for an extended period.
Lincoln City rank second from bottom for average possession after three games and are not much better in pass completion rate so they are relying on their defence to soak up pressure and remain resolute and the fitness of their key defenders and midfield anchor Ethan Erhahon, who is impressing in just his second full season in English football., will go a long way in deciding their prospects.
The former Scotland under-21 international is averaging 3.3 interceptions per game having topped that statistic, successful tackles and passing accuracy at the club in 2023/24. Lincoln City have some excellent players at this level but may need to add further depth before Friday’s transfer deadline if they are to compete with some of the powerhouses competing in League One.