Lincoln City 3 Stockport County 1 ( Football League 1) Saturday 14 March 2026

 

 

 

 

County lost in the most depressing of fashions today at Sincel Bank where Lincoln City scored 2 late goals to win a game that they looked nailed on to lose minutes before.

It was so…so disappointing to see County work their way back from being a goal down, equalise in the second half, and then see their almost total hegemony obliterated in less than 10 minutes at the death.

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Several choruses of `Tanto`s on Fire` got the pre match off to a great start, but on the park things were a touch iffy early on-County`s play littered with errors – Dacres /Cogley spilling possession after Osborn had opened brightly with a probing run.

More slack play followed from County as their opponents grew in confidence- winning a couple of corners- neither counting thankfully.

 County seemed to be looking to up their game, but Sidibeh`s darting run, 5 minutes in, promised more than it produced in the end.

But County kept plugging away- Bailey winning a corner (and a song from the large away following behind the goal), home keeper George Wickens spoiling the moment for the blues by punching the ball clear under pressure from the incoming corner.

So far, so good, but we got a blast across our bows next as, capitalising on loose play from the green shirted blues, Rob Street brought a terrific save from Corey Addai with thunderous drive that arguably deserved a better fate.

It was a corner however, and County`s good fortune ran out abruptly as Addai and his defensive cohorts could do nothing to prevent Jack Moylan opening the scoring for the Imps from close in from Bradley`s pass .

County came under pressure for 10 to 15 minutes after that last action- Addai a busy lad, County`s defence struggling to clear their lines but eventually doing so.

The blues eventually emerged from this defensive posture, but with no significant impact, their best effort from Wootton , on 23 minutes, from a pass by Sidibeh, but this effort cleared the bar , as did a drive by Norwood a minute later.

There was a measure of tension in the game as it went into 1 minute of added time, with County winning a free kick smack bang in Norwood territory.

Absolutely nobody left to ensure getting first in the queue for a beer or a coffee…..over 1000 County fans in the away end willing County`s captain to produce one of his `specials`, but instead he lifted the ball to the back of the box where it ran out of play off a county player!

1 down at half time was no disaster against the divisions top side, but it was still disappointing- I hoped for better in the second half!

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County came under a fair amount of pressure in the second half- DC responding by bringing Diamond on for Olowu, and gradually there was an up turn in County`s play as they forced their opponents to defend deep in their own half.

The problem for County though was a familiar one- finding some way to test …..nay beat the opposing keeper, but a header from Osborn whilst causing much panic at the back for Imps, saw the home side eventually clear their lines.

This tendency to panic, on Lincoln`s part, continued as County pressed…winning a freekick that morphed into a corner , and another mad scramble of bodies on the line that Wickens was defending for his team, that ended inconclusively for County.

County were winning this tussle, if not scoring yet, and they needed to maintain the momentum, but instead lost possession allowing Darikwa to break clear and find Street with his pass. A cracking shot followed from Street that thudded into the crossbar before going out.

A warning for sure, but that was soon forgotten as play switched ends – Osborn lifting a fine ball across the box to where Diamond lurked menacingly- meeting the incoming ball with precision heading it beyond Wickens into the net- County had equalised!

  

Wootton again showed up first for the blues only to fire his shot wide from Osborn`s incisive ball from wide left.

County piled the pressure on, and the league leaders began to look distinctly uncomfortable, as County went close but without giving their supporters something to cheer loudly.

Diamond looked a willing and possibly effective ploy for County to use, but he was unlucky on the end of a decent pass from Pye and badly served by Dacres/ Cogley who took Diamond`s pass but then whacked the ball across the box with far too much oomph.

Lincoln managed to survive despite the blues continuing to up the pressure on them…..and…I kid you not….I found myself scribbling this in my notes…..` Only 1 team is going to score again! `and I did not mean the Imps!

I was not even slightly fazed to see McGrandles line up a shot on  a rare break, as he lifted the effort high over the bar- there were just 6 minutes left to play and a point was the least I was expecting from today.

Tanto was on by this time….yes ….you guessed correctly…..called on again to do the biz in 5 minutes flat…..

But calamity was about to strike us amidships as County gifted possession to Darikwa in front of goal- his shot taking a fiendish deflection off Pye beating Addai with ease.

The home specs went AS in response to going 2-1 up, and again   6 minutes later as Lloyd latched onto a leggy punt up the park by Wickens, before bullying Hills to add a scarcely believable third goal to Imps tally!

That was too awful to contemplate, so I drifted slowly towards the exit, still inside as the final whistle went, to be greeted benevolently outside the stadium by an Imps fan who asked me earnestly “ just how did you lose that one?”

No answer occurred to me, in the moment, but I do look for us to bring our best game to EP against Northampton on Tuesday.

See you there!

 

 Stockport County line up :-

Addai,Olowu (Diamond 56), Hills, Pye, Dacres-Cogley, Norwood , Bailey, Osborn, Stokes (Fiorini 83); Sidibeh (Olaofe 83), Wootton.

Unused Subs: Hinchliffe, Bate, Dixon, Edun.

 

Lincoln City line up :-

 Wickens, Darikwa, Towler, Hackett (Reach 75), Moylan (House 62), Bradley, Oné (Jefferies 62), Hamer, Varfolomeev (Bayliss 76), Street (Lloyd 75). 

Unused Subs : Jeacock, Elerewe.  

Attendance: 9,759 (1,185)