Match Review: Lincoln City 4-1 Mansfield Town

Lincoln City picked up their first home win of the 24/25 League One campaign on Saturday against Mansfield Town.

Michael Skubala made two changes to the side that lost to Barnsley a week earlier. George Wickens kept his place in goal, with Adam Jackson, Paudie O’Connor and Sean Roughan ahead of him in the back three. Dom Jefferies made his first league start at left wing back with Tendayi Darikwa on the other side. Conor McGrandles also came in to make his first start since returning to the club on a permanent deal this summer. Ethan Erhahon and Tom Bayliss partnered him in midfield. Jovon Makama and Ben House remained the front two. JJ McKiernan and Dylan Duffy dropped to the bench, while new signing Erik Ring was unable to play. 

City had the first effort of the game but Mansfield started strong. They’ve had a good start to the 24/25 campaign, picking up an opening day win away against Barnsley and then getting a point against Burton Albion in a thrilling 3-3 draw. On paper it looked like it would a tough test but after Jackson’s first of the afternoon, it looked the complete opposite. 

After a long throw on the left by Roughan was headed away by a Mansfield defender, the Irishman recycled the chance and got the ball back into the box – not too dissimilar to what he did away at Burton for O’Connor’s first goal. It wasn’t O’Connor who got his head onto it this time though, it was Jackson, who headed home his first goal of the season past Christy Pym. 

O’Connor nearly got his third goal of the season, smashing an effort against the crossbar after he drove forward from defence. Another member of City’s back three would be the one to double the advantage, McGrandles won a free-kick late in the half and Roughan opened his account, looping the ball over Pym in the Mansfield net. 

The second half started just as the first half ended. Jackson scored his second of the game, marking his first career brace and making 24/25 the best goalscoring season of his Lincoln City career. A Roughan corner was met by the head of O’Connor, who headed the ball back into the danger zone, where Jackson was able to head City three goals to the good.

The scoring didn’t stop there though, just a matter of minutes later, House scored his second goal of the season but the move was all about Makama. While the younger striker didn’t get the assist due to House needing a second attempt to score City’s fourth of the afternoon, he played a key role in the goal slipping his striker partner in on goal. 

Mansfield did grab themselves a goal back through Deji Oshilaja but the game settled down, allowing Skubala to use all five of his substations, introducing Tom Hamer, Freddie Draper, Jack Moylan, McKiernan and Rob Street.

Key Performers 

McGrandles was on top form for City on his ‘third debut’ and was relentless with his running. The Scottish midfield made Skubala’s side look much more balanced and seemed to bring everything together after two tough results on the bounce. He complimented Erhahon and Bayliss and as we saw last season, having a good balance in midfield will be the key to getting results. 

Jackson will steal all the headlines with his first career brace and game winning performance but his defensive solidity throughout the 90 minutes along with Roughan and O’Connor was the platform for the win and that should be appreciated. Darikwa was once again one of the best performers on the pitch and is certainly proving himself to be a key player on the right hand side of the back five.

Makama should’ve had an assist and potentially even a goal if House had squared the ball at one point in the second half. The change in the 20-year-old has been commendable and his first league goal of the season certainly isn’t too far away.

AllLincoln MOTM

Adam Jackson is the AllLincoln Man of the Match

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Next up

City are on the road next weekend as they travel to Stevenage following of the transfer window on Friday night. City failed to win against Stevenage in the 23/24 campaign and couldn’t find the net in both games either. 

City’s last win away at Stevenage was in 2018 – John Akin sealed all three points from the spot that day.