Lincoln City 4-3 Wycombe Wanderers: Match Report

Match Details

• Competition: SkyBet League 1
• Venue: LNER Stadium, Sincil Bank, Lincoln
• Attendance: 10,125
• Referee: Scott Oldham - 4th Official: Robert Massey-Ellis
• Lincoln City: Wickens - Darikwa, Elerewe, Bradley, Towler - McGrandles (68, Bayliss), Varfolomieiev - Hackett (85, Lloyd), Moylan (68, Jefferies), House (88, Ring) - Street (68, One). Unused: Jeacock (G), Conteh
• Wycombe Wanderers: Norris - Huggins (46, Junior Quitirna), Taylor, Skura (85, Henderson), Harvie - Scowen, Morley - Onyedinma, Harris (70, Mullins), Leahy (71, Allen) - Fink (71, Woodrow). Unused: van Sas (G), Vidigal

Match Stats & Key Metrics

	Lincoln City	Wycombe Wanderers
Goals	4	3
Yellow Cards	2	1
Red Cards	0	0
Attendance	10,125	-

Yellow Cards: Bradley (50'), Varfolomeev (65') - Junior Quitirna (90+6')

The Story of the Match

Lincoln City, Champions of SkyBet League 1, celebrated in style with a 4-3 victory over Wycombe Wanderers at the LNER Stadium - lifting the league trophy in front of 10,125 fans and reaching a remarkable 100 points for the season.

Before kick-off, both sets of fans stood to remember the 56 people who died at Valley Parade in the Bradford City fire of May 1985. A wreath was laid by commentator John Helm alongside Trevor, David and William Stacey - son, grandson and great-grandson of Bill Stacey. The Imps also wore a special retro shirt to mark the 50th anniversary of Graham Taylor's 1975-76 Division 4 title-winning team, with ten members of that squad on the pitch at half time including Phil Neale - who later captained Worcestershire to the 1988 County Championship - and Sam Ellis.

Lincoln started brightly in the April sunshine, taking the game to Wycombe from the first whistle. Varfolomeev went close in the fourth minute, and the visitors threatened briefly through Scowen and Onyedinma, but the Imps were the more purposeful side. Street forced Norris into a save in the 31st minute before the opener arrived three minutes later.

Jack Moylan swept home right-footed from Ryley Towler's assist in the 34th minute - Lincoln's 100th point of the season - and five minutes later Recco Hackett doubled the lead from the penalty spot after Luke Leahy handled in the area, firing left-footed into the corner past Norris.

The Imps were worthy of their 2-0 half-time lead. Wycombe offered little going forward and six minutes of added time produced only a comfortable Norris save from Varfolomeev.

Lincoln put the game to bed early in the second half when Hackett struck again in the 53rd minute, driving a left-footed shot from outside the area after a perfectly weighted pass from the influential Conor McGrandles. Wycombe refused to fold - Scowen pulled one back from close range on 57 minutes, and after Skubala's triple substitution at 68 minutes the visitors grew into the game. Declan Skura headed home to make it 3-2 in the 74th minute and the LNER Stadium grew edgy.

Lincoln captain Tendayi Darikwa settled nerves in the 83rd minute, beating the offside trap and firing home from a remarkable assist by goalkeeper George Wickens to make it 4-2. Cauley Woodrow headed in a Scowen cross in the 90th+4 minute for a dramatic finish, but it was not enough - the final whistle triggered scenes of celebration as Lincoln City flooded the pitch and received the League 1 trophy.

Timeline of Key Events

• 4' - Varfolomeev right-footed effort goes high and wide, Wycombe survive early pressure
• 12' - Scowen header from Huggins assist clears the bar
• 16' - Onyedinma left-footed shot goes close on the counter
• 26' - Hackett's header from House's cross clips the top of the bar
• 31' - Street left-footed shot saved by Norris after Hackett assist
• 34' - 1-0 Moylan - right-footed finish from Towler's assist; Lincoln reach 100 points
• 38' - 2-0 Hackett (pen) - Leahy handball, Hackett fires left-footed into the corner
• 45+1' - Varfolomeev effort in added time, Norris saves well
• 46' - Huggins off, Junior Quitirna on for Wycombe
• 50' - Bradley booked
• 53' - 3-0 Hackett - left-footed drive from outside the area, McGrandles assist
• 57' - 3-1 Scowen - right-footed finish from close range pulls one back
• 65' - Varfolomeev booked
• 68' - Moylan, Street, McGrandles off; Jefferies, One, Bayliss on for Lincoln
• 70-71' - Harris, Fink, Leahy off; Mullins, Woodrow, Allen on for Wycombe
• 74' - 3-2 Skura - header from close range, Wycombe back in it
• 83' - 4-2 Darikwa - right-footed finish after beating the offside trap; assist by Wickens
• 85' - Lloyd on for Hackett (Lincoln); Henderson on for Skura (Wycombe)
• 88' - Ring on for House (Lincoln)
• 90+4' - 4-3 Woodrow - close-range header from Scowen's assist
• 90+6' - Junior Quitirna booked
• Full time: Lincoln City 4-3 Wycombe Wanderers

Author's Standout Players

• Recco Hackett (Lincoln City) - Two goals and a constant threat throughout; his third goal from outside the box was the pick of the afternoon
• Conor McGrandles (Lincoln City) - Controlled the midfield from first to last; his assist for the third was perfectly weighted and typified his influence all season
• Tendayi Darikwa (Lincoln City) - Captained the side with authority and capped a fine display with a clinical 83rd-minute goal to seal the win
• Josh Scowen (Wycombe Wanderers) - Pulled one back, set up Woodrow's consolation, and gave Wycombe their only moments of quality in a difficult afternoon