Crawley Town 0 Lincoln City 3: Reds beaten at home by league leaders
Lincoln took the lead in the 37th minute through Bruno Andrade and then increased it with two more goals in the last 15 minutes of the game by Shay McCarten and Cian Bolger.
Gabriele Cioffi made two changes to the side which lost 6-1 at Crewe with Panutche Camara and Bondz N’Gala coming in for Filipe Morais who was on the bench and George Francomb who was absent through illness.
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Lincoln made one change with central midfielder Tom Pett replacing Michael O’Connor.
They included some familiar faces to Reds’ fans with former Crawley Town players Michael Bostwick and John Akinde starting while Jordan Roberts was on the bench, on loan from Ipswich Town.
It was a great atmosphere created by a bumper crowd of over 3,000 boosted by the largest travelling support of the season of more than 1,000.
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Hide AdThe visitors had the first attack of the game with Harry Toffollo finding Akinde who looped his header over the bar.
Lewis Young showed great pace down the right to surge forward and cross towards Ollie Palmer but he could not connect and the ball ran across the six-yard box.
Lincoln took the lead eight minutes before half-time when Andrade cooly volleyed in a delivery whipped in by skipper Neil Eardley.
Lincoln came out looking energised for the second half and went close from free-kicks by Danny Rowe and Andrade which flew over.
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Hide AdReds took a while to make an impact after the break, their best chance going to go Camara from a move involving Grego-Cox and Palmer which was deflected into the hands of Gilks.
Camara then made a good run and fired a powerful shot from the right hand side over the bar.
Lincoln doubled their lead with 14 minutes to go when substitute Shay McCarten made a winding run and shot which made the large visiting crowd go wild.
The Imps then sealed victory with five minutes to go when Bolger nodded home Tom Pett’s corner.
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Hide AdCrawley Town: Morris, Young, McNerney, Grego-Cox, Palmer, Dallison, Sesay, Willock (Poleon 80), Bulman (capt), Camara, N’Gala
Subs: Mersin, Payne, German, Maguire, Morais
Lincoln City: Gilks, O’Hara, Pett, Andrade (Roberts 87), Toffolo, Bostwick, Rowe (McCarten 67), Eardley (capt), Boolger, Anderson, Akinde (Rhead 77)
Subs: Vickers, O’Connor, Frecklington, Wilson,
Referee: Craig Hicks
Attendance: 3,335 (1,059 away)
Man of the Match: Matty Willock
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