Wanderers ended 2024 on a winning note as they brushed aside Lincoln to carry renewed hope and momentum into the new year, writes Pete Oliver.
Ian Evatt’s men concluded a fluctuating 12 months in impressive style as they got over their recent home headaches with a comprehensive victory that lifted them to eighth place in the table – three points outside the play-off places with games in hand.
Aaron Collins set Wanderers on their way with an excellent opening goal to move into double figures for the season 10 minutes before the break.
And when City were then reduced to 10 men with a second yellow card for holding midfielder Ethan Erhahon as the half-time whistle blew, they were then over-powered in a one-sided second half.
Returning midfielder Jay Matete opened his account for the Whites with both goals and but for the width of the crossbar would have taken home the match ball as his hat-trick attempt thundered against the woodwork.
By then the result was well beyond doubt and having regained the winning thread for the first time in four games, Wanderers will now be looking to add to the tally as they hit the road to Mansfield and Exeter City to kick off 2025 and reach the half-way stage of the season.
Wanderers’ final home game of the year brought a welcome return after two months out for defender Eoin Toal as Evatt re-shuffled his back line to also include George Johnston and Josh Dacres-Cogley at wing-back.
The fourth change from Boxing Day’s defeat to Barnsley saw Matete back from suspension to bolster the midfield and it was Matete who registered the Whites’ first effort on goal following a flurry of early corners.
It had been a bright start from Wanderers who opened up the City defence a number times without being able to pick out a white shirt in the penalty area.
When they did, courtesy of one wing-back to another, the lively Szabi Schön cushioned a deep Dacres-Cogley cross into the path of Johnston, whose thundering shot was blocked.
Lincoln – starting the day level on points with Wanderers – looked to threaten on the break but didn’t always help themselves at the other end and were complicit in a fantastic opening goal from Collins.
Wanderers won back possession as Paudie O’Connor delivered a pass from the back and when the ball fell for Collins 30 yards out, he let fly in typical fashion with a skidding effort which bounced in off the inside of a post.
The Whites’ top scorer deserved enormous credit for having the confidence to back himself after a bad miss against Barnsley and he almost doubled his tally before the break with a volley which fizzed just wide.
Lincoln’s task was then even harder when they went into half-time with 10 men. Midfielder Conor McGrandles was perhaps fortunate to received just a yellow for a high challenge on Schön earlier in the piece but when Ethan Erhahon spoke out of turn twice in quick succession he was dismissed as the players left the pitch.
Wanderers immediately looked to take advantage as they went close to doubling their lead within a minute of the re-start.
Again, Collins was involved with a lovely pass in behind the Imps’ back line for Klaido Lolos to deliver a cross John McAtee was just unable to turn in before heading over the top as the Whites kept the ball alive.
The second goal wasn’t long in coming, though, as Wanderers kept the pressure on and worked a corner nicely between Schön and Lolos for Matete to drive the ball home, via a deflection, from the edge of the box.
Collins then had another chance to add to the tally following another nice link-up with Lolos as Wanderers out-numbered City on the break.
And as the game started to become attack against defence it was 3-0 with just over an hour gone. Wanderers worked the ball around to find an opening and when it came, Matete popped up again to deliver the final touch and claim, without any doubt, his first goal for the club as he steered a finish low into the bottom corner.
That effort would have been eclipsed had his strike following another slick move gone a couple of inches lower to give him a first career hat-trick.
But while another goal wasn’t forthcoming – substitute Jordi Osei-Tutu, Collins and Dion Charles with an off-side 'goal' going closest – Wanderers had done what they had to, with a touch of style and a clean sheet, to get their top-six challenge back on track.
Wanderers: Baxter; Toal (Forrester 63), Almeida Santos, Johnston; Dacres-Cogley (Osei-Tutu 73), Matete, Thomason, Schön (Williams 73); Lolos (Mendes Gomes 79); Collins, McAtee (Charles 73). Substitutes: Jones, Arfield.
Booked: None
Lincoln City: Wickens; Montsma, O’Connor, Roughan; Erhahon; Darikwa (Jefferies 73), Hamilton (Bayliss 59), McGrandles, Hackett (Moylan 59); House (Makama 68), Cadamarteri (Jackson 59). Substitutes: Pardington, Draper.
Booked: O'Connor McGrandles, House, Erhahon
Sent off: Erhahon
Referee: Ross Joyce
Attendance: 22,395 (845)