Report: Lincoln City U18s 6-2 Iron U18s

The Iron’s Under-18s were defeated 6-2 at Lincoln City on Saturday morning, as they returned to action after six weeks without a match.

Academy manager Tony Daws said: "Individual errors and a penalty in the first half saw us concede four goals. Although we created a number of chances throughout the game, we were not clinical in our finishing."

After a tight start, Harry Jessop had the first sight of goal on nine minutes, picking the ball up from 25 yards and driving just wide of the bottom right corner.

Soon after,Jessop did extremely well tussling with the Lincoln defender to latch onto Harry Baker’s through-ball. The former cut back for Joey Dawson, but he miscued his effort and the hosts cleared.

On 13 minutes, the hosts opened the scoring following a neat passing move.

Soon after, there was solid defending from Baker backed into the corner, followed by a glancing header allowing the Iron to avert danger, with the move ending with a blazed effort over the crossbar. 

With 20 minutes gone, Jessop did very well to earn the Iron a corner after a marauding run from the half way line. Raynner Silva’s ball in found the aforementioned Jessop at the back post, but his header was held by the home ‘keeper.

The 22nd minute saw the hosts double their advantage. Following a block from Charlie Barks, the rebound fell kindly to a red shirt, who duly slotted the ball in.

They made it three just two minutes later after a foul in the penalty area, with the number nine converting from the spot.

On 28 minutes, the Iron had a corner from the left side, taken by Silva, and despite Aidan Train’s efforts the home side hacked the ball away and up the pitch.

On half an hour, there was excellent defending from Baker at the back post, as the full back slid in to volley away an almost certain goal, with a Lincoln winger arriving.Soon after, Jake Balme got down well to save from point blank range.

However, the hosts soon made it four on 33 minutes with a strike from 35 yards.

With 36 minutes gone, Lincoln hit the post from close range, and following the corner, Finley Shrimpton volleyed off the line, with Barks later blocking a goal-bound strike.

The Iron improved towards the end of the half, with Oliver Lobley and Jessop linking up down the left, and the latter’s strike well kept out by the home ‘keeper.

With 43 minutes gone, Train flicked the ball beyond the ‘keeper after Shrimpton’s clipped cross to pull a goal back.

Moments later, Jessop was unfortunate not to grab the Iron’s second, after his powerful low strike was tipped away.

Then, just before the break, Jessop capitalised on a defensive error, laying back to Cameron Wilson, but the centre-back somehow blocked a certain goal.

Early in the second-half, Jessop looked to be striding through on goal following Wilson’s lay-off, but the Lincoln defender did well to intervene, cleanly tackling the Iron forward.

The Iron started the second half as they ended the first (on the front foot). Lobley’s edge of the box pass was just cut out by a centre back in the 54th minute.

They then pulled another back a minute later, as Dawson converted from the spot after being brought down in the box.

On the hour mark, the Iron came forward again, this time with Dawson’s dummy leading to the ball being found back at the goal-scorer’s feet, but his curling effort was bent wide of the top corner.

With 64 minutes gone, Balme saved well with his feet after the number nine’s low drive, and the linesman’s flag was up for offside.

Wilson then did well with his defensive duties, blocking a shot for a corner to the hosts. The ball came in, but missed everyone in a red shirt.

Soon after. Jessop battled past three Lincoln defenders, earning a free-kick in the process. Silva’s cross was then well-caught by the hosts’ ‘keeper.

With 15 minutes gone, Lincoln came close to adding a fifth. After the number nine carried the ball down the right, it was squared to a central area and side-footed just past the bottom right corner.

The hosts then added a fifth on 80 minutes, firing into the bottom left corner.

United tried to force their way back into the game, with Jessop shrugging off a challenge on the edge of the box, but his strike was comfortably gathered by the Lincoln ‘keeper.

Then, shortly after, Barks was in the right place at the right time at the other end to clear off the line, after a Lincoln strike was heading for the bottom corner.

With two minutes left, the Iron’s two substitutes combined, with Alex Wilkinson laying off to Oliver Kemp, but the latter’s effort was deflected for a corner, which was met by Train but cleared.

Then, just a minute later, the hosts added another, with a thumping strike into the top corner.

The Iron return to action with a trip to Rotherham United on Tuesday (1pm kick-off).

IRON: Balme, Baker, Lobley, D Gallimore, Barks, Train, Wilson, Shrimpton (Kemp, 88), Dawson (Wilkinson, 88), Jessop, Silva.

IRON SUBS NOT USED: Lewis, Strouther, Moore-Billam.