Imps stay cool to end City’s dreams of Wembley date
PAPA JOHN’S TROPHY QUARTER-FINAL GOES TO PENALTY SHOOT-OUT AT SOGGY KCOM STADIUM
There will be no Wembley cup final for Hull City in the Papa John’s Trophy this season, after a dramatic penalty shootout defeat to Lincoln City at a sodden KCOM Stadium ended their run at the quarter-final stage. January signing Jordan Flores saw his kick saved by Imps stopper Alex Palmer to dash any hopes the Tigers had of making the semifinal later this month, after the game finished 1-1.
The Tigers found themselves behind just seven minutes in to what was an absorbing contest on a pitch which started out a quagmire and ended something much worse when Harry Anderson fired the Imps in front.
It took a host of missed opportunities and until the hour mark for City to draw themselves deservedly level, though it was a goal worth waiting for from Greg Docherty.
Keane Lewis-potter missed a glorious chance to win it late in normal time, sending a thrilling tie into yet another penalty shootout.
Flores’ kick was easily parried out by
Lincoln Man of the Match Palmer to break Tigers’ hearts.
Boss Mccann made six changes from Saturday, with Richie Smallwood, Josh Emmanuel, Sean Mcloughlin, Regan Slater and Josh Magennis all coming in, while there was a place on the bench for Max Clark following his arrival on Monday.
City were on the front foot from the off, Lewis-potter drifted towards the edge of the box looking for Magennis, though the ball stuck in the pitch which allowed Montsma the chance to block his effort.
Elder, under the watchful eye of Clark, surged down the left before firing over a teasing cross through the six-yard box where there were no takers, an opening City would live to regret.
Seven minutes in and a collection of defensive errors conspired to allow Anderson the chance to thump the ball past Ingram and into the bottom corner, to give Lincoln the lead from their first attack of the game. It was
nearly two a couple of minutes later when James Jones powered an effort inches past Ingram’s top corner.
Lewis-potter had City’s first shot on target 24 minutes in, firing from the right side of the box which was well dealt with by Palmer, and the openings continued to come for the home side, despite the best efforts of the pitch to thwart them.
Crowley’s influence was growing by the minute, along with Lewis-potter, but unfortunately for the Tigers, Magennis was finding the going somewhat tough in the middle of the box,
City could have been level at the start of the second half, after something of a melee inside the Lincoln box, Magennis forced his way in shooting straight at Palmer inside the six-yard box.
The home side continued to press, and search for a way back into a game their play deserved and it came in style on the hour mark.
Docherty drove into the box before firing the ball into the bottom corner to level it up, his second goal in as many games.
On came James Scott, Billy Chadwick and Jordan Flores for Slater, Magennis and
Crowley, the latter having been very good again.
Both sides exchanged blows as they looked for a winner, and probably the best chance of the evening fell to Lewis-potter in the closing stages, but he couldn’t find the grandstand finish.
In the shootout, Smallwood, Scott and Flores missed to see the Tigers’ cup run come to an end.
With the pair set to meet again at the KCOM next midweek, if we get a game half as good as this then we’ll be in for a treat.
Whether or not Lincoln have gained a little psychological advantage remains to be seen.