LINCOLN LET IRON FEEL THE FORCE OF DEFEAT
LINCOLN City returned to winning ways – and the play-off positions – after inflicting a third straight defeat on manager Danny Cowley’s former club, Braintree. Nathan Arnold’s early strike set the Imps on their way before Luke Waterfall and Jack Muldoon sealed a comfortable victory in Hakan Hayrettin’s first game as Braintree boss. “It was a workmanlike performance, but a game that we started with a real intensity,” said Cowley, who received a warm reception from the Braintree supporters both before and after the game. “We’re very demanding and we always want more, but to win 3-0 at home you have to enjoy that. We weren’t always free-flowing, but I thought we tried to pass it better than we have been doing. “The clean sheet was massive to me because if they had scored at the end as they nearly did, it would have ruined my night.” The natives, who were celebrating ‘Lincolnshire Day’, were soon given something to cheer about when Matt Rhead outmuscled two opponents midway inside the Braintree half before weighting a ball perfectly for Arnold to blast under Will Puddy from 20 yards. Sam Habergham almost doubled the Imps’ lead on 15 minutes when his in-swinging corner almost crept in at the near post, and Braintree’s afternoon looked to get even worse when both of their central defenders, Jon Ashton and Jake Goodman, limped off. Indeed, it wasn’t long for Lincoln to seize the advantage after the re-start when Puddy spilled Habergham’s 52nd-minute cross for a corner and Terry Hawkridge’s centre was headed home by the unmarked Luke Waterfall. Sim Akinola almost pulled a goal back for Braintree, poking an effort just wide from 18 yards, but the Imps made sure in the final minute when substitute Jack Muldoon latched onto Arnold’s free-kick before unleashing an unstoppable strike into the top corner. For Hayrettin, it proved a disappointing first game in charge, but the Iron bos was still feeling positive afterwards. “The early goal was bad enough but we certainly weren’t helped by the two injuries in the first half,” he explained. “We knew today would be a difficult task, but there’s no drama, there’s no panic. I’ve got plenty to work with here and we have room to manoeuvre and bring in one or two more. We’ve got to be positive and upbeat. We’ll go again and I’m sure we’ll be fine.”