WATER WAY TO SNATCH A WIN!
LINCOLN boss Danny Cowley hailed his team’s grit and resilience as Luke Waterfall’s dramatic injurytime strike helped down Colchester.
Imps midfielder Elliott Whitehouse put his side ahead from the penalty spot while Courtney Senior came off the Colchester bench to equalise, but Waterfall settled affairs after team-mate Michael Bostwick had seen red late on.
The result keeps the Imps in the playoff places and Cowley praised his side’s battling spirit to come away with the victory at Sincil Bank.
“We’ve got a group that have got that in abundance and there’s no luck to getting late goals,” Cowley said.
“We work hard, we’re physically fit and we’re strong, mentally really determined and when you put those qualities together you give yourself a good chance.
“There’s a lot that went against us, a few decisions went against us. Ollie [Palmer] obviously has a wonder moment where he hits the underside of the bar and then Michael Bostwick’s sending off. You’re thinking, ‘It’s not going to be our day’. But our will was immense and it’s about having good people.
“Ollie Palmer came on and changed the game. He could’ve been sulking, he still can’t get a start, but every time he comes on he effects the game. He’s had a huge influence on our season, particularly towards the back end.”
Lincoln almost took the lead on the halfhour mark as Matt Green turned and shot from 20 yards out, but Sam Walker tipped the ball round the post.
Honours were even at the break but on 55 minutes replacement Ollie Palmer was brought down in the box and Whitehouse fired into the bottom corner from the spot.
Five minutes later Colchester were right back in it, with substitute Senior slotting past Ryan Allsop from a tight angle after good build-up play.
Palmer then hit the crossbar and Imps defender Bostwick was shown a straight red for pulling back Mikael Mandron when through on goal.
There was still time for a disallowed goal for Mandron and four minutes into injury-time Waterfall headed home to seal the points.
U’s boss John McGreal was gutted to see his side concede late on and felt the visitors did enough to take all three points.
He said: “We were going there to win a game of football but we haven’t been able to do that.
“Courtney came on and got involved straight away with a one-two and a lovely finish and we had chances to win it. The fact we didn’t take them sums us up and that’s frustrating.
“We will deal with it in the summer without a shadow of a doubt. We have the nucleus of a fantastic squad and I believe in what we are doing.
“There were nine to ten thousand there at Lincoln and our boys took it all in their stride; they thrived on it but it was a sucker to take a defeat.”