A spirited Lincoln City performance wasn’t enough to produce another Carabao Cup upset, as a second-half West Ham United goal secured a win for the Premier League side.
Lincoln came into the game off the back of a four-game winless run, while the visitors sat 7th in the country’s top division after a good start to the season and looked to better their Carabao Cup performance from last season.
Mark Kennedy made just a couple of chances to the side that lost to Portsmouth on Saturday, as Alex Mitchell and Alistair Smith came in for Adam Jackson and Ted Bishop.
The Hammers made ten changes, as only Tomas Soucek remained from their line-up against Liverpool. However, David Moyes still picked a strong team, such is the depth of his side.
Before kick-off, the LNER Stadium stood to observe a minute’s applause for legendary manager Colin Murphy. He managed the Imps for ten years across two spells, including in 1982 when Lincoln last faced West Ham.
First-Half:
The boisterous Lincoln crowd cheered on their team from the very start of the game, as the Imps contained their visitors early on.
Captain Paudie O’Connor saw an effort blaze over the bar in the 10th minute as he shot from outside the box in Lincoln’s first chance of the tie.
After that point, West Ham began to create more chances. Mohammed Kudus wowed as he dribbled past four or five Lincoln players, but the eventual shot was well blocked by the Imps backline.
Lukas Jensen was called into action as the game went past ten minutes. He produced a double save, most dramatically stopping a Said Benrahma shot from the left of the box.
Lincoln had an effort of their own as Reeco Hackett received the ball after a parading Lasse Sorensen run, only to find Lukas Fabianski’s gloves.
Then Lincoln had the ball in the back of the net. A Hakeeb Adelakun long-throw bounced in the box and caused havoc for the Hammers defence. It was hooked goalwards by Alistair Smith and tapped in by Alex Mitchell at the back post. However, the linesman’s flag cut short the Imps celebrations.
The chances continued to flow as Ethan Hamilton had a couple of long-shots deflected wide either side of the 30th minute.
Jensen was called back into action as Kudus almost looped a corner over the Dane’s head.
As half-time neared the game showed no sign of slowing. Hackett had a shot saved, Adelakun flicked one wide and Fabianski produced the save of the match from a Hackett header.
The St. Lucian international met a fine Alistair Smith cross, but somehow Fabianski managed to keep out the headed effort.
It was two-way traffic as West Ham should’ve taken the lead themselves. The experienced Danny Ings found himself through on goal, but could only roll the ball past the wrong side of the post.
Mark Kennedy was animated throughout the half, but his side showed plenty of promise in a first-half where chances were equal between the two teams. The travelling West Ham fans would be hoping their side could provide some Premier League quality in the second-half and put away one of their opportunities.
Second-Half:
The second-half started the same as the first ended, as Lincoln City produced a number of chances. Sorensen made another great run up the field, but shot high of the bar.
Hamilton fired another shot from range and almost provided the first goal of the game as he sent a corner tantalisingly across the goalmouth. All it needed was a slight touch and Lincoln City would’ve been in the lead.
West Ham United had scored in each of their games so far this season heading into this one, but without top scorer Jaden Bowen and creator James Ward-Prowse, they seemed to be lacking the finishing touch so far.
As the game ticked past the hour mark, Kudus whipped a free-kick towards Jensen’s goal, but the ‘keeper managed to palm it over the bar.
Tomas Soucek picked up a yellow card for a cynical foul on Hackett and David Moyes made a double chance, Edson Alvarez and Divin Mubama replacing Pablo Fornals and birthday-boy Maxwell Cornet.
However, it became only a matter of time before a West Ham goal as they piled the pressure on the Imps backline. The deadlock was eventually broken as Soucek poked the ball home from a corner, in the 70th minute.
Then, the game began to turn. After a strong back-and-forth in the first-half where Lincoln City should’ve scored, West Ham started to control the play and really pressured the Imps defence.
As the game passed 75 minutes, Mark Kennedy changed his entire front-three as Ted Bishop, Dylan Duffy and Jovon Makama came on for Smith, Hackett and Adelakun.
In the last ten minutes, Lincoln started to throw everything at the Irons. Substitute Duffy cracked an effort from 25-yards out, which was fantastically spotted by Fabianski.
The attacking Imps left space in behind, which West Ham almost exploited as Kudus forced an acrobatic save out of Jensen.
In the end, Lincoln City couldn’t find an equaliser and the Hammers saw out a game that was a tougher test than they may have expected.
Lincoln City 0-1 West Ham United
Despite a valiant effort and a host of first-half chances, Lincoln City couldn’t quite provide a giant killing and knock-out another Premier League team. Tomas Soucek’s second-half goal was enough to send West Ham United into the Carabao Cup Fourth Round.
David Moyes’ team managed their first clean sheet of the season in a game that was decided by the tightest of margins, from offsides and huge chances to big blocks and great saves.