Lincoln City put four past Bolton Wanders on Easter Monday to see their unbeaten run extended to five games.
Goals from Erik Ring, Reeco Hackett, and a James Collins brace gave the Imps a 4-2 win.
Michael Skubala made three changes ahead of the game, bringing in Ethan Erhahon, Collins and Ring. Captain Paudie O’Conner also returned to the bench after serving his suspension.
The Imps started the game on the front foot, putting heavy pressure on the Bolton defence. This lead to an error from Sonny Sharples who lost the ball to Collins. He tried to catch the ‘keeper off his line with a long-range effort, but he missed the target.
Bolton had come into the game still chasing the play-off spots despite three losses in a row. It was perhaps a must win game for Wanderers to keep the dream alive.
Two early Lincoln City strikes:
Lincoln did not have to wait long for their early pressure to be rewarded with a goal however, as Ring received the ball from Erhahon and ran down the left-flank.
He put a looping ball into the box which beat the Bolton shot-stopper and ended up in the back of the net.
The dominance continued when Hackett was fouled in the box as he went to get on the end of a loose ball.
Collins stepped up to take the penalty and smashed it down the middle and into the roof of the net to double the Imps advantage just 18 minutes in.
Bolton Wanderers get back into the game:
This two-goal cushion only lasted 11 minutes, though, as Bolton managed to get themselves back into the game. Full-back Alex Murphy played a ball just outside the box towards midfielder Jay Matete who calmly drilled the ball into the bottom corner.
Bolton carried this momentum and started to pile the pressure on the Imps defence in search of an equaliser before half time.
In the 39th minute this showed as Bolton scored to make the game level once again when a cross towards the back post was met by Alex Murphy. The Newcastle United loanee headed the ball past George Wickens to tie the game.
The Imps bounce back to win:
The Imps started the second half almost identically to the way they started the first, putting pressure on the Bolton defence.
Just nine minutes into the half, Lincoln were back Infront. Collins leaped high to meet a cross put in the box by Sean Roughan and score a fantastic header giving him his 10th goal for Lincoln city since joining in January.
The game was still there to win for both teams despite Lincoln being in the lead, and it was end to end.
Bolton’s play-off hopes were all but ruined in the 61st minute when Hackett faked a cross from a free-kick 35 yards out and hit a low shot into the bottom corner which caught out Nathan Baxter.
From there, the Imps defended excellently and denied Bolton any clear opportunities.
That was until substitute Kion Etete almost scored seconds after coming on when he had a shot on the turn inside the six yard box, but he could not hit the target.
Frustration grew from the Bolton players and it boiled over in the 90th minute when Cogley received two yellow cards within a minute of each other for two rash challenges.
Lincoln City, who next play Stockport County, put a major dint in their visitors play-off chances and put themselves 11th in the Sky Bet League One standings.