Lincoln City went top of SkyBet League One after securing a massive 2-0 win against fellow title contenders Cardiff City in Wales.
It was almost impossible to hear yourself think at the Cardiff City Stadium this afternoon in what must surely have been the biggest game of this League One season.
Michael Skubala made just one change to the side that thrashed Blackpool 4-0 just seven days earlier, with Ryley Towler replacing Jack Moylan in the starting line-up.
Lincoln City fans travelled in their thousands for this one and they were letting themselves be heard before kick-off.
A slow start
The first 45 minutes didn’t provide much for either team to shout about, with very little chances coming at either end.
George Wickens, Sonny Bradley and Ben House were all subject to minor head injuries, with all three being fine to carry on after brief treatment as the Imps found themselves under a bit of pressure.
It was the Lincoln keeper who provided the main talking point of the first half as he somehow reached a strike from Rubin Colwill that looked destined to find the top corner.
Lincoln saw less than 30 per cent of the ball, but that didn’t deter the players from darting forward on numerous occasions, looking to break the deadlock.
The noise from both ends of the stadium was sensational in the opening 45 minutes this afternoon, with the thousands dressed in red and white doing the city proud on the nearly 400-mile-round trip.
Top of the league…
The second half didn’t take long to come to life as Rob Street played a fantastic one-two with House before Lincoln’s number 17 scored yet again this season, marking his eighth goal this campaign.
Chants of winning the league then made their way across the ground from the away end as it was that goal that saw the Imps fly past the Bluebirds in the table.
Just ten minutes later, Reeco Hackett made way for Dom Jefferies in what turned out to be yet another example of Skubala’s tactical genius this season as the latter fired home to make it 2-0 les than two minutes after coming onto the pitch.
That second goal seemed to be the killer blow as Cardiff really struggled to carve out any clear opportunities in the closing 15 minutes of the game. A few efforts flew high and wide, but none really posed any threat to Wickens between the sticks.
It was the away end that roared until the final whistle as home fans streamed out of the ground before the nine minutes of injury time were announced.
Despite having roughly a fifth of the possession, it must be said that Skubala’s side deserved all three points after such a professional and well-drilled performance.
Focus now turns to midweek as the Imps prepare to take on Exeter City away from home. Exeter remain the only side to beat Lincoln City at home this season, so it’s all eyes on the players as they look to take revenge and cement themselves in the top spot that they well and truly earned today.