Roberts sees red as late Ring strike condemns Cobblers to defeat at Lincoln

Town were excellent in the early stages at Sincil Bank and led inside just two minutes thanks to Tariqe Fosu’s deflected effort, but Lincoln responded well and dominated the first half once Tom Hamer had drawn them level.

The second half was very stop-start though and neither side were able to gain any sustained momentum heading towards the final 15 minutes, but then Roberts brainlessly punched the ball away after it had gone out of play and was shown a second yellow card.

That led to a Lincoln onslaught and the winner came with two minutes of normal time to play through Erik Ring, capping a hugely frustrating night for the Cobblers.

Jon Brady picked the same starting line-up that beat Crawley Town with the only change coming on the bench, where academy player Neo Dobson replaced Sam Hoskins, who missed out for precautionary reasons.

Cobblers couldn’t have dreamed of a better start and not even 100 seconds had passed when they made the breakthrough.

Roberts was the architect with a darting run down the left before squaring to Fosu, whose shot cannoned off a defender and looped over the stranded George Wickens.

Lincoln were not overly rocked by the setback and Ethan Hamilton went close to a swift reply, firing just wide via a deflection, and there was no sign of a frantic contest slowing down with Fosu dragging a low shot off target having been teed up by Cameron McGeehan.

Cobblers carried a constant threat on the counter-attack and they were in again on 10 minutes when the ball rebounded off Fosu and fell nicely for Roberts but he put too much on the shot and lifted it over the crossbar.

A brilliant challenge by Jack Baldwin thwarted Lincoln when they had a two-on-one opportunity but, unfortunately for him, the corner he conceded led to another one from which the home side levelled.

Reeceo Hackett delivered and the middle of the six-yard box was left vacant for Hamer to convert.

The game had been open and end-to-end up until then but it was all change once Lincoln were level. Whilst Town’s threat dried up, the home side began to seize control and put the squeeze on.

Ben House skied over, Burge tipped behind Sean Roughan’s drilled shot and City went closer still when House lifted over the onrushing Burge, only for Baldwin to race back and hack the ball clear from under his own crossbar.

Town survived the storm and then almost retook the lead in first half stoppage-time when Jon Guthrie rose well to meet Mitch Pinnock’s free-kick but his header was tipped over by Wickens.

Brady was prompted into a change at half-time and on came Tom Eaves for Ben Fox, either for tactical reasons or an injury, but the striker had only been on the pitch for five minutes when he was clattered by a stray elbow.

Eaves appeared to have suffered a nasty cut near his eye and required seven minutes of treatment from three physios before finally being replaced by Will Hondermarck.

The disruption did not help the game, which hadn’t got going since half-time, the only hint of a goal threat in the first 20 minutes of the second half coming via a McGeehan flick from Fosu’s cross that was no trouble for Wickens.

House fired over for Lincoln but the hosts were struggling to regain their first half momentum and the game was somewhat drifting with 15 minutes to play.

But Cobblers then shot themselves in the foot through a moment of madness. Roberts, already on a booking, let his frustration get the better of him and needlessly punched the ball away after it had gone out of play for a throw-in, resulting in a second yellow card.

That left his team-mates with a lot to do, especially given how much stoppage-time there would be, and predictably Lincoln had all of the ball for the remainder of the game.

Baldwin blocked from Freddie Draper but a goal felt inevitable and so it proved with two minutes of normal time to play.

Cobblers had chances to clear their lines but failed to do so and Ring made them pay, converting Jack Moylan’s cross at the back post.

A total of 11 minutes were added, but the wind had been well and truly taken out of Town’s sails and Lincoln comfortably held on for victory, albeit with the aid of some more baffling officiating.

Match facts

Lincoln: Wickens, Darikwa, Hackett (Ring 81), O’Connor ©, Jefferies (Moylan 70), House (Makama 70), Hamer (Montsma 45), Roughan, McGrandles, Hamilton, Cadamarteri (Draper 81). Subs not used: Pardington, McKiernan

Cobblers: Burge, Odimayo (Magloire 77), Baldwin, Guthrie, Guinness-Walker, Fox (Eaves 45) (Hondermarck 59), Chouchane (Sowerby 63), McGeehan, Pinnock, Fosu (McCarron 77), Roberts. Subs not used: Tzanev, Dobson

Referee: Ollie Yates

Attendance: 8,219

Cobblers fans: 463