November 25, 2017 5.12 pm This story is over 76 months old

Impressive Imps stroll past Port Vale

Lincoln City 3-1 Port Vale match report.

Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

Lincoln City ended their two game losing run with an impressive 3-1 win against Port Vale at Sincil Bank.

Matt Green scored his first goal since August before Anthony Kay grabbed one back for the visitors.

However, second half goals from Michael Bostwick and Luke Waterfall mean The Imps are now just two points off the play-off places.

Danny Cowley made six changes to the team that lost 1-0 to Colchester United on Tuesday night, and the gamble appeared to pay off after his side took the lead in the 11th minute.

Bostwick won the ball in midfield, sent a through ball to Harry Anderson whose cross found the head of Green, with the striker scoring his first goal since the end of August.

Lincoln almost grabbed a second a couple of minutes later, however Bostwick’s 20-yard shot went wide.

The visitors tried to get back in the game with five minutes of the first half to go when right-back James Gibbons saw his long shot hit the crossbar and go over.

Tom Pope was then denied his 10th goal of the season when his header was blocked off the line by Bostwick.

Port Vale eventually got their equaliser seconds before half time when Josh Ginnelly’s poor corner was intercepted and started a Vale counter-attack.

David Worrall put a cross into the back post where Anthony Kay met Pope’s knockdown and was able to divert his shot past Vickers.

Eight minutes into the second half The Imps were ahead again when Bostwick picked up the lose ball and slotted his shot past Ryan Boot from outside the area.

Lincoln kept pressing and nullified the visitors’ direct approach in the second half and it was soon 3-1 when Waterfall met Matt Rhead’s knocked down and prodded the ball into the net.

Port Vale pressed for a share of the points and Worrall came close after a mix-up at the back between Waterfall and Sean Raggett, but Vickers was on hand to block the wingers’ shot.

The Imps will now play Accrington Stanley in the Checktrade Trophy on December 5 before travelling to Yeovil Town in the league on December 9.

Lincoln City: Vickers; Eardley, Waterfall, Raggett, Habergham; Woodyard, Bostwick; Anderson (Long 90+4), Rhead (Palmer 86), Ginnelly (Whitehouse 75); Green

Subs not used: Farman (GK), Dickie, Knott, Arnold

Port Vale: Boot, Gibbons, Smith, Anderson, Gunning; Pugh, Kay, Montano, Harness (Forrester), Worrall, Pope

Subs not used: Hornby (GK), Denton, Reeves, Tonge, Turner, Yates

Attendance: 7,562 (557 Port Vale fans)

The Lincolnite Man of the Match: Luke Waterfall