"He has been superb" - New Lincoln City regular praised for current turnaround | OneFootball

Jovon Makama has proven himself to be a regular started for the Imps during the 24/25 campaign

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

If you had told any Lincoln City fan at the start of the calendar year that Jovon Makama would be leading the line for an Imps side that are sitting just outside the League One play-off spots, there is a fair chance not many would have believed you.

The then-teenager had failed to impress during his brief stints up top at Sincil Bank, and even as City faced a striker crisis at the club, the forward wasn’t being afforded game time by boss Michael Skubala.

But nine months on, and the 20-year-old has proven just what a crucial player he can be for the side this season; having started the majority of matches leading the line, with City reaping the rewards as a result.

It is no surprise that Football League World’s Lincoln fan pundit Gary Hutchinson has named the forward’s performances as the most surprising this season, with the Sincil Bank regular delighted by what he has seen from the young talent.

Jovon Mukama proves himself to be Lincoln City first-choice striker

Within his 33 appearances last season, Mukama only stated eight League One matches for City, with his lack of presence up top leaving many Lincoln fans regarding the academy talent as a prospect for the future one he has got up to speed with the men’s game.

But as the season was coming to a close, the striker was starting to prove his worth at Sincil Bank, with his first league goal coming in a 5-1 demolition of Barnsley at Oakwell, before netting the winner at Leyton Orient on Good Friday.

Since then, the attacker continues to go from strength to strength, and has played a huge role in City keeping pace with the leading pack at this point in the season, with his industry and nous up top proving pivotal in his side’s build-up play.

That hasn’t gone unnoticed on those at Sincil Bank, with Hutchinson admitting that the 20-year-old’s performances have taken him aback in the current campaign: “There is definitely a player who has surprised me this season, and that is Jovon Makama.

“Back in January, we lost to Blackpool 2-0, and we were really blunt up front as Jovon started. A year or so ago, we had no strikers; Ben House injured, Tyler Walker injured, Jack Vale came in on loan from Blackburn and was injured.

“Jovon was fit, but we still said we had no strikers. Jovon Makama was just a young player who needed loan time to get senior experience.

“In the back end of last season, he began to get back in the team. He scored the winner against Leyton Orient, but over the summer he has appeared to become something completely different.”

Jovon Makama kicks on as 24/25 continues

Since getting the nod to start the opening game of the 24/25 campaign against Burton Albion, Makama has continued to lead the line when fit and available this season, with his first league goal coming in a 2-1 win over Orient at the start of the month.

That victory over the O’s also saw the frontman pick up a knock that has seen him ruled out of action ever since, and Hutchinson believes his absence has hindered them in defeats to Birmingham City and Crawley Town.

Having signed a new three-year deal with the club earlier this month, the striker has proven he is capable of playing a massive part for the Imps in the years to come, something the City fan admits he didn’t see coming this time last year.

He continued: “He appears to be the first-choice striker - or the first-choice in a pair with Ben House - he has got power, he has got pace, he presses really high and holds the ball up well, but he is not a target man.

“He is only 20-years-old. I have heard that other clubs have been taking note and asking after pre-season friendlies all about him, and we have missed him in the last couple of games.

“That is coming from a player who, prior to this pre-season, 90% of Lincoln City fans would have said he needed loan time in order to develop as a player.

“So he has really surprised me with his performance levels. I think he has been superb.”