Wycombe Wanderers 3-2 Lincoln City: FLW reports as late Chairboys show downs table-topping Imps | OneFootball

FLW reports from Adams Park, as Michael Duff's Wycombe Wanderers hosted the League One leaders in Lincoln City.

Wycombe Wanderers beat league leaders Lincoln City at Adams Park, depsite throwing away a two-goal lead after half-time.

Wycombe got off to a strong start when Sam Bell turned home Daniel Harvie's exceptional cross to give the hosts the lead, before he doubled his tally for the day on the stroke of half-time with a lovely dink over George Wickens.

Lincoln fought back though, netting in the 65th minute through substitute Jordan Obikwu, then levelling the game 10 minutes later when Freddie Draper found turned home Adam Reach's cross.

Despite the double setback, it was Wycombe who dug deep to find the winner through their captain Jack Grimmer, when Ewan Henderson's corner was flicked to the back post by substitute Bradley Fink.

Wycombe Wanderers 3-2 Lincoln City

The pre-match rain had been relentless, with the surface at Adams Park taking a battering, but as is often the case with modern drainage technology, the pitch was in pristine condition.

After an even start, the hosts took the lead through a stunning move which started right from the back. Hagelskjaer's ball into Woodrow was laid off to Harvie, who crossed the ball low into the path of the onrushing Bell, nutmegging Wickens and giving the Blues the early advantage.

Wycombe almost had two minutes later when Jack Grimmer's cross to the back post found Bell lurking. He recycled it looking for Woodrow, who couldn't quite get onto the loose ball ahead of his man.

The Imps looked slightly rattled after going 1-0 down, but continued to try and get themselves back on terms. Collins saw an audacious effort on the turn sail wide of Norris' post.

Wanderers then had two great chances via Bell and Woodrow, both of which Wickens in the Lincoln net was just about able to gather, before Conor McGrandles fizzed a power effort at Norris down the other end, which was held by the number 50.

Michael Skubala's side had a better spell in the final five minutes of the first half, but were unable to make their pressure count, and were ultimately being rather wasteful in the final third.

They would pay the ultimate price, as Bell would double his tally on the stroke of half-time. A perfectly-weighted through ball from Mullins played the number 11 clean through, and he lifted it over Wickens to finish what was a stunning move.

Oliver Langford blew for half-time after Adam Reach lifted a free-kick onto the roof of the Wycombe net. The hosts had been the better side, and the scoreline reflected that, but the Imps weren't out of the contest just yet.

Early in the second half, Lincoln felt they should've had a penalty when substitute Jack Moylan was seemingly tripped by Hagelskjaer. The referee blew his whistle, but pointed the other way, judging the Irishman to have dived.

It took the away side four substitutions to gain control of the game, but the roll of the dice did pay dividends when Obikwu got one back for Lincoln with just over 25 minutes to go after Wycombe failed to clear their lines from a throw into the box.

Ben House then thought he'd found the leveller after he was played in by Reeco Hackett. The number 18 had Norris beaten, but also beat the far post in what was a heart-in-mouth moment for home fans.

Lincoln did equalise with 15 minutes to go through another substitute in Draper. An excellent cross from former Chairboy Adam Reach was turned home by the striker to level the game, setting up a grandstand finale to the match.

You could sense another goal was coming, and against the run of play it was Wycombe who took the lead in the dying minutes. A deep corner from Henderson was flicked to the back post by substitute Fink into the path of the skipper Grimmer who turned it home.

That would be the decisive goal, as Michael Duff collected his ninth win in charge of the Chairboys, whilst Lincoln slipped off the summit of the League One table.

Wycombe Wanderers player ratings

W. Norris - 6

J. Grimmer - 7

D. Casey - 6

A. Hagelskjaer - 6

D. Harvie - 7

E. Henderson - 7

J. Mullins - 7 (C. Boyd-Munce 80'(6))

L. Leahy - 6 (N. Huggins 91'(6))

F. Onyedinma - 6 (C. Taylor 80'(6))

C. Woodrow - 7 (B. Fink 86'(6))

S. Bell - 8

Unused substitutes: M. van Sas, J. Quitirna, A. Lowry

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Lincoln City player ratings

G. Wickens - 5

T. Darikwa - 6

S. Bradley - 6

T. Hamer - 6

A. Reach - 7

T. Bayliss - 6 (F. Draper 64'(7))

C. McGrandles - 6

F. Okoronkwo - 4 (J. Moylan 46'(7))

B. House - 6

R. Street - 4 (R. Hackett 46'(7))

J. Collins - 4 (J. Obikwu 64'(7))

Unused substitutes:

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Match attendance

Benji Walker (@benjiwalkerphoto)

There were 4872 fans present at Adams Park to watch Wycombe take on Lincoln, with 384 Imps supporters making the trip down to HP12.

Michael Duff reacts as Jack Grimmer seals late Wycombe Wanderers win

Speaking to the press after the match, Wycombe boss Duff said: "It had every emotional going. First-half, [we] were outstanding, with the ball, without the ball, tactically, scored some brilliant goals.

"[In the] second-half, they make a couple of changes, score from a long throw which is why they're top of the league, and why their set-play coach has gone to a higher level club, and then we struggled to adapt to the changes.

"They're a good team, there's a reason why they're top of the league. The good bit is we showed a bit of resilience to find a way, and sometimes that's what you have to do. That's not tactical, that's just players showing a bit of heart.

"It was a different layer of a challenge. They're top of the league, they're physical, good under pressure. When I first came in, people thought we were soft-touch, we were really good, but in the second half we had to find another way.

"That's when it comes down to desire and togetherness, and willingness to run and fight for each other. They've gone to the trenches for each other there, some lads are absolutely out on their feet, giving everything for the cause which is all you can ask for."

Michael Skubala reacts as Lincoln City's two-goal comeback is undone at the death

Speaking to the press after the match, Lincoln boss Michael Skubala said: ""In the end it was a tough blow. [In the] second-half. I thought we were brilliant, we got back in the game and I thought we had them.

"We conceded a corner which is not like us, so we have to do better on that, but I thought in the first-half we were too passive, we were too slow, I had to make changes at half-time to try and get us back in the game.

"I thought the subs that came on, all of them did very well. You saw it, there were a couple of big chances near the end where we just skip that post, little moments, and I thought we had them.

"We're frustrated not to at least take a point, the lads are devastated in there because they know they got back in it and when you work that hard to get back in it, you want to get something out of the game.

"That's football, it hurts, we've got to go again."