North Ferriby United 0 Lincoln City 1: Luke Waterfall makes splash for Imps to add to Ferriby's woes

A Cup quarter-finalists Lincoln City remain three points clear at the top after Luke Waterfall headed the Imps to this victory over bottom club North Ferriby.
Lincoln Citys Luke Waterfall scores the only goal of the game to defeat North Ferriby United (Picture: Anna Gowthorpe/PA).Lincoln Citys Luke Waterfall scores the only goal of the game to defeat North Ferriby United (Picture: Anna Gowthorpe/PA).
Lincoln Citys Luke Waterfall scores the only goal of the game to defeat North Ferriby United (Picture: Anna Gowthorpe/PA).

Manager Danny Cowley made five changes from the side that created history by beating Burnley by the same score at Turf Moor, including a recall for Clarets loanee Josh Ginnelly, who had been ineligible to face his parent club.

Ginnelly added pace and drive to the side, cutting in from the left and striking the inside of the post early on as well as clattering the upright in the closing stages.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

But, as at the weekend, it was a corner routine that settled things for Lincoln.

Nathan Arnold whipped in a cross in the 21st minute and Waterfall leapt highest to head into the far corner from the edge of the area.

United went closest to levelling when Curtis Bateson’s second-half free-kick curled over the wall and drew a diving save from Paul Farman.

But it was Lincoln who had the clearest chances to add to their tally.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Elliott Whitehouse’s close-range header, Alan Power’s deflected drive and Jack Muldoon’s one-on-one chance all came close to extending their lead, while a Ginnelly corner ended up nestling in the far corner only to be chalked off for a foul in the box.

North Ferriby United: Watson, Topliss, Gray (Templeton 66), Middleton, Hare, Skelton, Tinkler, Dixon, Bateson (Oliver 87), Cosgrove (Kendall 60), Thompson. Unused substitutes: Armstrong, Cooke.

Lincoln City: Farman, Habergham, Waterfall, Long, Raggett, Arnold, Whitehouse (Muldoon 70), Woodyard, Knott (Power 60), Ginnelly, Southwell (Rhead 59). Unused substitutes: Wood, Ward.

Referee: Steven Rushton (Staffordshire).

York City’s relegation worries deepened with a 3-1 home defeat to Gateshead.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Vadaine Oliver cancelled out Danny Johnson’s opener for the visitors, but further goals from Paddy McLaughlin and Wes York left the Minstermen still six points adrift of a place outside the relegation zone with no league game this weekend.

York fell behind after just 33 seconds when one-time Bootham Crescent trialist Johnson tried his luck with a 35-yard shot and caught home goalkeeper Kyle Letheren napping.

The Minstermen responded well and were level on 14 minutes when Jon Parkin contested Dan Parslow’s free kick and the ball dropped to Oliver, who blasted in from 10 yards.

But the visitors were back in front by the break when Oliver brought down wing-back George Smith in the box. McLaughlin, who was a member of Gary Mills’s 2012 double Wembley-winning York squad, fscored the resulting penalty.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Gateshead started the second period brightly with McLaughlin going close with a deflected shot.

Johnson also tested Letheren from the edge of the box with a low shot on an increasingly greasy surface.

The visitors went on to wrap up the points on 76 minutes when York sprinted on to a Jordan Burrow through ball and produced a composed finish past Letheren.

In response, Oliver glanced a header wide from substitute Aidan Connolly’s left-wing cross.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

York City: Letheren; Bencherif, Holmes, Parslow; Rooney (Moke, 55), Heslop, Newton, Whittle; Oliver, Parkin (Connolly, 60), Morgan-Smith. Unused substitutes: Simpson, Oyebanjo, Fenwick.

Gateshead: Montgomery; Bolton, Hogan, M Smith, Fyfield, G Smith (Brundle, 84); Mafuta, McLaughlin, York; Burrow, Johnson (Beere, 70). Unused substitutes: Ajala, MacDonald, Hannant.

Referee: Martin Coy.

Burton Albion manager Nigel Clough marked his return to the club that sacked him in September 2013 by delivering another blow to Derby’s play-off hopes as his side boosted their survival chances with a 0-0 draw at Pride Park.