Plain sailing for AFC Mansfield at struggling Lincoln Moorlands

Goals from Joe Naylor, Glyn Cotton and a brace from Craig Mitchell were only half of the story because it could so easily have been double figures.

AFC were still without Ryan Williams and Ash Kitchen but in fairness did not need their strongest side in this game.

The Bulls had a couple of efforts go wide in the opening minutes as they pushed deep into Lincoln’s half.

On 14 minutes Grant Allott saw his header hooked of the line, and two minutes later captain Chris Timons saw his headed goal ruled out for a push on a defender.

Phil Buxton fired high and wide from 20 yards on 18 minutes as AFC dominated the play.

The first goal finally came on 20 minutes as a Jimmy Ghaichem cross found the head of Mitchell and the ball nestled into the right hand corner of the net.

The floodgates should have opened, but they didn’t and time after time the Bulls were left frustrated in front of goal.

Allott headed home from another Ghaichem cross on 28 minutes only to see the flag go up for offside.

More chances went begging before Naylor hit a rasping drive on the turn only to see Chris Stanley in the Lincoln goal make a superb fingertip save to push the ball onto the bar and away to safety on 43 minutes.

The pattern of play continued in the second half and on 50 minutes Ghaichem was felled in the box. Mitchell stepped up for the spot-kick, but Stanley guessed correctly to deny the striker with another excellent save.

The visitors finally got their second goal when Timons flicked on a Ghaichem corner and Naylor got the final touch in a goalmouth scramble.

The third arrived 10 minutes later as another superb Ghaichem cross and an acrobatic bicycle kick volley from Mitchell left Stanley rooted to the spot as the ball hit the back of the net.

The Bulls had yet another goal disallowed on 78 minutes, Allott heading home from a Cotton free kick with an offside flag again denying the visitors.

The final goal came on 85 minutes - and it was worth waiting for.

Ghaichem found Tristan Whitman on the right flank with a crossfield pass. The striker turned inside two defenders before feeding Cotton in the box.

Cotton then proceeded to lead the Lincoln defence a merry dance, leaving three defenders sat on the ground before he sent Stanley the wrong way with a superb reverse chip to complete the scoring.

AFC Mansfield now head to Staveley on Wednesday to face Premier Division Staveley MW in the League Cup quarter-final.

LINCOLN MOORLANDS: Stanley, Radford (Hyatt 80), Leeder, McGovern, Simpson, Hindmarsh, Gregory, Omelia, Parker, Schofield (M. Wilson 12), Reeve.

AFC MANSFIELD: White, Wilson, Dudley (Lamplough 64), Allott, Timons, D. Naylor, Wood (Cotton 60), Buxton, J. Naylor (Whitman 69), Mitchell, Ghaichem. Subs not used: Brewin, Ward.

REFEREE: Nick Cook of Lincolnshire.

ATTENDANCE: 50.

BULLS MAN OF THE MATCH: Jimmy Ghaichem.