York City U18s showed an improved performance against Lincoln following cup defeat in midweek, but narrowly fell to a 3-2 defeat.
After shipping ten to the same opponents just three days earlier, the young Minstermen lined up with Ethan Stiver reclaiming his place in the team while DJ Penrose started for the first time. Elvis Hall and Oscar Woolford dropped to the bench.
City got off to the dream start inside five minutes. Sutton Greening regained possession 25 yards from goal and laid the ball off to the left for Josh Binns, who picked it up before excellently arrowing a shot into the bottom corner for 1-0.
Looking to really put York in full control in the tenth minute, Greening spotted the goalkeeper off his line and tried to lob him from just inside the Imps’ half, but the adventurous effort missed the mark.
Shortly after, Lincoln got in down the right, and found space for a shot, but Campbell White was equal to it, getting down low to push it away.
The hosts, who proved their counter-attacking abilities on Wednesday, looked to hit City on the break once again, but the eventual strike from within the box sailed over.
In-form striker Leo Fifield brought them level in the 28th minute, managing to turn the ball home after a goalmouth scramble.
Just a minute later, Lincoln flipped the game to make it 2-1. Building from the back, they got the ball forward to Fifield again, who went through, rounded the ‘keeper, and tucked home another.
Just before the break, the Imps gave themselves breathing room. Kian Sagoo unleashed a first-time hit from the edge of the box, which looped high into the air before dropping into the net.
A similar looping effort from Lincoln landed on the roof of the goal minutes into the second half.
Shooting wasn’t their strong point at this stage of the game, with another close-range chance flying over the crossbar soon after, before a tame effort was stopped easily by White.
As the half began to wear on, the chances kept coming for the home side, but City showed their defensive resilience.
The Minstermen moved back within a goal of Lincoln in the 72nd minute. Greening chipped in a free-kick towards the ball post, which Penrose knocked down for Lewis Beadle to slot home from point-blank range.
Penrose unleashed a strike of his own over the bar late on, which would prove to be the last real chance of the 90 minutes.
Lincoln City U18s: Shaw, Kennealey, Darikwa, K.Oliver, L.Oliver, Inyama (Sidhu 74′), Mande (Eyres 83′), Sagoo, Fifield (Male 90′), Jubb, Wilson.
Subs not used: Taylor, Herbert.
York City U18s: White, Kydd, Penrose, Belleh (C), Beadle, Stiver, Turner, Ozisik, Hewson, Greening, Binns.
Subs not used: Hall, Woolford, Appleyard, Webster.
