Exeter City left it until the dying embers of their trip to Lincoln City to score the winning goal, providing them with only their fourth league win of the season. Kevin McDonald’s strike in the 94th minute was enough for Gary Caldwell’s side to shock their hosts, lifting the Grecians to 17th in the table.
Despite only making one change to the team that disappointingly succumbed to defeat against Huddersfield last week, that of Johnly Yfeko returning to the backline after recovering from injury, Exeter delivered a far more competitive performance.
The Grecians started the brighter; Josh Magennis and Jayden Wareham found themselves in promising positions but were unable to convert. Magennis was then called into action at the other end of the pitch when he was required for a goal-line clearance to deny James Collins in Lincoln’s first big chance of the game.
After the break, the Imps saw their best attacking period of the game, but Grecians keeper Joe Whitworth was repeatedly up to the task, and the game remained goalless.
Exeter continued to withstand the pressure the hosts were able to put on, and in the fourth minute of injury time, a drilled strike from substitute Kevin McDonald found its way into the bottom corner. They were able to hold on until the full-time whistle, dealing Lincoln their first home defeat of the season at the LNER Stadium.
In the aftermath of last week’s loss, manager Caldwell came under intense scrutiny from within the City fanbase and outside it from those who criticised his tactics and what they saw as Caldwell’s own stubbornness in refusing to move away from them. Even if the Grecians still sit only three points above the relegation zone, a win on the road against a Lincoln City team sitting fourth in the league should be enough to temporarily restore some faith in the side.
Exeter’s next challenge comes at home to 19th-placed Reading next Saturday.
