Carlisle United’s U18’s were beaten 4-2 by Lincoln City at the Gen2 Energy Elite Performance Centre.
Goals from Reuben Towers and Tai Bell would not prove to be enough, as United fell to a defeat in Lincolnshire.
Mark Birch made three changes from Saturday’s 2-1 defeat against Wrexham AFC, with Sam Worth, Alex McDonough and Lewis Lambert coming in for Bradley Robinson, Ben Aaron and Kian Stuart.
Lincoln started strongly, with headed chances falling to both Leo Fifield and Fletcher Don-Duncan.
The Blues were further forced onto the back foot early on when Zac Tonge was forced off with an ankle injury, leaving United to play with ten men for eight minutes.
Tonge was eventually replaced by Finley Boertein, but less than a minute after his introduction, the Blues were behind, after Fifield’s pinpoint free-kick snuck past Sam Worth.
Fifield, a trialist for Lincoln, got his second and made it 2-0 in the 29th minute following some good team play by the Imps.
Lincoln were dominant in the first half, with Worth making several brilliant saves to keep United in the game.
HALF-TIME: Lincoln City 2-0 Carlisle United
Birch's side made the perfect start after the break, with Towers pulling one back with an excellent finish after beating multiple Lincoln defenders, before smashing the ball into the back of the net.
Lincoln, however, got their third of the game less than a minute later as Mason Jubb managed to find some space in the six-yard box and tap the ball past Worth.
The hosts would get a fourth goal in the 61st minute through substitute Donald Inyama, who got on the end of a Freddie Wilson set-piece to finish with his first touch since his introduction to the match.
There was a quick-fire response from the Blues, with Tai Bell finishing easily from close range after a mix-up in the Imps’ defence.
United pushed to get back into the match, but were unable to convert several key chances in the final quarter.
FULL-TIME: Lincoln City 4-2 Carlisle United
Teams:
Lincoln City: Shaw, Williams, Middleton, Oliver, Don-Duncan (Oliver 61’), Sagoo (Trialist 75’), Ashumana, Wilson, Fifield, Jubb (Inyama 61’), Kennealey
Unused subs: Eyres, Taylor, Inyama, Simmons
Carlisle United: Worth, Hatton, Jam. Hodgson, Porter, McDonough, Tonge (Boertein 16’), Lambert (Aaron 45’), Rigby (C), Wheatley (Jac. Hodgson 63’), Bell, Towers.
Unused subs: Miller, Robinson
Goals:
Lincoln City: (Fifield 16’, 29’), (Judd 47’), (Inyama 61’)
Carlisle United: (Towers 46’), (Bell 62’)
Yellow Cards:
Lincoln City: (Lewy 82’)
Carlisle United: (Towers 55’)
Red Cards:
Lincoln City: N/A
Carlisle United: N/A
