ACCRINGTON STANLEY - 4

LINCOLN CITY - 3

ACCRINGTON Stanley made it three wins on the bounce for the first time In League One this season with a 4-3 win over Lincoln City.

Sam Finley’s stoppage time goal won it for the Reds as storm Dennis couldn’t put a dampener on the entertainment in East Lancashire.

Stanley picked up the points with an own goal from Jason Shackell and then goals from Joe Pritchard, Seamus Conneely and Finley.

The game started in an expectantly scrappy manner due to storm Dennis hammering down on the Wham Stadium.

Stanley worked their first opening through some good work by Jordan Clark down the right – he linked up with Bobby Grant to earn Stanley’s first corner of the game.

There was a real lack of urgency from both sides in the opening stages of the match, but Stanley started to get more of a grip on the action as Clark saw more of the ball.

Lincoln had their first sight of goal just before the half hour mark as Scully put in a lovely low ball across the face of goal, but none of his team mates were there for the tap in.

The Imps took the lead after half an hour after a goal mouth scramble in the box saw the ball fall kindly for Scully.

Lincoln’s number 17 took a touch and then slotted beyond Bursik. The surface in the goal mouth helped the away side as the ball stopped dead in the grass for Scully to control.

It was better from Stanley after they fell behind. They attacked Lincoln with more urgency and Dion Charles did brilliantly to create a chance.

Now being deployed out on the left, Charles beat a man in the box and fired the ball across goal, but it was just beyond his team mates.

Stanley’s lift in urgency worked as they pulled level just six minutes after going behind.

Clark will take the credit for putting in a great cross, which Shackell turned into his own net.

Everyone in the Wham Stadium was waiting for Lincoln to go back into the lead, but Bursik pulled off a tremendous save to make sure his side went in level at half-time.

It was an action packed start to the second period as Benny Ashley-Seal went down in the box and the referee pointed to the spot.

Up stepped Charles, but his penalty was weak and Josh Vickers saved for Lincoln.

Michael Appleton’s side went back in front in the early stages of the half as they took advantage of that penalty miss from Charles.

Stanley couldn’t clear Neal Eardley’s cross, allowing substitute Aaron Lewis to head beyond Bursik.

Grant had a golden opportunity to make it 2-2 after Callum Johnson dug out a lovely cross, but the forward could only convert his header wide.

Off the substitutes bench, Pritchard produced a moment of magic to level the match.

Driving with the ball, the midfielder hit a shot from 25-yards as well as he will have ever hit a ball and it blew into the top corner of the net.

Moments later, Shackell headed Lincoln back in front, but Stanley responded immediately as captain Conneely smashed home from inside the box for 3-3.

Finley made it 4-3 inside 10 minutes of stoppage time with a lovely finish to top off a game that had almost everything.

Stanley XI: Bursik, Johnson, Hughes, Sykes, Maguire, Clark, Conneely, Diallo, Grant, Charles, Ashley-Seal

Subs: Savin, Finley, Zanzala, Pritchard, barclay, Bishop, Alese

Lincoln XI: Vickers, Bridcutt, Shackell, Bolger, Hopper, Scully, Grant, Eardley, Anderson, Hesketh, Edun

Subs: Andrew, Payne, Chapman, Bostwick, Coventry, Lewis, Elbouzedi