Town are down to fourth in League One following a bizarre 5-3 defeat at Lincoln City. Harry Anderson put the Imps ahead on six, Luke Garbutt levelled for Town in the 32nd minute before Tyler Walker restored the home side’s lead in first-half injury time. A Harry Toffolo own goal restored parity in the 59th minute before Walker’s second made it 3-2 on 72, then Michael Bostwick added a fourth in the 79th minute. Will Keane pulled one back for the Blues four minutes later but Jake Hesketh cemented the Imps’ win in injury time.

Boss Paul Lambert made three changes from the team which drew 0-0 with Gillingham on Boxing Day with Andre Dozzell and Flynn Downes returning to the midfield and skipper Luke Chambers at the back.

The Blues, playing their final game of the decade, again lined-up in a 4-4-2 system with Chambers - returning from his one-match ban - alongside Luke Woolfenden at the heart of the defence and Garbutt and Janoi Donacien the full-backs. Will Norris continued in goal.

Dozzell and Downes were in the centre of midfield with Gwion Edwards on the right and Alan Judge on the left with James Norwood and Kayden Jackson up front.

Cole Skuse and Jon Nolan were missing from the squad having not travelled after suffering minor knocks on Boxing Day, while Toto Nsiala was also left out of the 18 having started the Gillingham match.

Lincoln, who were unchanged from their 1-0 Boxing Day defeat at Oxford, included former Town loanee Callum Connolly among their subs.

Imps defender Michael O’Connor headed a freekick from the left straight at Norris in the fifth minute after a scruffy opening spell.

And a minute later, the home side went in front. Hesketh broke towards the area and played a clever reverse pass into the path of Harry Anderson, who took it on and hit a shot across Norris and into the corner of the net.

The Blues, who again had made a slow start, looked to get back into it and on 10, after Edwards had picked up a loose ball midway inside the Lincoln half, Norwood saw a shot blocked by Neal Eardley, then Garbutt blazed over.

A minute later Downes scuffed wide from the edge of the box after breaking through a crowd of players as the Blues showed signs of getting into some rhythm.

Town claimed a penalty in the 14th minute when Jackson beat Josh Vickers to the ball on the byline and appeared to be upended by the keeper. Jackson was adamant he had been fouled but referee James Oldham and his assistant weren’t interested and the Blues were awarded a corner.

Two minutes later, Imps midfielder Joe Morrell, who was born in Ipswich, struck a shot from the edge of the box which Norris gathered at the second attempt.

The Blues were getting on top and having most of the ball but without creating a clear-cut opportunity, while Lincoln were presenting a greater danger on the break.

As the game reached the half-hour mark Town began to build up a head of steam, Downes hitting a shot which was deflected wide from the edge of the box. From the corner, Chambers nodded it back across goal to Edwards, whose header was unconvincingly punched away by Vickers.

A Blues equaliser was looking more and more on the cards and in the 32nd minute it came. Dozzell, who after a quiet start was increasingly involved, was fouled 25 yards out just to the right. Garbutt took the freekick and brilliantly curled it into the bottom left corner of Vickers’s net giving the keeper no chance.

It was the on-loan Everton man’s sixth goal of the season and a freekick every bit as good as his similar set-piece strike against Tranmere earlier in the season.

Lincoln came back into the game following the Town leveller but without seriously threatening before the Blues were forced into a change. Donacien had undergone treatment on a knee problem earlier in the half and was clearly being hampered by the knock. On 41 the St Lucia-born full-back made way with Sears taking over on the right of midfield with Edwards going to right-back.

Within two minutes, Edwards was booked after Jorge Grant went to ground after very little if any contact as he looked to turn away from the Welshman.

From the freekick, the home side went very close to going back in front. The ball was eventually played to Grant, who crossed from the left to Anderson who stabbed off the outside of the near post from a few feet out.

But the Imps support didn’t have to wait too much longer for a second goal. With the game in injury time, a long ball sent Walker away on his own in the Town half from where he looped the ball over Norris who had advanced well out of his goal and under the bar.

There was no time for the Blues to hit back before referee Oldham brought the half to a close.

Town had again started slowly and found themselves behind before they had got going. However, they subsequently got themselves on top and deserved their goal when it came.

But they allowed the impetus to swing back to the Imps in the final minutes of the half and conceded another poor goal from a defensive perspective.

Sears was yellow-carded for pulling back Grant soon after the restart, then Dozzell joined him in the book for much the same offence on Hesketh as Lincoln broke.

On 51 Lincoln’s Bostwick was also cautioned for a blatant pull on Jackson as he broke into the area with the offence committed just outside the box. Some referees might have deemed the foul worthy of more than a yellow card with Jackson otherwise in on goal. Garbutt took the freekick but hit the wall.

Two minutes later, a Lincoln freekick at the other end caused problems for the Blues who failed to clear the danger and Norris was forced to save Hesketh’s low effort from just inside the box and Garbutt belted the loose ball away.

Lincoln had made much the stronger start to the second half, however, Jackson’s pace was beginning to cause more problems. On 57 Cian Bolger and Jackson collided on the edge of the box with referee Oldham awarding the foul against the Town man when the decision might well have been given the other way.

The Blues hadn’t had an opportunity since the restart but a minute before the hour mark they levelled for a second time.

Sears did well to latch on to a loose Lincoln pass on the Town right and won a corner which Judge sent on from the right. Woolfenden appeared to get a flick at the near post and toffolo inadvertently nodded into his own net.

Having got back on terms for a second time the Blues began to pass the ball around both greater confidence.

On 62 a Jackson effort inside the box was blocked by Bostwick after a Norwood knockdown following a spell of Town possession.

Moments later, Jackson was sent away on goal but with the linesman’s flag raised, before the Blues switched Edwards for James Wilson with the former Lincoln man going to centre-half and Woolfenden to right-back.

Town again allowed the momentum to swing back to the home side and in the 72nd minute they went in front for a third time. Morrell was allowed to run unchallenged into the area on the right before cutting back to the far post where the completely unmarked Walker stroked his second of the game into the net.

Keane replaced Norwood for the final 14 minutes with the home side growing in confidence and the Blues looking ragged having allowed the Imps to get on top for a third time.

Town’s hopes of taking anything from the game appeared to be extinguished in the 79th minute when Morrell’s low ball into the box following a corner from the right somehow found Bostwick, who turned in off the far post and then Norris.

The Blues continued to search for something from the game and on 81 Garbutt hit a shot from the edge of the box which deflected wide.

And two minutes later, Town reduced the deficit to one when, after a well-worked move down the right, Woolfenden played the ball inside to Keane, who shot across Vickers and into the corner of the net.

As the fourth official raised his board announcing five additional minutes the Blues were putting the Imps under pressure with crosses flying into the box and the home side just about repelling the danger.

However, the game’s eighth goal was to go to Lincoln with Town caught by sucker punch break. Skipper Chambers was caught two against one as the Imps broke and Hesketh stroked the winner past Norris to seal what had been a bizarre afternoon at Sincil Bank.

The final whistle sounded soon afterwards to confirm the Blues’ third League One defeat on an afternoon when almost everything hit at goal seemed to go in at both ends with the game hardly an eight-goal thriller.

Town, who last conceded five in a 5-1 defeat at Reading in September 2015, have now lost three of their last four games with their winless League One run now stretching to seven.

Having gone behind after a slow start, the Blues got on terms and on top but failed to make their ascendency at that point tell and then conceded Lincoln’s poor second goal. Neither the defence nor keeper Norris will be keen to watch it back.

It was much the same story in the second half, Town having again got back on terms with the game there for the taking when they allowed Lincoln back into it and conceded the third and fourth with big questions again to be asked about the defending.

Keane’s goal gave Town a chance of what at that stage had seemed an unlikely point and the fifth Imps goal was down to the Blues throwing everyone forward in the closing stages.

Town, whose early season defensive frugality seemed light years away from this afternoon’s performance, are now down to fourth in the table with a trip to leaders Wycombe, who lost 4-1 at home to Coventry, on Wednesday.

Lincoln: Vickers, Toffolo, Bolger, Bostwick, Eardley (c), Morrell, O’Connor (Chapman 82), Anderson, Hesketh, Grant, Walker. Unused: Smith, Payne, Connolly, Melbourne, Lewis, Akinde.

Town: Norris, Donacien (Sears 41), Woolfenden, Chambers (c), Garbutt, Dozzell, Downes, Edwards (Wilson 64), Judge, Norwood (Keane 76), Jackson. Unused: Holy, El Mizouni, Kenlock, Huws, Keane. Referee: James Oldham (Derbyshire). Att: 10,012.

Photo: Pagepix

londontractorboy57 added 18:25 - Dec 29 Bezzer Welcome back bluebore 🤣
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HackneyBlue added 18:26 - Dec 29 this blip is getting bigger
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cfmoses added 18:26 - Dec 29 Remember the tipping points? Burley in the Championship losing 3-0 at Grimsby, Mc Carthy had so many but I guess 0-1 in the Cup at Lincoln, Jewell ? Well again so many but how about 1-7 at Peterborough. As for Lambert?
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Len_Brennan added 18:28 - Dec 29 @Noelthedub: Disagree with that, we need to get out this division asap, i.e. this season. We have the players to win this league comfortably - the fact that we're on a terrible run & are still 2nd if we win our game in hand tells you how poor a league it is. I don't want us to lose our good young players like Downes, KVY etc by staying down for another season; the rot will truely set in then.

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Westy added 18:32 - Dec 29 For me it all started going wrong when matches were postponed due to International breaks when we were on a roll. What an error of judgement to do that. Okay, no one has a crystal ball about what the results would have been had those games been played but we were in the ascendancy, on a roll with potentially only one or two players missing when no one was guaranteed their place. And I believe the first of those postponed games was against Wycombe. Less rotation today but it clearly hasn't worked yet Lambert has persisted with it. There are not too many games and if a player needs a rest give it to him when he needs it. If Lambert doesn't know his best team by now, he never will - and the rotation must stop firstly by playing Holy in goal - a better keeper and our own. Blame Marcus Evans if you want but it is the manager who is playing people out of position. There is no excuse for that. Really feel that he has lost the plot and not getting the best from the players he has who don't know if they are coming or going at the moment. If Lambert hasn't learnt his lesson regarding folding a settled side, start with Holy in goal and results don't improve I think he may well walk as he is getting like McCarthy - very defensive and sounds as if he had had enough. I really do feel that there is disquiet behind the scenes and that the players are losing faith in him.

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londontractorboy57 added 18:33 - Dec 29 Can one of the advocates of we would be better being relegated lease come on and explain how it is better i fail to see it. Just asking.
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therein61 added 18:36 - Dec 29 Goodnight Vienna!!!
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Len_Brennan added 18:40 - Dec 29 I hope the delay in the post match press conference isn't us refusing to accept his resignation.
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Dissboyitfc added 18:45 - Dec 29 Bluearmy81 what a ridiculous statement even by your standards! Selling it cheap will likely mean selling to an owner who can't afford a football club! We all want better and are sick of the plight of our team! But selling it off cheap to get rid of it would put us an even worse position!
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HackneyBlue added 18:47 - Dec 29 When you have momentum DONT BLOODY STOP IT we had it and then messed about with it,postponements(georgio international break etc) and cup replays that we should have just tried to win ,players lose confidence when they are not playing every week.
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therein61 added 18:53 - Dec 29 After our promising start we have yet to beat a contender and now Lincoln have stuffed us and put us in our proper place just like under big gob we are a rudderless ship flattering to deceive, it makes me so sad to see what is happening to our great club since my first game in 1958, although Burley and Butch are town legends there is no point in bringing them in(they are both so out of date with todays game and this division) I can see Lambert gone by next weekend and we need a quick fix to get us back on the rails be it short term then "Colin" is out of work and I can't see anyone else who would shake this club up and get rid of 4 and 8 who have again collectively cost us so many points this season!! how much longer is this club going to pay big money for rubbish performances!!??, Paul Lambert came in and reunited the club and fans which had gone to ruin(well done that man) but the restraints that he is enduring from recent comments from himself are the beginning of the end, for gods sake Marcus do not put(your inside creeps) the inept 4&8 so called pro's in charge they have been waiting for it after putting the dressing room against Hurst.

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TimmyH added 18:57 - Dec 29 Diabolical decade in the history of ITFC...started with the dark lord (Keane) struggling to win matches with Evans splashing the cash and ends up losing to Lincoln and conceding 5 in the third tier of English football...that about sums it up. 10 years with not many fond memories...
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ChrisFelix added 18:59 - Dec 29 We started the year with the 3 2 home defeat to Millwall. End it with a 5 goal defeat at Lincoln. Home wins can be totalled on one hand. I suggest that the club has not progressed or improved & its time to appoint (another) up & coming young manager.Someone like a young Alf or Bobby
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martin587 added 19:00 - Dec 29 Wanting Evans out is not the answer.The buck stops with PL.He trains and picks the team not Evans.We have a squad good enough to win this league easily so PL is the problem.I wonder what Ed thinks of this maybe just maybe his millions could make Evans think.🤔but then would he be daft enough to invest in this club.It's a bottomless pit.
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norfolkbluey added 19:05 - Dec 29 I have been banging on about rotation for over two months now and yet there is no sign of a settled side. We have to start looking at PL's record over the last two/three years and it doesn't look. I am beginning to think he has lost his touch completely because the downward slide will accelerate according to the law of physics. He is a stubborn son of a b***h and the team are now suffering as a consequence. We have lost the one player who gave us the extra speed with which to make teams about us quiver but he is not back for some time. So what of now at this moment? I can see us not winning matches unless something changes quickly! Is it getting rid of PL or could it be him just stop rotating players and to start with keeping the same keeper and full backs as a team. We definitely need a new king pin in the mid field with a brain (could be expensive) but thats all. PL needs to get a firm grip and quickly before he totally loses the whole of the club which includes supporters, players and owner. I want him to succeed but for heaven's sake not before its too late to recover from this downward spiral.

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LWNR2013 added 19:09 - Dec 29 I had some toffolo in my selection box. Oh know it was Toffo in about ‘65
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NoelTheDub added 19:14 - Dec 29 Len Brennan.... Respect your response but the rot is already in and it destroying any bit of youth thats coming through.Even getting out of this league this season as you say wont solve the huge cracks at our club at this moment. Our team is not good enough to go up our early so called good results were not great performances as such but somehow got wins we were never going to keep that up playing very poor football.I remember under MM in the playoffs our football was not great its still bad and look were we are now and not a bit of progress made.Its my view that we should try get a team on the pitch to play the way Town is known for and if that means staying down I will take that.

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BeattiesBackPocket added 19:15 - Dec 29 Magilton, Keane, Jewell, McCarthy and Lambert are they all poor managers!? No! So what's the common denominator!? EVANS! Yes he saved us and for that I'm thankful, do I have an alternative? nope however it doesn't mean we can't vent our frustrations at the owner will it get us anywhere? who knows but he should know it's not good enough! 30 million debt when he came now nearly 100million and with over 50 million bought in through transfers so without players going out the debt has risen 120 million in ten years!? How?? It's not on the pitch is it? We are all vocal to get a manager out when things go wrong but apparently cannot be vocal unless you have an alternative which is ridiculous we're the only club who doesn't criticise the owner and he's taken us from promotion contenders under magilton to what is gradually turning into an average league one side and quick!

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Henrietta_R_Hippo added 19:18 - Dec 29 :-) (-:
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dirtydingusmagee added 19:23 - Dec 29 i said on an earlier thread,''Lincoln will know they can do us, our hope is that they will be complacent'' Well they wernt and THEY DID. The writing has been on the wall for weeks, we have been fortunate early in season, now things are real .People keep saying we have good squad and are capable of taking this league , well i still say we havnt and we wont . Sadly ITFC is in deep decline and has been for a number of years, Paul Lambert has not done very well since his appointment ,and we are now a mediocre Lge1 team .

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Saxonblue74 added 19:23 - Dec 29 ......and still nothing from Lambert for his "fantastic, incredible,absolutely incredible" supporters?
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warktheline added 19:24 - Dec 29 The ‘usual numpties' on here played down my prediction of Lincoln, then in the Conference, would soon be beating us ( even lost their top manager Cowley, to Huddersfield, obviously not good enough for folks on here) as we past each other heading in opposing directions! Well that's now happened! Here's my next long term prediction , Ipswich Town will, under the ownership of Evans, will be playing Conference football within 4 years!

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monkeymagic added 19:27 - Dec 29 Even in the early season run we didn't look good, fell over the line in many tight games and won others with a single moment of individual excellence, mostly by KYV. When Lambert came in, his playing out from the back cost us any chance of survival, we gave needless goals away and were relegated without putting up much of a fight. We've pretty much been long ball since. Neither the football or results are any better really and we're evidently no closer to knowing our best 11 or having a style of play. It's not the Ipswich way to hire and fire but PL has to go, before it's too late to rescue this season.

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blueboy1981 added 19:30 - Dec 29 For the benefit of Londontractorboy57 - I am still around with nothing to do with your 'bezzer' ridiculous assumption. The reason I no longer post, is because of the likes of yourself, and others, that appear to have no understanding of logical thinking i.e blaming Evans for the current plight, when he has given Lambert everything he has asked for since being appointed as Manager of our Club. Simply high time Mr Lambert backed up all those words of his with results in my opinion - full stop. It only takes a third of a braincell for anyone to see this. Biggest squad, highest playing budget, double / treble the crowd of some, etc; etc; in League 1 - what more should a so called 'good' Manager want ? I've had some great dialogue with some great people on here over the seasons, but some I am lost for words with who do not seem to understand the wording of rational thinking. Get into your heads that ITFC is 'up for sale' - but there are currently no potential buyers - after all, who in there right mind would be interested unless they have money to literally throw away, or dispose off ? Happy New Year to you all - whoever you are.

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blue86 added 19:38 - Dec 29 Still waiting to hear from lambert? I mean surely we need reminding that we are a right good side, and he played for some top clubs, and Lincoln beat us because it's like a cup final to them.....arghhh wake me up when the nightmare is over!
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