Luke Woolfenden’s first Town goal a minute before half-time has given the Blues a 1-0 lead over Lincoln City at the break.

Town named the same team which won 2-1 at Tranmere last week with Will Norris again in goal behind a back three of skipper Luke Chambers, ex-Imp James Wilson and Woolfenden. Luke Garbutt and Gwion Edwards were the wing-backs.

In midfield, Emyr Huws and Flynn Downes were behind Alan Judge with Will Keane and Kayden Jackson the strikers. Town also named an unchanged bench.

Lincoln fielded the same side which beat Blackpool 1-0 at Sincil Bank last weekend with ex-Blues loanee Tayo Edun in midfield.

Town started positively, winning an early corner which Garbutt sent low across the Lincoln six-yard box.

The Blues continued to dominate the early stages, passing the ball around neatly in the Imps half, and on six Huws struck a shot from 25 yards which Lincoln keeper Josh Vickers claimed comfortably.

Within seconds there was a scare at the other end, the ball was crossed from the right beyond everyone and bounced just wide of Norris’s right post but with the keeper looking unperturbed.

In the 12th minute a cleverly-worked freekick was played to Keane on the edge of the Lincoln box and the striker laid it back to Huws, whose powerful goalwards strike was blocked by Tyreece John-Jules.

The Blues continued to dominate and on 21 an Edwards cross from the right was only just cut out ahead of Keane at the far post by Neal Eardley. Seven minutes later, a corner from the left dropped to Chambers at the back of the box and his shot was blocked.

Town remained in total control of the game, passing the ball around confidently with Lincoln struggling to see any possession.

On 31 the Blues came close to going in front when, after a lengthy spell on the ball, Judge played in Keane as the striker broke into the area on the left past two defenders but the former Manchester United trainee slipped his effort at goal just beyond the far post.

Immediately, Lincoln went close at the other end, Tyler Walker hitting an effort which Norris turned over. From the resultant corner, the ball struck Wilson and bounced safely to Norris.

Three minutes later, Walker was sent away on space on the right but Wilson came across to divert the ball back to Norris. The on-loan Nottingham Forest striker claimed the former Imps defender had used his hand but there were few other protests and referee Lee Swabey wasn’t interested.

But Town quickly regained their earlier level of control and in the 40th minute Lincoln’s Ipswich-born on-loan Bristol City midfielder Joe Morrell was yellow for pulling back Downes. A minute later, Woolfenden joined him in the book for a high boot inside the Imps box.

The Blues finally got the goal their first-half performance deserved a minute before the scheduled end of the half.

A Garbutt freekick from the right touchline reached Woolfenden at the far post and the centre-half nodded his first Town goal into the net off keeper Vickers.

Town weren’t too far away from making it 2-0 in the final moments of injury time, a Judge shot from the edge of the box deflecting wide.

The whistle ending the half came soon afterwards to warm applause from the home support after a very impressive half from the Blues.

All that had been missing had been a goal, which Woolfenden rectified at a crucial stage of the match. More of the same in the second half and Town should have little trouble securing their fourth league home win of the season.

Town: Norris, Chambers (c), Wilson, Woolfenden, Edwards, Downes, Huws, Garbutt, Judge, Keane, Jackson. Subs: Holy, Earl, Skuse, Norwood, Nolan, Bishop, Sears.

Lincoln: Vickers, Shackell, Bolger, John-Jules, Walker, Grant, Morrell, Eardley, Melbourne, Anderson, Edun. Subs: Smith, Hopper, Chapman, Coventry, Lewis, Elbouzedi, Hesketh. Referee: Lee Swabey (Devon).

Photo: Action Images

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