A much better and dominant second half from Stevenage at home to Lincoln City brought three points and lifted them to fourth in League One 

Jamie Reid wheeled away after a goalmouth scramble to claim his 14 of the season in all competitions and leave the final score 1-0 at the Lamex.

It could have been anyone who got the final touch, such was the number of bodies in there, but few would argue against the top scorer adding to his tally.

He was certainly the closet Boro man to the ball.

It was a deserved win, based purely on the balance of that second period alone, but the first half promised enough for Lincoln fans under new manager Michael Skubala.

Steve Evans had made eight changes for the midweek Bristol Street Motors Trophy game with Crystal Palace but here there were none from the side that started in the 1-0 win away to Wycombe Wanderers last Saturday.

However, there was a place on the bench for 15-year-old Max Woodford, the Marriotts pupil coming in for Krisztian Hegyi who was away with Hungary.

The only other change from Wycombe was Louis Thompson in for Harvey White.

There was one change from last week once the match kicked off, Boro went from five at the back to four.

And after a bright opening few minutes, where each team had a sight of goal, the game drifted into much ado about nothing.

Lincoln were the better of the two sides and seemed to be winning all of the little battles all round the park, but it never really amounted to anything.

Taye Ashby-Hammond had to hang on to a shot from Jack Vale, but that was straight at him, and after a great touch from the young forward, the keeper and Terence Vancooten smuggled the ball out of play.

Other than that there was a reverse pass from Danny Mandroiu that almost crept in while Lasse Sorensen was a menace down the right flank for Lincoln.

Going forward, which Boro did from time to time, there seemed to be a lack of power and pace, something that they are synonymous with.

Alex MacDonald had a shot blocked in their best attempt while Jamie Reid headed that early opportunity wide.

Reid was also involved in a contentious moment when he turned TJ Eyoma and then went down as the defender's arm came across him.

You often see them given but not this time.

Stevenage needed to change something but at half-time there seemed to be only a like-for-like switch, Jake Forster-Caskey and Ben Thompson the men to come on for MacDonald and Nick Freeman.

But, while the swaps did not change the formation or the tactics, they did add plenty more oomph to the Boro performance.

A few balls into the area caused problems for Lincoln and Kane Hemmings took a boot to the nose as Lincoln were able to clear their lines at the last minute.

Forster-Caskey then sent a low cross in which Lukas Jensen could only push out. The keeper recovered excellently though to block Reid's follow-up.

Hemmings then went even closer with a thumping drive from the right that bumped off the the keeper's near post and out.

The breakthrough finally came on 68 minutes.

Whether it was Reid's or not will remain to be seen but it continued to change the whole flow of the game.

Twice Carl Piergianni went close, one superbly cleared by Eyoma and the other straight at the keeper, while Forster-Caskey lifted a free-kick over the wall and onto the roof of the net.

One final Lincoln corner caused fluttering nerves but almost produced a second as Luther James-Wildin and Jamie Reid broke clear on a two-on-one.

Reid hit the side netting though and then Jordan Roberts slipped over when he was about to clear.

A second would have been nice, but it wasn't needed.

Match details

Stevenage: Ashby-Hammond, James-Wildin, Butler, Piergianni, MacDonald (B.Thompson 46), Freeman (Forster-Caskey 46), Roberts (List 90+4), Vancooten, Burns, Reid, Hemmings.

Sub (not used): Woodford, N.Thompson, Pressley, L.Thompson.

Goal: Reid 68

Booked: Piergianni 28, Evans (bench) 36

 

Lincoln City: Jensen, Sorensen, Jackson, Erahon, Smith (Duffy 65), Hamilton, Mandroiu, Burroughs (Brown 85), Eyoma (Makama 85), Mitchell, Vale (Adelakun 61).

Subs (not used): Wright, Shodipo, Okewoye.

Goals: 

Booked: Skubala (bench) 78, Jackson 81

 

HT: Stevenage 0 Lincoln City 0

Added time: 1

Referee: Scott Simpson (Stoke-on-Trent)

Attendance: 5,075 (including 886 from Lincoln City)