The U18s continued their impressive league form with a commanding win over Shrewsbury Town, stretching their unbeaten run to eight games.
Our FA Cup debutant, Zane Okoro, led the charge with a fantastic hat-trick, while Dakara Wifa and Carter Ford also found the net to secure a well-deserved three points for the Imps. The result pushes the Imps to fourth in the youth alliance, a division comprising 25 teams.
Head coach Sam Tillen praised the squad’s mentality after a stellar performance at the Elite Performance Centre.
Reflecting on the team’s mindset, Tillen said: “I’m really pleased for the lads because they deserve that – they want to keep progressing and keep getting better. The mentality within the group is can we go unbeaten for more games, and can we get as many positive results as possible. That’s a really good mindset to work with.”
The U18s looked sharp throughout, posing a constant threat and creating plenty of chances. “When you perform well, confidence builds, so we need to maintain that and keep working hard,” added Tillen.
The young Imps now turn their attention to November 16th, when Walsall are the visitors to the EPC. After the Saddlers, who are currently 13th in the division and six points behind City, it’s a massive trip to a big stadium. That’s in the FA Youth Cup, where they face Bolton Wanderers in the second round at the Toughsheet Stadium on Monday, 25 November (7 pm). The side earned their place with a 5-0 victory over Lichfield City, with the prolific Wifa grabbing a hattrick.