City’s pre-season began in perfect fashion with a 2-2 draw at Lincoln United. That was followed up with a 2-0 victory over Hull City, with the Tigers featuring former Liverpool man Jonjo Shelvey, amongst others.
The first team got their summer fixtures underway with a sharp, high-intensity 2-0 win over Championship side Hull at the Cottingham training ground. The match, played behind closed doors, marked the first opportunity for Michael Skubala’s side to apply their tactical work from pre-season training, and it did not disappoint.
City’s press was sharp from the off, with James Collins denied by an outstanding early save from Tigers keeper Ivor Pandur. The striker, who has been vocal about using this pre-season to hit the ground running, made no mistake on 15 minutes, glancing in Erik Ring’s near-post corner to hand the Imps a deserved lead.
Hull, under new head coach Sergej Jakirović, rotated heavily as expected, with 20 outfield players getting 45 minutes apiece. Despite their pedigree and physical stature, they struggled to break down a compact and energetic Lincoln side, who rotated goalkeepers at half-time – Zach Jeacock impressing in the first period, followed by George Wickens in the second.
Jeacock made a crucial stop just before the break, denying Mason Burstow with a strong foot save, while Wickens was called into action shortly after the hour mark, smothering a close-range effort from Zane Myers.
The second half saw the Imps remain compact and patient, and with five minutes remaining, they sealed the win. Jovon Makama, full of running and strength, latched onto a lofted pass and fired low across the keeper into the far corner.
City could have added a third in the dying minutes as Jack Moylan fired low from the edge of the box, his effort skimming the outside of the post. The result capped off a promising first showing for a Lincoln side with a long way to go in pre-season.
Reflecting on the game, prolific forward Collins said:
“We looked comfortable – we looked fit and played some good football against a good Championship side. The keeper had made a good save just before my goal so I was pleased to see that one go in and get up and running for pre-season.”
He added:
“In the past two weeks we’ve worked on pressing and winning the ball back to hurt teams. Our press was really good and we caused them a lot of problems which is reflected in the scoreline.”
Mixed XI Completes Workout Against Lincoln United
Earlier in the weekend, a Lincoln City XI made the short trip to Ashby Avenue for a useful 90-minute runout against Lincoln United, offering minutes to a blend of youth and fringe first-teamers. The match was the first in a new link-up between the two clubs, and a handful of first-team regulars were seen in the crowd watching the younger XI.
The Whites came out flying, racing into a two-goal lead inside the opening ten minutes. Debutant Stef Galinski opened the scoring with a bullet header from a corner, before another new face, Ethan Bojang, volleyed home after a long throw caused chaos in the Imps’ box. Jack Varley had a chance to add a third shortly after, but his penalty was well saved.
Clinical from Ethan Bojang 🎯 pic.twitter.com/AFZBLzROVQ
— Lincoln United FC (@LincolnUnited) July 6, 2025
Despite United’s dominant start, City gradually grew into the game and halved the deficit on 56 minutes, with former United man Gbolahan Okewoye netting on his return. As both sides rang the changes, City pressed for an equaliser, which eventually came in the 87th minute when Will Cowin bundled in from a corner. There was still time for one last United chance, but a trialist’s half-volley flew over the bar.
After an encouraging start to pre-season, focus now turns to the remaining summer fixtures, with the squad building towards full match sharpness ahead of the League One opener. The team are due to jet off to Portugal next week, with Bromley the opponents in a fixture, before Grimsby and West Brom. There will also be a Lincoln XI taking on Gainsborough on July 23rd.
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