Referee: Matt Corlett
Assistant Referee: Wayne Grunnill,Paul Newhouse
Fourth Official: Neil Smith
Corlett’s first Lincoln appointment came at Sincil Bank in December 2023, a frustrating 2-1 defeat to Northampton Town. The game was tight but ultimately swung on key moments, most notably Paudie O’Connor’s straight red card on 76 minutes, a decision that left City chasing the game with 10 men. Lincoln had already fallen behind early, responded through TJ Eyoma, but were undone shortly after the restart and never fully recovered.
I did feel he gave a ‘soft’ red for Paudie, writing at the time, “I’ve watched it back, and for me, it isn’t a red. I guess they’re going to say he led with his elbow, but how many times have we seen that against us? Accrington in the EFL Trophy, it happened a couple of times, and there wasn’t even a free kick given, and yet that was deemed a red? I haven’t been on social media today, so I don’t know what the consensus is, but in my eyes, that’s a soft red.”
The second meeting followed in February 2024, again at Sincil Bank, and was far more positive. Lincoln edged Exeter City 1-0 thanks to Joe Taylor’s second half strike, dominating key attacking metrics despite having less of the ball. Corlett kept a low profile overall, allowing the game to flow, with Lincoln registering seven shots on target to Exeter’s one. Discipline was well managed, with no major flashpoints, and it felt like a textbook example of a referee enabling the contest rather than shaping it.
In February 2025, Corlett oversaw the dramatic 3-2 defeat away at Leyton Orient. The game swung repeatedly, with Lincoln fighting back from 2-1 down through Lewis Montsma and James Collins, only to concede a 90th-minute winner. Corlett’s evening included several cautions, including one for O’Connor, but no red cards, and the match was defined more by attacking chaos than officiating controversy.
Most recently, Corlett was the referee for Lincoln’s 1-0 win at Burton Albion in September. Sonny Bradley’s early goal proved enough despite Burton dominating possession. Corlett again kept control in a physical contest, issuing yellow cards without letting the game boil over, and allowing City to execute a disciplined away performance.
Corlett cites the National League Play Off Final between Chesterfield and Notts County at Wembley as his most memorable appointment. Promoted to the Football League after switching from assistant referee to the middle in 2016, his ambition is clear, with aspirations of reaching SG2 and ultimately officiating at elite European and Premier League level. Worryingly, he is guided by role models George Cain and his father, and grounded in the belief that a referee is only as good as their next game. I’m sure his Dad is a lovely man, but George Cain? Ouch.
Looking strictly at League One data and placing it against the full cohort of 60 referees used this season, Corlett ranks 9th out of 60 for fouls per game, with an average of 27.22, which puts him firmly in the higher intervention bracket without being among the most whistle-heavy officials in the division. On fouls per tackle, his figure of 0.81 places him 19th out of 60, indicating he is more tolerant of physical contact than the majority of League One referees and less likely to penalise challenges automatically.
In terms of discipline, Corlett averages five yellow cards per game, ranking him 7th out of 60, which shows he is relatively quick to reach for the book compared to most officials, albeit without escalation, as he has no red cards issued in League One matches this season.
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