18 Lincoln City Goalscorers This Season: Here’s When Their First Goals Came

Alfie Lloyd’s goal yesterday meant he became the 18th different goalscorer in the league for the Imps this season, 19th overall.

Erik Ring has scored, but not in the league, while Ryley Towler, Adam Jackson and Oscar Thorn are the only other viable outfield players not to have scored (not on loan, etc.).

18 isn’t that big a number in terms of different goal scorers: we had 18 players sharing 63 goals last season, and 21 sharing 64 goals in the 2022/23 campaign, which was the most in the league.

In fact, you have to go back to the 2020/21 season, the play-off final season, to find us with fewer scorers, just 14 players shared the burden, with 67 goals. Did you know, in that campaign, Theo Archibald, Cohen Bramall, Liam Bridcutt, Robbie Gotts, Max Melbourne, Regan Poole, and Max Sanders all failed to hit the net, while Tayo Edun, James Jones, Remi Longdon, Adam Jackson and TJ Eyoma all got one. It means just nine players shared the burden of 63 goals.

That may be interesting; it may not. What you may find interesting is our current list of scorers, but can you remember their first goals? Here they are, in chronological order.

Reeco Hackett, 8

Hackett grabbed our first goal of the season (scored by a City player) as he added the second against Reading on the opening day. With Jovon Makama confirmed as moving that morning, we needed something to give us a lift, and Conor McGrandles’ sumptuous pass found Hackett, who coolly took his time before finishing.

Tom Bayliss, 3

Bayliss grabbed his first goal in our 3-2 win against Plymouth Argyle at the Bank. A big ball forward from Wickens, ended up being nodded down by James Collins, with Bayliss sweeping in to beat the keeper from range after just six minutes.

James Collins, 4

James Collins likes an opportunistic goal, and he got one in the 3-2 win against Plymouth. Some horrible defending by the Pilgrims allowed Hackett to cross for Street, whose header was parried by the keeper. I dropped three yards out, and the natural goalscorer Collins poked home.

Freddie Draper, 7

Freddie was next to open his account, netting the only goal of the game as we beat Northampton Town 1-0 at Sixfields. Wickens played the long ball, Street flicked it on, and Darikwa picked up the ball out wide. His cross was swept across the goal by Draper, cannoning in off the post. That was 20 minutes in, and in fairness, we had to cling on for the victory.

Sonny Bradley, 3

Sonny Bradley opened his account against Mansfield, a game City could have won, had Bradley not been sent off 13 minutes later. It was all going so well: Hackett’s ball in was clipped across goal by Bradley, James Collins mishit an effort back into the mix, and Bradley scored from close range.

Ben House, 3

We got two more scorers in the 3-1 win against Luton Town at the Bank. The first, after just 12 minutes, was finished by Ben House. McGrandles and Draper were involved, the latter threading a smart ball for House, who beat the keeper from just inside the area to give us a 1-0 lead.

Justin Obikwu, 3

Luton plulled it back, and with five minutes to go, City looked likely to get a draw. At the time, Luton were the big cheese, a side who had not yet failed to impress as spectacularly as they have. Wickens’ long ball was headed down by Hamer, and a mistake by Makosso saw Obikwu disposses him, before finishing smartly.

Adam Reach, 4

Adam Reach hadn’t been with us all that long when he lined up a free-kick against Peterborough in the 14th minute of our game at London Road. The keeper stood central, which meant when Reach struck a clean, crisp shot into his top right hand corner, he wasn’t anywhere near it.

Tendayi Darikwa, 4

Rob Street, Ben House and Adam Reach combined to make sure a cross went in on the hour mark at London Road. Mendy and Collins went up for it, but neither got it, meaning Tendayi was unmared at the back stick. He took his time before angling a drive across the keeper to give us a 2-1 lead.

Rob Street, 8

Street had been involved plenty by the time we faced Stevenage, and he’d scored against Chelsea, but his first league goal came against Stevenage. It was important, the only goal of the game as we beat a promotion rival 1-0. Darikwa knocks it in, House is seemingly fouled as he tries to pull the trigger, but Street ensures the referee didn’t have a decision to make by firing in before House hits the ground.

Francis Okoronkwo, 1

Frankie Okoronkwo only got one goal for City, but it was a vital one as we bagged a 2-1 win against Doncaster Rovers. It’s nice and simple, a deep Tendayi Darikwa cross is headed home by the on-loan forward. He later moved to Doncaster and is now out for the season.

Jack Moylan, 8

Jack was a late starter. Having been ruled out of the early part of the season, he returned in late November. In mid-December, he announced his arrival. A smart pass by George Wickens saw the Magic Man go down the right, beat a defender, cut inside and then fire home through a crowd of players. Magic.

Tom Hamer, 2

Tom Hamer has two league goals this season, and they’re almost identical, just from opposite sides. Against Barnsley in December, Ivan Varfolomeev delivers the ball, Hamer rises highest at the back stick to head home. Textbook Lincoln City.

Ryan One, 3

Leading 3-1, City are sat deep, mopping up an attack, when Alfie Lloyd gets the ball. He spots Oné on the run and lifts it forward, with the on-loan striker picking the ball up just inside his own half. He runs at the keeper, one-on-one (or Oné oon one, you might say) before finishing with ease to cap off a glorious day in Devon.

Ivan Varfolomeev, 1

One or two of these goals, I’ve had to watch again. This one, I only wanted to watch again, but I could easily have remembered it. McGrandles to Moylan. Moylan to Street, and back. Moylan slips it to Varfolomeev, he takes a touch, takes the defender out of the game and then sends a rasping drive in for 3-0 to City.

Conor McGrandles, 1

Blackpool gave us the first goal of the season for two players, the first being Conor McGrandles. He won’t get an easier chance, forcing the ball home from two yards out after Rob Street’s effort came back off the post. They all count, and this was a fine example of scrapping at set pieces.

Dom Jefferies, 2

This was the third of our 4-0 win. It was smart, Jefferies starting the move, then making sure he was in the right place for a lovely Rob Street lay off. He put the ball away from 16 yards out, killing off the game, and was exactly what he deserved after an impressive cameo.

Alfie Lloyd, 1

And finally! Alfie Lloyd opened his account this weekend, getting the third against Stockport County. There may have been jitters as we led 2-1 in injury time, but Wickens’ long ball was won by Lloyd, and won well against two defenders. He wanted it more, and that brought him the goal.

Goal scorers by team