Hamer House of Horror: Lincoln City 0-6 West Ham United

City made two changes at the break, with Chiedozie Ogbene and Draper withdrawn and Rob Street and Ryley Towler coming on. Any hope of keeping the deficit at one for a while disappeared almost immediately, however. Kilman had the first shot of the second half blocked before Edvin Austbø, introduced by West Ham at half-time, curled an effort past Wickens in the 48th minute to make it 2-0.

Two minutes later, it was three, and there was a real concern that the evening could become embarrassing. Varfolomeev gave the ball away, Engels found Bowen, and he squeezed his finish in at the near post. A handful of City supporters were already heading for the exits, with the task facing our nine men becoming harder with every passing minute.

Oyegoke offered a rare foray forward in the 51st minute, trying to get around Mavropanos before being stopped by an awkward bodycheck which earned the defender a yellow card. Elder’s resulting free kick was blocked, and West Ham soon resumed their pressure. Engels tried his luck from the edge of the area in the 57th minute, with a deflection taking his effort over before the resulting corner went behind for another.

West Ham introduced Airidas Golambeckis and Taty Castellanos in the 58th minute, with Solomon and Mavropanos making way. City then managed a rare opportunity, Street and Oyegoke combining to deliver a cross for Elder, although it was hardly a clear opening and the West Ham goalkeeper held his effort. Another delivery reached the back post in the 62nd minute, but Deji Elerewe headed up and over.

Sonny Bradley and House were withdrawn a minute later, with Andrei Coubiș and Yunus Konak coming on. Coubiș was quickly involved, blocking an effort from Pablo before the rebound was fired wide of the Imps’ goal. West Ham made another pair of changes in the 66th minute, withdrawing Engels and Veltman and bringing on Kyle Walker-Peters and Tomáš Souček.

Castellanos had a half-chance in the 70th minute, but Wickens saved comfortably as the visitors continued to control proceedings. The West Ham supporters were loud, although those in the home stands who had stayed continued to find opportunities to make themselves heard. There was a big cheer a minute later when Konak and Street combined to win a corner, with the 617 singing again, even if the delivery ultimately came to nothing.

Tom Bayliss replaced Varfolomeev in the 73rd minute, but West Ham soon added a fourth. Castellanos appeared at the back post and nodded across goal, with Elerewe clearing off the line to keep the initial chance out. The reprieve was brief, as the resulting corner was bundled home by Pablo in the 74th minute.

The visitors were finding it all too easy to create opportunities against our depleted side, with Austbø curling another effort towards goal from the edge of the area in the 76th minute. Wickens held that one, and there were huge cheers shortly afterwards when Kanté horribly shanked a volley well wide. By that stage, the home support had to take whatever moments of enjoyment it could find.

Souček made it five in the 79th minute, with Bowen providing the assist for the substitute to lift the ball past Wickens. More home supporters were streaming out now, with the early dismissals having turned the evening into a thoroughly miserable one for City.

With five minutes left, Konak gave the ball away cheaply, but Wickens was out quickly to make the save and prevent it from becoming six.

Amazingly, as the game died down, the fans began to sing ‘Champions of League One, you’ll never sing that’ before a rendition of Allez Allez rang out. It did add a nice gloss to what was a really bad evening for the Imps. it even carried on as Soucek made it six from Wickens’ spilt shot, confirming the Imps’ biggest home defeat since September 2019.