Burnley made a change at the break, with Kyle Walker replaced by Connor Roberts, but it was City who came out of the dressing room looking the more dangerous. Within two minutes of the restart, Yunus Konak delivered a cross into the penalty area which House met with his head, although his effort looped over the crossbar.
The Imps were straight back on the attack a minute later, with House and Reach combining neatly to release Ladefoged into the left channel. The Danish striker spotted Coudert off his line and attempted to lift the ball over the goalkeeper, but his effort dropped narrowly wide of the target. City had started the second period with real purpose, and Burnley were struggling to contain them.
That pressure finally told in the 50th minute, with Ladefoged putting the Imps ahead. A deep delivery into the Burnley penalty area wasn’t dealt with by the visiting defence, allowing Jefferies to get an effort away. His shot was scuffed, but it fell perfectly for Ladefoged, who made no mistake to put City 2-1 up and complete the turnaround.
There was no suggestion of the Imps sitting back on their lead, and they continued to press forward in search of a third. Coubiș whipped a dangerous cross into the penalty area in the 54th minute, finding House, whose effort was saved by Coudert. Two minutes later, Hackett delivered a free kick which Burnley managed to clear, but only as far as Konak, whose strike from distance took a deflection and went wide for a corner.
City were turning the screw, and the third goal arrived in the 57th minute. The resulting corner was headed up and away from the immediate danger, but Jefferies was waiting to collect the loose ball. He struck a powerful effort through the Burnley defence and into the net, giving the Imps a 3-1 lead and sparking wild celebrations around Sincil Bank.
The reaction from the away end was rather different, with Burnley supporters beginning to stream towards the exits despite more than half an hour remaining. Those who stayed made their feelings clear, once again directing chants of ‘you’re not fit to wear the shirt’ towards their players. The home supporters were understandably in much better voice, with City now firmly in control of proceedings.
Jefferies almost added another in the 61st minute, with Wickens launching a long ball forward that Ladefoged did well to nod down into his path. The midfielder struck a decent effort towards goal, forcing Coudert into a save. The goalkeeper couldn’t hold it at the first attempt, but Burnley managed to scramble the loose ball away before City could capitalise.
The Imps continued to look capable of scoring whenever they came forward, and Elerewe almost created a fourth with an excellent piece of individual play in the 67th minute. The defender went on a marauding run down the flank, carrying the ball forward before producing a superb cross into the area. Ladefoged made contact, but his effort dropped wide of the target when it might have deserved a better outcome.
However, the Danish striker didn’t have to wait long for another opportunity, and this time he made absolutely certain. In the 68th minute, House delivered a deep cross into the penalty area, where Ladefoged was waiting to plant a header beyond Coudert and make it 4-1. It was his second goal of the afternoon and surely put the contest beyond a Burnley side who had been completely overwhelmed since the interval.
Coudert was subsequently booked following an argument in the aftermath of the goal, while the exodus from the away end gathered pace. Burnley supporters were now queuing to leave Sincil Bank, having watched their side concede three times in less than 20 second-half minutes.
The visitors did briefly threaten in the 71st minute, with a deep cross into the City penalty area headed upwards by Coubiș. Ramazani attempted an acrobatic overhead effort, which appeared to be somewhere between a shot and a cross, but Wickens was able to gather comfortably. House then picked up a yellow card two minutes later following a challenge on Max Alleyne.
Burnley came close to reducing the deficit when a lovely move released Hountondji through on goal. The forward managed to beat Wickens with his effort, but the ball struck the post and stayed out, denying the visitors a route back into the contest.
City were forced into changes in the 80th minute, with Sonny Bradley appearing to have picked up an injury. He was replaced by Ryley Towler, while Rob Street came on for Ladefoged, whose two goals had helped transform the afternoon. Hackett also made way, with Chiedozie Ogbene introduced for the closing stages.
There was still time for some late drama, with Burnley awarded a penalty in the 83rd minute after a player went down as a cross was delivered into the area. There were few complaints from the City players, and Marcus Edwards stepped up to take the spot kick, accompanied by chants aimed at Burnley chairman Alan Pace from the home supporters.
Edwards struck his penalty towards Wickens’ right, but the City goalkeeper produced an excellent diving save to preserve the three-goal advantage. The danger wasn’t over, with Burnley recycling possession and creating another opportunity moments later, only for Reach to clear an effort off the line. It was an extraordinary sequence of defensive interventions, with City determined not to give their visitors even the slightest encouragement.
City made their final changes in the 89th minute, with McGrandles and Jefferies withdrawn to warm applause, replaced by Daniel Oyegoke and Varfolomeev. Jefferies had been outstanding throughout, adding a goal to an energetic performance that had caused Burnley problems all afternoon.
Even with the game seemingly won, the Imps continued to push forward in search of a fifth. Varfolomeev delivered a corner in the 90th minute which Street met with a powerful header, forcing Coudert into an excellent save as he tipped the ball onto the crossbar. Elerewe reacted quickest to the rebound but could only scoop his effort over the bar, denying City another goal in what had become a remarkable afternoon at Sincil Bank.
The attendance at Sincil Bank was confirmed as 10,558, including 1,410 Burnley supporters, many of whom had already departed following City’s devastating spell in the second half.
Bars are scaled to the best figure in this match, and each rank is against the players who actually registered that stat — "3rd/12" is third of the twelve who managed one. This is a within-match ranking, not a league-wide one, which a single match cannot give. Radar axes are scaled the same way, and are left out for goalkeepers, whose near-zero attacking figures would draw a meaningless dot.
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