Lincoln City Man of the Match v Burnley: Deji Elerewe

Deji Elerewe has been voted the Stacey West Readers’ Man of the Match following Lincoln City’s 4-1 victory against Burnley, finishing narrowly ahead of Yunus Konak and Andrei Coubiș with an average rating of 8.66.

The Imps secured their first home league victory at Championship level since 1961, recovering from a goal down to overwhelm the Clarets at Sincil Bank. Ben House cancelled out Andréas Hountondji‘s opener just before half-time, before Mikkel Ladefoged scored twice and Dom Jefferies added another during an excellent second-half performance. George Wickens also saved a late penalty, with City recording a victory that had several players competing for the Man of the Match award.

The voting was particularly close, with just 0.10 separating the top three players. Elerewe came out on top with 8.66, followed by Konak on 8.57 and Coubiș on 8.56. Ladefoged, despite his two goals on his first Football League start, finished fourth with 8.33, while House completed the top five on 8.13.

Elerewe’s performance was one of several that stood out against Burnley: I thought he was outstanding. There was plenty of quality in his defensive work, but what really caught my attention was how comfortable he looked stepping out with the ball, particularly during the second half when we were enjoying our best spell of the afternoon.

One moment in particular summed up his contribution. In the 67th minute, Elerewe went on a marauding run down the flank, almost looking like a winger as he carried the ball past Burnley players before delivering an excellent cross for Ladefoged. The Danish striker made contact but couldn’t steer his effort on target, denying Elerewe an assist that would have been a fitting reward for a superb passage of play.

He was involved again in the final moments, reacting to the rebound after Rob Street’s header had been tipped onto the crossbar. Elerewe couldn’t keep his effort down, but it was another example of his willingness to get forward even with City already leading comfortably.

There was also the context of the previous weekend to consider. Elerewe had been sent off during the 2-2 draw at Millwall, only for the decision to be overturned following an appeal. That meant he was available to face Burnley, and his performance ensured he played a significant part in City’s first home Championship victory of the season.

Elerewe In Numbers

Elerewe’s statistical return reflects his involvement across the game. He played 99 minutes, completing 55 of his 75 recorded actions for an overall success rate of 73%. In possession, he completed 42 of his 52 passes, recording an accuracy of 81% against opponents who struggled to contain City’s attacking play after the interval.

The figures also show 12 successful actions from 15 attempts in one of his recorded contest categories, an 80% return, alongside three successes from five in another, giving him 60%. Other entries included a perfect five from five and three successes from five attempts. Those numbers sit alongside the moments that were particularly noticeable from the stands, including his ability to carry possession forward and the excellent delivery that almost created a goal for Ladefoged.

Readers’ Top Five

It’s interesting that the three highest-rated players were Elerewe, Konak and Coubiș, rather than any of the goalscorers. Ladefoged finished fourth despite scoring twice, while House’s goal, assist and all-round contribution earned him fifth place. Jefferies, who I personally selected as my Man of the Match after his excellent display on the flank, didn’t make the readers’ top five.

That gives an indication of just how many strong individual performances there were against Burnley, and how difficult it was to separate them. Elerewe’s narrow victory over Konak and Coubiș came in a match where City had contributions throughout the team, and the readers’ scores reflected the strength of the overall display.