Makama leads Imps in five-star demolition

By Jamie Mitchell

LINCOLN CITY 5

Makama 31, 65, 81, Bayliss 49, Collins 52

LINCOLN: Wickens 7, Roughan 7, O’Connor 8, Hamer 7, Darikwa 7, McGrandles 6, Bayliss 8 (Hamilton 71, 6), Jefferies 7 (Ring 69, 6), Hackett 7 (Gardner 71, 6), Makama 9 (Clucas 82), Collins 8 (House 68, 6).

Subs not used: Jackson, Jeacock.

BRISTOL ROVERS 0

BRISTOL ROVERS: Ward 7, Swinkels 5 (Sousa 66, 5), Taylor 6, Wilson 6, Mola 6 (Thomas 46, 6), Moore 5 (Hutchinson 58, 6), Butcher 5, Hunt 6, Shaw 6 (Senior 82, 6), Sinclair 6, Sotiriou 6 (Dewsbury 57, 6). Subs not used: Forde, Hall.

Att: 8,506 Rating: ★★★★★ Ref: Paul Howard 7/10

MICHAEL SKUBALA hailed his five-star Lincoln City side after they hammered relegation-threatened Bristol Rovers. Jovon Makama bagged the first hat-trick of his career as the impressive Imps put the visitors to the sword at Sincil Bank.

Skubala beamed: “It was a great afternoon from start to finish. That’s what we want to look like. When we’re like that we’re electric.

“When we get it wrong we’re not so good, but we were electric today.

“Jovon was unplayable. When I came into the building 18 months ago I said he had talent, but we’d have to wait for it.

“The challenge from me is for him to consistently do that. But when he gets it right like today you see his quality and his power and physicality you see everything he’s got… it was an incredible performance from him. I still think he’s got more to improve and can still get better. That’s the crazy thing.

“He destroyed their left side and looked so good. He’s still got lots to learn and improve on.”

Rovers’ stopper Jed Ward produced a good early saves to keep out Reeco Hackett-Fairchild and Makama.

But the 21-year-old broke the deadlock on the half-hour mark as he converted from captain Paudie O’Connor’s brilliant ball.

The second-half assault started when Tom Bayliss’s corner flew straight in four minutes into the second half.

And within a blink of an eye former Luton James Collins hit the third as Makama turned provider for the experienced hitman to curl beyond the reach of Ward.

Makama nabbed his second with 20 minutes to go as he drove into the box and smashed home an unstoppable strike. The youngster completed his fine treble with nine minutes to goashe fired into the bottom corner after Erik Ring’s corner was only par-tiallycleared.

Rovers lost their first game in four and Inigo Calderon admitted: “I could see that coming from the start. We lacked that control.

“We were flat. It was a flat game from us. We didn’t have that energy.

“I understand the players. They could be tired. But you have to find a way, and they didn’t.

“I was happy with 1-0at half-time because it was a really bad first half.

“But the two quick goals after half-time did us. When you’re having a bad day, conceding those two goals made it a really tough day.”