Lincoln City delivered a decisive 4‑1 win over Burnley at the ProAmpac Stadium on Saturday, cementing their place in the Championship’s upper mid‑table and leaving the Clarets still mired in the relegation zone. The Imps’ victory was secured by a second‑half surge that saw Mikkel Ladefoged score twice, Dom Jefferies add a third, and a fourth goal from Ladefoged himself, while Burnley managed only a lone goal from substitute Andreas Hountondji.
The match began with a promising start for Burnley, who were on the verge of taking the lead when Romanian international Andrei Coubis appeared to score a quick opener. The goal, however, was ruled out for offside, and Lincoln’s Reeco Hackett made a crucial stop on the line to keep the score level. Burnley’s first goal came in the 39th minute when Hountondji, who had come on early to replace the injured Armando Broja, capitalised on a Lucas Pires corner to put the visitors ahead. Lincoln answered almost immediately, with Ben House equalising in stoppage time after a long throw from Coubis.
The turning point arrived in the second half. Ladefoged, who had started the game, opened the scoring in the 48th minute with a curling strike that left the Burnley defence helpless. He added a second goal just over 20 minutes later, sealing the game for Lincoln. Dom Jefferies then netted his first league goal since March, and Ladefoged capped the evening with a header from a cross by House in the 67th minute. Burnley’s only consolation came from a penalty saved by goalkeeper George Wickens late in the game, which had been awarded after Marcus Edwards was fouled.
The result keeps Burnley in the bottom three, with their winless run extending to four matches and the pressure on manager Nicky Hayen growing. Lincoln, meanwhile, have moved seven points clear of the relegation zone, giving their manager Chris Cohen a boost as the team seeks to maintain their momentum in the coming fixtures.