Football: Lincoln settle for loss leader

Lincoln City 0 Sunderland 1 McCann 16 Half-time: 0-1 Attendance: 10,408

YOU need reasons to be cheerful if your team are bottom of the Second Division, but when Lincoln's manager John Reames offered the pre- match opinion that this FA Cup tie would make a nice change from the struggle for points he was indulging in wild optimism.

Sunderland these days take no prisoners and an early goal by Gavin McCann was enough to inflict a 10th defeat on Lincoln in their last 12 games. It was a memorable afternoon for McCann, who will be 21 this week. Within three minutes of coming on as a substitute he scored a fine goal and was then booked.

Reames, the chairman at Sincil Bank for the past 14 years, took over as manager in November in order to stem weekly losses of pounds 5,000. "This is probably the first week we have made a profit this season," he said, "But we would have settled for a replay."

Lincoln had got away to a lively start, as their all-action left wing- back Stuart Bimson struck a 25-yarder over the bar. But Sunderland soon settled into an ominous rhythm and when Lee Clark's headed flick put Daniel Dichio clear in the penalty area Lincoln's goalkeeper John Vaughan needed to make a brave blocking stop.

Sunderland suffered a setback in losing Martin Scott to an ankle injury, but this soon had a silver lining, as McCann put the visitors in front after 16 minutes. Michael Gray, who had dropped back to take Scott's position in defence, made ground on the left and transferred the ball to Dichio. He found space for McCann, whose shot took a deflection off the Lincoln defender Steve Holmes, before finding the net off Vaughan's right-hand post.

Desperate to make amends, Holmes surged upfield to shoot over from a corner. Then, as Lincoln forced a succession of corners, Niall Quinn helped clear one from the line.

Although Sunderland were in control, they were certainly not in command. There were loud Lincoln claims for a penalty when Lee Thorpe went down just inside the box, but these were waved away by referee Mike Fletcher. Lincoln's player-coach Phil Stant came on with 20 minutes to go, but it was Sunderland who came closest to another goal when Dichio was twice just wide of the mark. In the final minute Sunderland had Darren Williams sent off for a second bookable offence.