Pre-season preparations continued for our under-21s with a 2-1 loss away to Lincoln City at Sincil Bank on Saturday afternoon.
Salah-Eddine Oulad M'Hand gave us the lead from long range before Lewis Montsma responded with an equalising header straight after. Ben House made it 2-1 in the 70th minute.
We had the first chance of the game when Michal Rosiak’s corner came out to Jimi Gower, who fired wide on the volley.
The former then had another corner hooked towards goal by Ismeal Kabia, but George Wickens cushioned it onto the post with his chest.
Khayon Edwards was next to have a go, heading onto the roof of the net from Nathan Butler-Oyedeji’s cut-back.
In the 25th minute, Lincoln broke into the final third as Dylan Duffy’s cross from the left looked like it was initially being left by Brian Okonkwo, but ultimately our goalkeeper decided to get both hands on it.
Tendayi Darikwa then had a shot deflected wide, before Okonkwo caught the resulting corner from Tom Bayliss.
On the half-hour mark, Rosiak played a clever ball over the top of Edwards, who looked to chip the keeper, but the ball sailed over the bar.
Okonkwo continued to command his area at the other end, punching clear a long throw from Tom Hamer before Bayliss volleyed wide on the rebound.
We came a bit closer when Charles Sagoe Jr drifted in from the left and teed it up for Rosiak, who missed the target after shifting it onto his left foot on the edge of the area.
The opener should’ve came in the 43rd minute when we had a great chance on the counter-attack. Butler-Oyedeji sent Sagoe Jnr through on the left, and he laid it off for Edwards, but Wickens rushed off of his line to save.
A corner towards the far post was then saved at close range by Okonkwo before Duffy saw a long-range effort fly wide of the top left. Okonkwo punched clear from a Bayliss free-kick and the sides went into the break level.
Mehmet Ali made four changes at the break, Theo Julienne, Salah-Eddine Oulad M’Hand, Ismail Oulad M’Hand, and Elian Quesada-Thorn coming on for Rosiak, Harrison Dudziak, Gower, and Sagoe Jr.
House looked to be in on goal early in the second half but Josh Robinson got across to block before Julienne curled a shot straight into Wickens' gloves.
Butler-Oyedeji did really well breaking through on goal from the half-way line and getting a shot away on his left foot, but Wickens was equal to it.
But Wickens wasn't ready for what happened next. After Butler-Oyedeji forced him into losing the ball close to the half-way line, Edwards was able to find Salah-Eddine Oulad M'Hand, who didn't hesitate to bend the ball into the back of the net from at least 30 yards out.
The joy was short lived, however, as Montsma, just moments after coming on as a substitute for Lincoln, headed the ball beyond Okonkwo to equalise. Our goalkeeper then got down to his right to prevent Lincoln from finding a second as Ali encouraged the young Gunners to keep their heads.
With just over 20 minutes remaining, Lincoln took the lead when House moved the ball onto his left foot and picked out the bottom right corner.
The home side continued to push for another, Jovon Makama forcing some great reflexes from Okonkwo to push a powerful shot over the bar. Makama then struck over before Osman Kamara came on for Kabia.
Jack Moylan shot over the bar as Lincoln looked for a third with three minutes to go, before Okonkwo made another great save to push Freddie Draper's close-range header above the goal.
Lincoln City XI: Wickens, Darikwa (Jefferies 77), Jackson, O’Conner, Hamer (Monstma 57), Duffy, Erhahon, McKeirnan, Bayliss (Street 85), Makama (Draper 85), House (Moylan 85).
Substitutes (not used): Jeacock, Benn, Gallagher.
Arsenal XI: Okonkwo, Robinson, Kacurri, Monlouis, Kabia (Kamara 77), Dudziak (Salah-Eddine Oulad M’Hand 46), Rosiak (Julienne 46), Gower (Ismail Oulad M’Hand, 46), Sagoe Jr (Quesada-Thorn 46), Edwards, Butler-Oyedeji.
Substitutes (not used): Porter, Clarke.
Attendance: 3,051 (246 away fans).
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