[monks data]

Attendance: 41,261

EFL Trophy | Final

Apr 8, 2018 at 3pm UK

Lincoln Lincoln City
1-0
Shrewsbury Shrewsbury Town

Whitehouse (16')

FT(HT: 1-0)

Match Report

Football

Lincoln City triumph against Shrewsbury Town to win Football League Trophy

By Giuseppe Labellarte, Reporter | 08 April 2018

League Two side Lincoln City win the Football League Trophy thanks to a 1-0 victory over League One high-flyers Shrewsbury Town in Sunday's final at Wembley Stadium.

Lincoln City have won the Football League Trophy thanks to a 1-0 victory over Shrewsbury Town in Sunday's final at Wembley Stadium.

Elliott Whitehouse was the hero for the Imps as he pounced on a Dean Henderson error to tap home from close range in the first half.

Neither side were able to gain an early foothold in the game played on a slick surface battered by hours of rain.

However, Shrewsbury were first to threaten when a corner was swung into the path of Bryn Morris, whose left-footed half-volley clipped the top of the Imps' bar.

Lincoln fans shouted for a penalty in the eighth minute as Matt Rhead went down in the box under apparent pressure from James Bolton but the referee waved away the appeals.

Moments later, Rhead was shown a yellow card for cynically clattering into Shrewsbury goalkeeper Henderson, who had to be given treatment on the pitch for several minutes.

The deadlock was broken just after the quarter-hour mark as an inswinging corner was spilt by Henderson into the path of Whitehouse, who made no mistake from close range.

Both sides traded blows in a thrilling first half, with Rhead, Whitehouse and Danny Rowe threatening for Lincoln, while Shaun Whalley and Omar Beckles came close for the Shrews.

The half-time whistle blew on a narrow Lincoln lead as Shrewsbury were left feeling aggrieved at a number of decisions seemingly not going their way.

Paul Hurst's charges quickly grew into the game after the restart and weighed in with several dangerous chances from the likes of Morris, Jon Nolan and Nathan Thomas.

Shrewsbury grew increasingly frustrated as the game went on, however, as they failed to take their chances.

Indeed, Lincoln could have doubled their lead on 80 minutes when Whitehouse attempted to volley a high delivery goalwards, but it failed to hit the target.

In the end, the game would be settled by the one goal as Danny Cowley's charges became the fifth fourth-tier side to win the trophy.

Shrewsbury, meanwhile, have now lost each of their four appearances at the national stadium.

LINCOLN CITY (4-3-3): Allsop; Eardley, Bostwick, Waterfall, Habergham; Whitehouse, Woodyard, Frecklington; Rowe (Anderson 64'), Rhead (Palmer 63'), Green (Long 90+5')

SHREWSBURY TOWN (4-1-4-1): Henderson; Bolton, Nsiala, Sadler, Beckles; Morris (Rodman 67'); Whalley (Gnahoua 86'), Nolan, Godfrey, Thomas (Payne 75'); Morris