Lincoln City: Michael Skubala will be breathing sigh of relief after welcome surprise | OneFootball

Lincoln City head coach Michael Skubala will have been breathing a sign of relief when it became clear that Zach Jeacock was a steady hand between the

Lincoln City head coach Michael Skubala will have been breathing a sign of relief when it became clear that Zach Jeacock was a steady hand between the sticks.

The summer recruit was recalled from his loan spell at National League outfit Southend United to fill the void left by the injured George Wickens, who himself was signed ahead of the current campaign.

Alarm bells may have been sounded when the Lincoln first-choice Wickens was struck by the injury curse that has plagued the LNER Stadium over recent seasons, but the replacement has stood up to the team.

Zach Jeacock has impressed at Lincoln City

Jeacock has played six League One games so far this term, keeping a clean sheet in half of them. Two of those came in September when he was first an in-game replacement and then a starter when Wickens was absent due to a concussion.

Again, the former England youth international was thrown in at the deep end when Wickens suffered another injury in January. He stood in against his former side Birmingham City, making a number of key saves despite a defeat in the FA Cup.

He then shut out Northampton Town, helping Lincoln end their winless League One streak with a narrow 1-0 victory that turned a corner for the club this term.

Jeacock has not jumped off the page, like last season’s hero Lukas Jensen, who was rewarded with a Sky Bet Championship move, or former Brighton & Hove Albion loanee Carl Rushworth, but, importantly, he has filled the void left by Wickens.

With the recalled shot-stopper preferred to Jamie Pardington, who has remained as City’s substitute goalkeeper in the 23-year-old’s run of games, his potential has been shown.

He made a killer mistake against Bolton Wanderers in the Vertu Trophy knock-outs, being at fault for the game Aaron Collins netted against the run of play that night. However, that hiccup has been the only telling sign of a keeper who has been short on gametime.

The former Birmingham City keeper filling the Imps void

A childhood Bluenose, Jeacock left Birmingham last summer. Wickens was bought from Fulham to be Lincoln’s new number one, leaving Jeacock and Pardington to battle it out for the secondary role.

It seemed Pardington, who also signed in the summer of 2024 after his exit from Cheltenham Town, had won that battle with his combatant sent out on loan. However, when injury struck Lincoln called on Jeacock instead and he has delivered.

It has come as a welcome surprise for Skubala and the Imps that Jeacock has been able to stand up and be counted just when his new club needed it most.

He only made three appearances for non-league Southend in the first half of the campaign but has looked sharp since being given his Lincoln opportunity.

Jeacock had not come with the loftiest of praise, nor was he thought highly of by the Imps support but, he has been solid when required. Aside from the shaky moment against Bolton, Lincoln have been able to rely on him in games over recent weeks.