Wanderers made the ideal start to the new season as headed goals from Jack Iredale and Victor Adeboyejo and a Paudie O’Connor own-goal got them straight up and running, writes Pete Oliver.
It took only three-and-a-half minutes of day one for Ian Evatt’s men to make their mark as Iredale claimed his first goal in a Bolton shirt.
Both Iredale’s opener and Adeboyejo 56th-minute effort came from corners as Wanderers made set-pieces count.
But there was far more from an impressive performance than set-plays as the Whites out-played a Lincoln side losing on the opening day for the first time in 13 years.
The City defence cracked again when skipper O’Connor slid the ball into his own net and Wanderers could easily have added to their tally throughout a dominant display which bodes well for the battles to come.
Wanderers couldn’t have asked for a better start as they were almost immediately in front.
Aaron Morley’s corner was perfectly met on the move by Iredale, whose glancing header into the far corner gave former Whites’ loanee keeper Lukas Jensen no chance as the defender made an instant impact in his first game since January following a successful recovery from injury.
It was the ideal way to get the campaign up-and-running and Wanderers were clearly in the mood to try and add more.
Lincoln were struggling to cope with the Whites’ movement and pressing and only the long levers of Jensen prevented a second goal as he went full stretch to palm away a cross from Kyle Dempsey with Dion Charles and Adeboyejo waiting to pounce.
Wanderers were dangerous down both flanks, while Charles was his usual menace up the middle and with 25 gone almost doubled the lead with a curling effort which drifted just wide.
The Whites’ merited a bigger advantage by the break but couldn’t find the second goal with Randell Williams going closest following a superb move – inevitably involving the effervescent Dempsey – which ended with Josh Dacres-Cogley crossing for Williams to come off the opposite wing and head wide.
The addition of six minutes at the end of the half reflected the new directive for more in-play time and when Wanderers did re-start it was a similar pattern as they strived for the second goal.
More pressing from Dempsey set up Charles for a shooting chance which was blocked before spinning in the air for Williams to release a volley which was deflected over the top.
Morley then saw a fine, skidding effort saved by Jensen but only at the expense of a corner which finally brought a further breakthrough.
This time Williams delivered and Adeboyejo climbed highest to powerfully head in his first home goal since February.
Lincoln created the odd moment of danger on the break without forcing Nathan Baxter into a save – defender TJ Eyoma firing their best chance just wide.
But Wanderers didn’t let up going the other way as they looked to move out of sight and with almost half an hour of the second half gone they added a third.
Once more, Dempsey drove at the City defence following a superb ball from substitute George Thomason and his low cross was aiming for Charles when O’Connor slid in to divert the ball into his own net.
Evatt then rung the changes to give summer signings Carlos Mendes Gomes and Paris Maghoma a first taste of competitive action to add to the debuts of Baxter and Dacres-Cogley.
Eight minutes of added time extended their run-outs but with the outcome long since decided, more meaningful contributions will wait for another day.
Wanderers: Baxter; Jones, Almeida Santos, Iredale; Sheehan (Thomason 73); Dacres-Cogley, Morley (Maghoma 77), Dempsey (Mendes Gomes 83), Williams; Charles (Jerome 83), Adeboyejo (Nlundulu 77). Substitutes: Forrester, Ashworth.
Booked: Sheehan, Maghoma, Nlundulu
Lincoln City: Jensen; Eyoma, Jackson, Roughan; O’Connor, Hamilton (Makama 87), Erhahon, Roughan; House, Mandriou (Smith 80); Walker. Substitutes: Wright, Hackett, Smith, Duffy, Benn, Gallagher, Makama.
Booked: House, Eyoma, Mandriou
Referee: Will Finnie
Attendance: 20,143 (975 Lincoln)