Boss Dave Artell cut a distraught figure after the collapse to Lincoln City, irrate with his team's second half performance that saw them surrender a 1-0 lead to eventually go down 4-1.

The Alex manager was pleased with his side's first 45 showing, but once again was left frustrated by his side's inability to put together a full 90 minute performance.

The result leaves The Alex three points clear of the Sky Bet League Two drop zone.

Artell said: "We were good for 45 minutes, terrible for another. We were absolutely shocking for the second half.

"At half time I told them to keep matching their physicality, keep trying to get in behind them, play when you get a chance, be incisive in the final third. We went out and tried to play five-a-side football.

"Then we had people hiding all over the place and it went from bad to worse.

"We played right into their hands, they kept pressing us, and when they did sit off us we just kept whacking it at their big lads.

"We felt because we matched them for 45 minutes we could just carry on. Football doesn't work like that.

"You give them all the information, you tell them the right things, the game pans out the way you expected it to, but then it changes. We didn't play it in behind them in the second half, there's no point telling them if they aren't going to listen.

"We have to start winning football matches, today was a great opportunity but they crumbled.”