Birmingham City 2, Lincoln City 1
The Imps may be out of the FA Cup, but they can take heart from their performance while feeling unlucky not to have got more out of the third-round tie.
The home side took an early lead when Japan youth international Yokoyama got on the end of a cross from the right, cut inside and fired home with a smart finish.
Lincoln City then contained the most expensively assembled squad in League One and kept looking for their own opportunities to score
City were the better side in the second period and head coach Michael Skubala made a triple change after 69 minutes to send on the fresher legs of Tom Bayliss, Freddie Draper and Reeco Hackett. That reshuffle saw Jefferies move to the right with Hackett in an attacking role off the left wing.
The Imps continued to have the best of the play but were undone by a moment of magic from Lyndon Dykes. He got on the end of a long ball and unleashed an unstoppable shot from range which looped into the top corner leaving Jeacock with no chance.
Heads did not drop and the continued pressure did lead to a penalty for the Imps after Lewis Montsma was fouled in the area. Makama stepped up to calmly slot the ball home to set up a grandstand finish with five minutes added on, but the Imps could not find the back of the Birmingham net again.
Post match Skubala said he was pleased by the character his side showed in the second-half: We knew it would be a tough game as they've got some quality in their team, with great depth.
"It's a tough place to come to but we can't start the game the way we did, conceding so early. We just got caught and that made it an uphill battle.
"I was pleased with the character of the lads and how they kept pushing. I felt during the later stages of the first half we started to get more on top, gaining more territory and creating half-chances.
"Then in the second half we looked the better team, and that's more how I want us to look. We pushed the game and looked like we could get on top. We kept going and got a penalty and created further chances towards the end of the game.
"When we get into the final third, we have to be more clinical when the opportunities come - whether that's the final pass, final cross, final action or shot. We just have to keep working on it."
City are back in action on Tuesday night when they host Bolton Wanderers in the Vertu Trophy last 16 (7pm KO).
Picture: Vaughan Photography