Frankie Okoronkwo of Lincoln City, on loan from Everton, scores the opening goal during the Sky Bet League One match between Lincoln City and Doncaster Rovers.
Frankie Okoronkwo of Lincoln City, on loan from Everton, scores the opening goal during the Sky Bet League One match between Lincoln City and Doncaster Rovers. Photo by Chris Vaughan/Getty Images
Everton forward Francis Okoronkwo helped his current team move to the top of the table as he scored his first league goal of the campaign.
The 21-year-old joined Lincoln City on loan in the summer and has had a front row seat for the Imps’ impressive start to the year. He now hopes to play a more significant role in the club’s promotion push after opening the scoring in the win over Doncaster Rovers on Saturday.
It was a victory that moved his team joint-top with Stockport County’s trip to AFC Wimbledon postponed due to international call-ups. For Frankie, it was “my finest game in a City shirt”.
Okoronkwo started on the left of the midfield in what was just his second time named in the first XI for a league match. His header from a Tendayi Darikwa cross broke the deadlock just after the half hour mark. The forward later missed a golden opportunity but the important header was the second goal in what he hopes will be a breakthrough week after he also scored in the Vertu Trophy win over Barnsley on Tuesday.
After the game, he said: “At the moment it feels like I’ve hit a little purple patch and that is something I would like to keep going. It was great to score against Barnsley but it is even better to get a goal at the LNER Stadium in front of all of our fans.
“I want to come here and make an impact and send our fans home happy. I think that was my finest game in a City shirt, there were things I could have done better overall but for me I think it was my best display.”
Okoronkwo, who Everton signed from Sunderland for £1m back in 2021, spent last season on loan in League Two with Salford City, where he scored five goals across all competitions.
His Lincoln goal came on a positive day for Everton’s loanees, with 21-year-old winger Isaac Heath scoring the opening goal in Accrington Stanley’s 3-1 win over Bristol Rovers. It was the second league goal for the Blues’ U21s’ player of last year, who also has three assists in League Two this season.
