Scottish starlet bags historic goal to end 65-year exile as Celtic loanee continues hot streak

Scotland Under-21 international Ryan One confirmed his status as a Lincoln City hero by scoring to help them secure automatic promotion to the English second tier after a 65-year wait.

Entering the game on the back of a 24-game unbeaten run, Michael Skubala’s side required just a point to seal their place in the EFL Championship, having held an 18-point advantage on Bolton Wanderers in third, and took an early lead thanks to the young Scot.

Just 48 hours after climbing off the bench to bag the 88th-minute winner that put his side on the cusp of promotion against AFC Wimbledon on Saturday, the on-loan striker fired the visitors into an early lead when he found the net again after just five minutes at the Select Car Leasing Stadium.

Lincoln City's Ryan One was on the scoresheet for the second time in four days against Reading. | PA

The former Hamilton youngster’s fifth league goal in 11 games since joining on loan from Sheffield United during the winter transfer window, he connected perfectly to Reeco Hackett-Fairchild’s free kick to power a header beyond Joel Castro Pereira in the Royals’ goal.

Reading’s Lewis Wing looked to have secured a late point for the hosts when he curled home a stunning free kick in the second minute of stoppage time, only for Jack Moylan to somehow find a late winner with the last kick of the game to send the Lincoln away end into raptures.

Capped by Scotland at various youth levels, One first rose to prominence when he broke into Hamilton’s first team at the age of just 16 during the 2022/23 season, before securing a move to Sheffield United in September 2023, having found the net four times for Accies. Beginning his time at Bramall Lane by playing for the club’s development squad, he made 12 appearances in the EFL Championship last season.

One scored four goals in just pre-season three games for the Blades after being handed a chance to impress for former head coach Ruben Selles. However, he found his first-team opportunities limited when the league season got underway, and opted to join Skubala’s side in the winter transfer window.

Staying with the EFL League One promotion race, Celtic’s on-loan striker Johnny Kenny scored for the second successive game running as Bolton Wanderers’ slim hopes of automatic promotion took a hit with a 2-2 draw against Stockport County at the Toughsheet Community Stadium.

The Republic of Ireland international put Steven Schumacher’s side into the lead after 39 minutes, only for former St Johnstone forward Adama Sidibeh to equalise in first-half stoppage time. Tayo Edun then shot the away side into the lead on 51 minutes. Bolton rescued a late draw via a Ben Osborn own goal on 79 minutes, but the result sees them drop to fourth in the table, and eight points off the automatic promotion places with five games to go. The EFL League playoffs beckon.

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