Report
City got their 2013/14 Skrill Premier campaign underway with an away game against Woking at Kingfield Stadium with four players making their debuts whilst Nat Brown and Luke Foster were also included as they commenced their third and second stints with the Club respectively.
Muggy conditions greeted the two teams as they made their way out of the tunnel and with the Imps looking suitably smart in their new green and white away strip, play commenced with City kicking off.
A number of free-kicks made for a stop-start beginning to proceedings although the Imps were enjoying the better of the early possession without threatening Aaron Howe between the Woking sticks.
A surging City break which saw Luke Foster release Nick Wright down the right saw the latter skin Brett Johnson before seeing his cross deflect behind for the season's first corner; Sean Newton's dangerous delivery was headed away before Dan Gray's follow-up cross was headed wide by Andrew Boyce.
Wright won another corner on the quarter-hour mark but this was easily dealt with before the home side wasted the chance of a quick break as they delayed the final ball to lone striker and ex-Imp Gavin McCallum.
A trip by Jon Nolan brought about a Woking free-kick in a dangerous position in the 27th minute but Josh Payne drilled his 20-yard effort well over the bar whilst a couple of minutes later a mistimed challenge from Foster on Gavin Williams earned the City man a yellow card.
With Woking starting to exert some pressure, Brown did well to block a Lee Sawyer centre before referee Paul Rees spotted a push on Foster by Mark Ricketts when the resultant corner came in. Williams then drilled a free-kick inches wide after Andrew Boyce was harshly adjudged to have committed a foul when he appeared to clearly win the ball.
City's response saw them piece together a couple of decent moves only for the final ball to evade them whilst at the other end the experienced Kevin Betsy cut in from the right only to see his drive well claimed by Paul Farman.
Ben Tomlinson then warmed Howe's hands with a shot from the edge of the box and as an end-to-end close to the half continued, Gray got in a fine clearing header to deal with a Betsy centre.
HT: Woking 0 Imps 0
Neither side made any changes during the break so it was as you were as the home side restarted proceedings.
City started the second half brightly with Wright glancing a header wide from a Tomlinson cross but Farman had to be on his guard as Woking responded, claiming a Sawyer snap-shot at the second attempt.
Farman then tipped a dipping Payne effort behind for a corner which was wasted by the home side whilst as City responded, a Foster header from a Gray cross clipped a Woking man for an Imps corner.
Joe McNerney, complete with a fantastic array of facial hair, replaced Gavin McCallum for the home side in the 58th minute and he was quickly in the action, forcing Farman in to a low save from his cross-cum-shot.
A sliding challenge by Tomlinson on Betsy saw him pick up a 68th minute yellow card with the home home players quick to surround the referee in a bid to try and get Mr Rees to brandish a red.
Things calmed down a bit as the game entered its final quarter with a dipping Williams effort which landed on the roof of the net being the best chance at goal from either side.
Bohan Dixon for Nick Wright was City's first change as the clock ticked into its 73rd minute; Woking introducing Anthony McNamee for Lee Sawyer at the same time.
Dixon was quick to have a half-sight of goal as he volleyed over after the home defence hesitated in clearing a ball whilst a minute later he almost got on the end of a Newton chip only for the ball to bounce away from him.
Nolan then had a shot blocked after Dixon caused more problems for the Woking defence before squaring for his team mate who was denied as he set his sights. A final Woking change saw George Frith replace Gavin Williams with four minutes remaining.
A tug on Power's shirt earned Payne an 89th minute caution before the game entered three minutes of added time, with Foster slicing a shot over the bar in the opening stages.
FT: Woking 0 Imps 0
LINCOLN CITY
1 Paul FARMAN
15 Dan GRAY
5 Andrew BOYCE
23 Nat BROWN
3 Sean NEWTON
27 Luke FOSTER
6 Mamadou FOFANA
19 Jon NOLAN
8 Alan POWER
11 Ben TOMLINSON
10 Nick WRIGHT
subs
17 Bohan DIXON (for WRIGHT 73)
7 Waide FAIRHURST
9 Danny ROWE
12 Jake SHERIDAN
31 David PREECE
BOOKINGS: FOSTER (29), TOMLINSON (68)
WOKING
1 Aaron HOWE
2 Adam NEWTON
3 John NUTTER
8 Jack PARKINSON
6 Brett JOHNSON
4 Mark RICKETTS
7 Lee SAWYER
20 Josh PAYNE
11 Kevin BETSY
9 Gavin WILLIAMS
29 Gavin McCALLUM
subs
5 Joe McNERNEY (for McCALLUM 58)
14 Anthony McNAMEE (for SAWYER 73)
16 George FRITH (for WILLIAMS 87)
10 Giuseppe SOLE
18 Sam BEASANT
BOOKING: PAYNE (89)
MATCH OFFICIALS
REFEREE: Paul Rees
ASSISTANTS: Gary Parsons & Paul Johnson
FOURTH OFFICIAL: Adrian Quelch
ATTENDANCE: 1,845 (370 City supporters)
