Report
With Hamza Bencherif ruled out through sickness and Charlee Adams absent due to injury, boss Chris Moyses was forced to shuffle his pack for this Tuesday night Vanarama Conference game at Chester.
Todd Jordan was Bencherif's replacement in defence whilst Conner Robinson came in for Adams. A third change to the side that started at Macclesfield on Saturday saw Jordan Burrow replace Delano Sam-Yorke up front. Scholar Josh Barr-Rostron was amongst the substitutes.
It was a chilly evening as referee Simon Bennett lead the two teams out and once the captains exchanged pleasantries play got underway with City kicking off.
The Imps started brightly with Burrow testing Jon Worsnop with a fourth minute dipping volley from the edge of the box but it wasn't long before the home side were on the offensive with Paul Farman doing well to block a John Rooney snap-shot.
Chester kept the ball alive though and when Rooney got in another effort, the ball took a wicked deflection off the unfortunate Sean Newton before flying past Farman and into the corner of the net.
Farman produced a fine save save to deny Mahon as Chester pressed for a quick second goal whilst City's response saw Nat Brown head a Newton free-kick over the bar. A minute later the home side doubled their advantage when Ben Tomlinson played a weak pass back to Newton with Sean McConville duly taking advantage and firing past Farman.
Brown had a great chance to reduce the arrears a couple of minutes later but blazed over from six yards after Tomlinson squared whilst at the other end Oliver McBurnie was upended by Jordan a yard outside the box; referee Bennett deeming that the City man denied a goalscoring opportunity and promptly brandished a red card to add to City's woes.
Arnaud Mendy slotted alongside Brown at the back following Jordan's dismissal before Burrow was booked two minutes later following an aerial challenge on Michael Kay. Matty Hughes fired wide and Rooney had an effort held by Farman as Chester pressed for a third.
That third duly arrived in the 24th minute and it came via the boot of Ryan Higgins who let fly from 25 yards out, giving Farman no chance between the sticks. A couple of minutes later Kegan Everington replaced Conner Robinson in midfield.
Things calmed down a bit as the half-hour came and went and when Burrow looked to turn his man play was brought back due to Ben Heneghan having a bleeding nose, bringing about more frustration.
City had Newton to thank in the 39th minute when he cleared a McConville effort off the line after the Imps' back line was opened up again whilst at the other end a City corner was cleared.
As the half wore on Farman claimed a Rooney lob under his bar whilst the last action of the opening period saw Newton fire a free-kick well over after Brown was flattened inches outside the box.
HT: CHESTER 3 IMPS 0
With no further changes made during the break it was as you were as Chester restarted the game.
It was a scrappy start to the second half with a number of free-kicks doing nothing to aid the flow of things; when play was allowed to go on, a Newton corner was met by Burrow but his downward header was hacked off the line by Gareth Roberts.
In the 54th minute Everington had a 25-yard effort held at the second attempt by Worsnop as the Imps continued what was an encouraging start to the second period. Saying that it took a timely flick from Brown's head to keep out a McBurnie effort shortly before the hour mark.
City were dealt a further blow in the 61st minute when they were reduced to nine men; skipper Alan Power slid on on Mahon who rolled around with his team mates quick to surround referee Bennett. As a result the official consulted with his assistant before brandishing a straight red card, much to the astonishment of the Imps' players and management.
Four minutes later Kane Richards replaced Mahon who was quick to spring to his feet once the red card was shown to Power so the switch was clearly a tactical one whilst things went from bad to worse shortly afterwards when a long-range effort from Brad Abbott flew past Farman and into the bottom corner to make it 4-0.
George Thomson for Sean McConville was Chester's second change in the 69th minute and four minutes later a third came with Kieran Charnock replacing Gareth Roberts. Thomson's first touch saw him lob Farman but fortunately the ball landed on the roof of the net rather than in it.
As the game approached the final 15 minutes Farman saved well from a 35-yard Rooney drive whilst five minutes later Delano Sam-Yorke replaced Marcus Marshall who hobbled off clutching his groin area.
Home defender Heneghan was booked for a cynical foul on Tomlinson in the 84th minute but Newton wasted the resultant free-kick. Chester were then happy to keep possession during the remaining stages with the space there following the double City dismissal.
FT: CHESTER 4 IMPS 0
LINCOLN CITY
1 Paul FARMAN
17 Jake CAPRICE
23 Nat BROWN
4 Todd JORDAN
3 Sean NEWTON
12 Arnaud MENDY
8 Alan POWER
16 Conner ROBINSON
22 Marcus MARSHALL
11 Ben TOMLINSON
9 Jordan BURROW
subs
15 Delano SAM-YORKE (for MARSHALL 81)
18 Kegan EVERINGTON (for ROBINSON 26)
25 Tyrell WAITE
27 Josh BARR-ROSTRON
30 Aidan GRANT
BOOKING: BURROW (17)
SENDINGS OFF: JORDAN (15), POWER (61)
CHESTER FC
1 Jon WORSNOP
23 Ryan HIGGINS
22 Ben HENEGHAN
4 Michael KAY
3 Gareth ROBERTS
7 Craig MAHON
10 John ROONEY
18 Brad ABBOTT
27 Matty HUGHES
16 Sean McCONVILLE
17 Oliver McBURNIE
subs
2 George THOMSON (for McCONVILLE 69)
6 Kieran CHARNOCK (for ROBERTS 73)
15 Kane RICHARDS (for MAHON 65)
19 Craig HOBSON
13 Jonathan VISCOSI
GOALS: NEWTON (5 og), McCONVILLE (12), HIGGINS (24), ABBOTT (66)
BOOKING: HENEGHAN (84)
REFEREE: Simon Bennett
ASSISTANTS: Kelvin Sarsfield & John Walton
FOURTH OFFICIAL: Martin Woods
ATTENDANCE: 1,569 (109 City supporters)
