Match report...
City boss Chris Moyses named an unchanged starting line-up for this Bank Holiday Monday clash at Gateshead whilst Kegan Everington replaced Elliot Hodge on the substitutes' bench.
On a wet holiday afternoon, Gateshead kicked off and it was a bright start from the Imps with Jon Nolan winning a free-kick on the left flank in the second minute only for the set-piece to come to an abrupt end as referee Richard Wigglesworth spotted a push by Matt Rhead as the ball was played in by skipper Alan Power.
In the ninth minute a dangerous Jack Muldoon cross lead to the first corner of the game but Luke Waterfall saw his looping header from Power's delivery claimed by home 'keeper Sam Russell.
Gateshead's first attack came three minutes later and following a corner on their left Nat Brown hacked to safety after Rhead won the first header. Shortly afterwards a Gateshead free-kick, taken by ex-Imp Jordan Cranston, was headed well wide by Jon Shaw.
A scrappy game continued before a 26th minute Bradley Wood header back to Paul Farman skidded off the greasy surface and out for a corner but Beevers and Nolan combined to clear the delivery.
At the other end a Muldoon through ball to Robinson was intercepted by a defender and cleared for a corner and when the ball was played back to taker Power his subsequent cross was headed goalwards by Rhead only for the ball to crash against a covering defender.
The best move of the match came shortly afterwards with Muldoon and Robinson combining before the latter's effort was deflected out for a corner. City kept up the pressure from the flag-kick as Brown's header was cleared off the line before the hosts cleared following a goalmouth scramble.
Eight minutes before the break Muldoon latched on to a weak back pass and, after rounding Russell, chipped in a centre to Rhead who saw his header superbly saved by the back-tracking keeper.
A couple of minutes later Muldoon was harshly booked for a foul on Craig Baxter and when the free-kick was taken by Cranston - before referee Wigglesworth had blown his whistle - was headed in by James Curtis from close range; the big centre-back giving his side an undeserved half-time lead.
HT: GATESHEAD 1 IMPS 0
Both sides emerged unchanged for the start of the second half as the Imps were quick to win a succession of throw-ins on their right but it was at the other end where the first half-chance came along with Farman forced to pull off a decent save to deny Jimmy Phillips.
Two Gateshead corners quickly followed before City responded; a looping Muldoon cross being tipped over by Russell with Wood heading the resultant corner over.
After appeals for a Gateshead penalty were waved away by the referee, he awarded them a free-kick inches outside the box. Gillies fired the free-kick straight at the City wall before he drilled an effort wide from the next home attack after Farman closed him down well to narrow the angles.
Shortly after the hour mark Kegan Everington replaced Craig Stanley in the middle of the park for the Imps; this coming as Robinson had attention to a cut before returning in a numberless shirt.
Five minutes later Alex Simmons replaced Jack Muldoon and he was quickly in the action, getting bundled to the deck by Baxter who escaped a caution. Matty Pattison for Jimmy Phillips was the hosts' first switch.
As the clock ticked towards its final 15 minutes a Power free-kick was headed down by Rhead but Waterfall looped his effort over the bar. Danny Johnson then came on for Jon Shaw for Gateshead.
Like the opening goal, it was a centre-back who was on target again with 10 minutes on the clock as a low Gateshead corner was met at the near post by skipper Ben Clark who saw his deft flick fly into the corner of the net to double his side's advantage.
City looked for a quick response with a deep Wood cross being met by Nolan but Russell saved well. Nathan Buddle replaced Ryan Bowman for the hosts for the final five minutes.
The Imps were forced into their third and final change in the final minute with Chris Bush replacing a limping Bradley Wood. Power was then booked for a challenge on Chandler just after the Fourth Official indicated that a minimum of four minutes were to be added on.
FT: GATESHEAD 2 IMPS 0
LINCOLN CITY
1 Paul FARMAN
2 Bradley WOOD
4 Craig STANLEY
5 Luke WATERFALL
7 Jack MULDOON
8 Alan POWER
9 Matt RHEAD
11 Jon NOLAN
14 Conner ROBINSON
18 Lee BEEVERS
23 Nat BROWN
subs
6 Chris BUSH (for WOOD 90)
15 Kegan EVERINGTON (for STANLEY 61)
16 Alex SIMMONS (for MULDOON 66)
21 Matt SPARROW
13 Aidan GRANT
BOOKINGS: MULDOON (39), POWER (90+1)
GATESHEAD
1 Sam RUSSELL
2 Craig BAXTER
4 Jamie CHANDLER
5 James CURTIS
6 Ben CLARK
9 Jon SHAW
10 Josh GILLIES
11 Jimmy PHILLIPS
16 Jordan CRANSTON
19 Ryan BOWMAN
22 Simon RAMSDEN
subs
3 Matty PATTISON (for PHILLIPS 68)
14 Nathan BUDDLE (for BOWMAN 85)
20 Danny JOHNSON (for SHAW 75)
25 Brendan PEARSON
26 Patrick McLAUGHLIN
GOALS: CURTIS (40), CLARK (80)
MATCH OFFICIALS
REFEREE: Richard Wigglesworth
ASSISTANTS: Alan Bennett & Liam Jones
FOURTH OFFICIAL: Helen Conley
ATTENDANCE: 1,248 (205 City supporters)
