Match report...
Craig Stanley, Alan Power and Jack Muldoon replaced Kegan Everington, Conner Robinson and Alex Simmons for this Vanarama National League game against bottom-placed Kidderminster Harriers at Aggborough; Robinson and Simmons finding themselves on a bench which saw the return of Liam Hearn.
Conditions were pleasant as referee Ian Hussin led the two teams out on to the pitch and once the pre-match formalities were done and dusted - City captained by the returning Power - kicked off.
The Imps were on the attack straight from the off and had a great chance to open the scoring with only 15 seconds on the clock; Bradley Wood sending in a cross from the right and picking out Muldoon but the recalled front-man headed wide.
The hosts' response came in the eighth minute as they won the game's first corner but City easily dealt with the short flag-kick routine. At the other end a clever Terry Hawkridge pass almost released Muldoon but home stopper Alex Palmer was quickly off his line to gather.
In the 13th minute the recalled Stanley stabbed an effort wide after Rhead had knocked a Paul Farman goal-kick into his path; this coming after Terry Hawkridge need attention after being flattened by a Craig Dinsley challenge.
Imps' stopper Farman claimed two more home corners before Andre Wright fired an effort across the face of goal. City's response came in the 21st minute and when Muldoon beat his man on the right, he crossed low for skipper ALAN POWER to drill home a rasping first-time effort to edge the Imps in front.
Shortly after the restart a back pass was completely missed by Harriers' 'keeper Palmer who was a relieved man as the ball went just wide; the corner saw City come close again as Wood's header was hacked off the line.
City kept up the pressure and duly doubled their advantage in the 27th minute when a Hawkridge free-kick was headed on by Luke Waterfall and when the hosts got in a weak clearance, there was JACK MULDOON to fire home his second of the season.
After City failed to make the most of a corner on the half-hour mark Muldoon conceded a silly free-kick but Rhead was back and headed the set-piece clear. His header in fact released Hawkridge who advanced before finding Power who saw his effort blocked.
Five minutes before the break Palmer palmed behind a Muldoon drive as the Imps pressed for a third and when the corner came in Waterfall saw his header cleared for another corner; this was cleared to Bush in his own half and he saw his effort go a foot wide past a worried Palmer.
Shortly before the break Power was denied by Palmer following a swift City attack whilst at the other end Wright slid in on Farman who was left clutching his leg. Referee Hussin had words with Wright, and Wood, before play resumed.
The half ended after an additional two minutes of play.
HT: HARRIERS 0 IMPS 2
The teams emerged unchanged for the start of the second half and the hosts were the first to threaten but Gurj Singh's header from Aman Verma's cross was never going to threaten Paul Farman.
City's response saw Muldoon skip past left-back Kevin Toner only for referee Hussin to spot an infringement and when the Imps' number seven took his man on again shortly afterwards his cross was cleared for a corner which was headed wide by Waterfall.
Tahvon Campbell replaced Calvin Dinsley for the home side in the 54th minute and after a quiet spell Singh fired an effort from range well wide shortly after the hour mark.
Both sides made a change in the 61st minute; Jamie Spencer replacing Reece Styche for the Harriers and Conner Robinson coming on for Jack Muldoon for the Imps.
Robinson was quickly in the action, latching on to a clever pass from Stanley only to run out of options. The advancing Beevers then fired over from range as the Imps pressed forward again.
In the 70th minute Jordan Jones for Andre Wright was Harriers' last throw of the dice whilst the Imps' second change came after Rhead fired over following good work by Power and Hawkridge down the left; Liam Hearn replacing Alan Power.
A scrappy second half continued before Waterfall headed an 82nd minute cross behind for a corner which resulted in Stanley controlling a Kelvin Langmead header on the line before clearing to safety.
At the other end Sparrow fired over on the turn following a swift City attack involving Hearn and Hawkridge whilst the hosts' response saw Farman easily hold a deflected Campbell effort.
In the final minute of normal time Hearn had an effort held by Palmer whilst in the second of three added minutes Alex Simmons replaced Terry Hawkridge for a brief run out on the Aggborough turf.
FT: HARRIERS 0 IMPS 2
LINCOLN CITY
1 Paul FARMAN
2 Bradley WOOD
4 Craig STANLEY
5 Luke WATERFALL
6 Chris BUSH
7 Jack MULDOON
8 Alan POWER
9 Matt RHEAD
12 Terry HAWKRIDGE
18 Lee BEEVERS
21 Matt SPARROW
subs
10 Liam HEARN (for POWER 75)
14 Conner ROBINSON (for MULDOON 62)
16 Alex SIMMONS (for HAWKRIDGE 90+2)
23 Nat BROWN
13 Aidan GRANT
GOALS: POWER (21), MULDOON (27)
KIDDERMINSTER HARRIERS
1 Alex PALMER
2 Jared HODGKISS
5 Kelvin LANGMEAD
6 Joe CLARKE
7 Gurj SINGH
8 Amam VERMA
10 Calvin DINSLEY
15 Jordan TUNNICLIFFE
17 Reece STYCHE
24 Andre WRIGHT
30 Kevin TONER
subs
14 Jake GREEN
16 Jamie SPENCER (for STYCHE 61)
18 Jordan JONES (for WRIGHT 70)
25 Tahvon CAMPBELL (for DINSLEY 54)
13 Dean SNEDKER
MATCH OFFICIALS
REFEREE: Ian Hussin
ASSISTANTS: Mark Cunliffe & Aaron Jackson
FOURTH OFFICIAL: Shaun Barry
ATTENDANCE: 1,581 (217 City supporters)
