A first half Aman Verma penalty was enough to secure maximum points for Kettering Town at Nene Park on a disappointing Saturday afternoon for the Imps.

City dominated possession for the majority of the game but found that final killer touch elusive; Verma's winning spot kick coming nine minutes before the break when referee Richard Wigglesworth deemed that Richard Pacquette had handled just inside the area following a free-kick into the Imps' box.

Pacquette had arguably City's best effort late on but his header from a Simon Russell cross was held by Laurie Walker whilst at the other end Joe Anyon made two superb saves to keep the Imps in with a shout of getting something from the game.

Match report by John Vickers at Nene Park:

Jake Sheridan replaced the injured Sam Smith for this Blue Square Bet Premier game against Kettering Town at Nene Park.

Sheridan partnered in-form Richard Pacquette up front as the Imps looked to make it two wins on the spin and three unbeaten with a result against a Kettering side who were experiencing well documented off the pitch problems.

City kicked off into bright sunshine and with Joe Anyon forced to don a baseball cap to shield his eyes, he was quickly called into action to hold a Marcus Kelly effort from the edge of the box.

The Imps' first attack saw Sheridan force Jerel Ifil to concede a throw-in but Paul Robson's long delivery was claimed by Town 'keeper Laurie Walker. On the opposite flank a Nicky Nicolau cross was deflected out for a corner but nothing was forthcoming from the resultant flag-kick.

A shot on the turn from Pacquette then had Walker scrambling across his area whilst at the other end Danny Mills dragged an effort wide after a Patrick Noubissie cross caused problems for the Imps' defence.

A scrappy period of play ensued with the game littered with stoppages as the quarter hour mark came and went. A good break from Sheridan which ended up seeing him win a corner broke this pattern but when the ball was half-cleared Tyrone Thompson was cautioned for diving in the area.

City kept the pressure up winning a third corner midway through the half but Walker again gathered from Nicolau's delivery whilst Kettering's next break saw a foul by Robson on Nathan Ralph give Steve Meecham the chance to swing in a free-kick. Jean-Francois Christophe was there to head clear though.

The Imps' response saw Conal Platt test Walker from range but, after another lull in play, Kettering's next attack ended with them winning a free-kick and when this was half-cleared towards the edge of the box, the ball appeared to hit the back-tracking Pacquette on the shoulder.

Referee Richard Wigglesworth deemed otherwise, however, and much to the disbelief of the City striker and the travelling fans behind the goal, indicated a hand ball and awarded a penalty. Aman Verma duly stepped up to send Anyon the wrong was from the spot.

Within a couple of minutes of the restart, Pacquette was in the action at the other end, shaking off his marker and lobbing Walker only for the ball to bounce into the side netting.

Sheridan then broke free down the left but went for goal and curled over with a square ball to Pacquette would have been the more sensible option. This proved to be the last action of the opening period as after two added minutes referee Wigglesworth was jeered by the City supporters as he blew for the break.

HT: KETTERING 1 IMPS 0

Both sides emerged unchanged for the start of the second half so it was as you were as the home team restarted proceedings.

City started the second period brightly with Christophe having a header from a Robson cross held by Walker, who shortly afterwards did well to keep a deflected Sheridan cross in play.

Pacquette was then fouled by Sangare but referee Wigglesworth spotted nothing untoward whilst in the 55th minute a deflected volley from the City striker landed on the roof of the net.

Before this corner could be taken, Sheridan and Sangare both required treatment following an accidental collision and when Nicolau delivered, the ball wa half cleared before Pacquette went down under a challenge. Once again, however, the referee spotted nothing untoward.

A couple of minutes later Sheridan limped off and was replaced by Simon Russell whilst at the same time Danny Lloyd came on for Conal Platt. Two Kettering corners were then cleared by the City defence.

Pacquette eventually won a free-kick just outside the area with Jerel Ifil picking up a yellow card for his troubles; the set-piece ended with Robson testing Walker from range after Nicolau's effort was blocked.

At the other end a deflected Mills effort led to a Kettering corner whilst shortly afterwards a stray Thompson pass gave Noubissie the chance to charge forward before drilling just over.

City then had Anyon to thank as he superbly denied Verma one-handed at his near post and when the Imps cleared and broke from the resultant corner, Town man Meecham was booked for pulling back Lloyd.

That killer final touch continued to elude the Imps as the game entered its final 15 minutes; a diving header which skimmed off Christophe's head from a good Russell cross being a prime example.

Lloyd then picked out Pacquette with a low centre only for the latter's effort to crash against a defender. Karlton Watson then replaced Nicky Nicolau in role alongside Pacquette up front.

Watson was quickly in the action, playing wide to Russell who saw his dangerous cross headed goalwards by Pacquette only for Walker to pull off a fine save. Kelly was then booked for a foul on Watson as the clock showed 83 minutes played.

City kept pressing for the leveller with Lloyd coming close to connecting with a Robson cross but they had just four additional minutes at the end of the 90 in which to salvage something from the game.

The clock, though, was rapidly ticking down and it took a superb Anyon save from Ralph to keep the Imps in the game; the City stopper going down well to palm away the Town man's first time effort from a Bridges square ball.

The Imps couldn't gain possession during the extra stages, however, so Verma's first half spot kick was enough to secure the points for the home side.

FT: KETTERING 1 IMPS 0

LINCOLN CITY
1 Joe ANYON
26 Paul ROBSON
4 Rob WILLIAMS
5 Josh GOWLING
3 John NUTTER
27 Jean-Francois CHRISTOPHE
34 Tyrone THOMPSON
12 Conal PLATT
17 Nicky NICOLAU
36 Jake SHERIDAN
16 Richard PACQUETTE

subs
15 Simon RUSSELL (for SHERIDAN 58)
18 Danny LLOYD (for PLATT 58)
2 Karlton WATSON (for NICOLAU 77)
32 Matthew PEARSON
21 Nick DRAPER

BOOKING: THOMPSON (20)

KETTERING TOWN
12 Laurie WALKER
3 Sol DAVIS
5 Djoumin SANGARE
6 Jerel IFIL
17 Nathan RALPH
23 Patrick NOUBISSIE
8 Aman VERMAN
11 Marcus KELLY
16 Steven MEECHAM
20 David BRIDGES
18 Danny MILLS

subs
2 Phil IFIL
32 Mark PRYOR
38 Ollie JONES

GOAL: VERMA (36 pen)

BOOKINGS: J IFIL (62), MEECHAM (68), KELLY (83)

MATCH OFFICIALS

REFEREE: Richard Wigglesworth
ASSISTANTS: Andrew Fox & Simon Brown
FOURTH OFFICIAL: Joe Clark

ATTENDANCE: 1,417 (309 City supporters)