A superb second half strike from Lee Frecklington saw the Imps pick up three valuable points against Barnet at Sincil Bank on Saturday afternoon.
City dominated proceedings from start to finish but in the end it was thanks to Frecklington, who fired home an excellent left-footed strike six minutes after the restart, that they earned maximum spoils.
Nat Brown and substitute Spencer Weir-Daley both came close to adding a second whilst Barnet's best chance came in the dying stages whem Adam Birchall chipped Alan Marriott only for the ball to bounce inches past the upright.
Match report by John Vickers at Sincil Bank Stadium:
Head Coach John Schofield was forced to make one change to his starting line-up for this Coca-Cola League 2 game against Barnet at Sincil Bank due to the fact that top scorer Jamie Forrester was ruled out through injury.
Forrester's shin injury saw new loan signing Junior Mendes come in for his City debut and with Mark Stallard still out with a hamstring strain, he partnered Dany N'Guessan up front.
It was a lovely sunny Saturday afternoon as the two teams emerged from the tunnel; the squads being led out by members of the Second Battalion of the Royal Anglian Regiment who were joint matchball sponsors.
Barnet kicked off attacking the Stacey West Stand end of the ground and it was a relatively quiet opening; broken only when a Scott Kerr free-kick ended up with Dany N'Guessan seeing his shot blocked at close range.
Lee Frecklington then required treatment as Nicky Eaden waited to take a throw-in with the midfielder returning to the fray after a couple of minutes' attention both on the pitch and on the touchline.
The Bees won the first corner of the game in the 12th minute but City stood firm and when they broke forward Frecklington's control unfortunately let him down as Ryan Amoo fizzed in a centre. Barnet 'keeper Ross Flitney gathered the loose ball on the six-yard line.
A strong wind was making things difficult for both sides to get a grip on the game as the quarter hour mark came and went whilst in the 18th minute good work from Jeff Hughes saw him win City's first corner of the game. Frecklington swung in the set-piece but Adie Moses saw his net-bound header hacked off the line by Adam Gross.
N'Guessan then headed a Hughes free-kick over the bar as City pressed again whilst Mendes was denied a debut goal by the feet of Flitney after he got the wrong side of the visiting defence.
The next 10 minutes or so were pretty quiet with neither side threatening whilst in the 32nd minute good work from Amoo saw him force a corner and when Frecklington crossed, Flitney spilled the ball but Brown couldn't force it home.
A scrappy affair continued as perseverance from Scott Kerr saw him force corner number five for the Imps; this being claimed by Flitney though. This came five minutes or so before the Fourth Official indicated that just the one additional minute was to be added.
HT: IMPS 0 BARNET 0
Neither side made any switches at the break so it was as you were as the Imps got the second period underway.
Barnet were quick to press following the restart and after they forced a corner just a couple of minutes into the half, Ismail Yakubu found space but Nicky Eaden was there to deflect his goalbound shot behind for another flag-kick
Play quickly switched to the other end though and this time City made their attack count with LEE FRECKLINGTON netting a brilliant 10th of the season as the clock showed 51 minutes played.
The Lincoln-born midfield man made the most of some space just outside the Barnet box and, after taking a couple of touches, he set his sights with his rasping left-footed drive flying past Flitney and into the top left corner of the net.
Almost straight from the restart Mendes flicked a header wide whilst Barnet's response saw Alan Marriott backpeddle before tipping Oliver Allen's looping shot over the bar.
After Frecklington headed a 63rd minute Amoo cross into the arms of Flitney, Head Coach John Schofield made a switch with Spencer Weir-Daley coming on for Dany N'Guessan up front.
Frecklington was in the centre of things at the other end shortly afterwards when, after a slip from Green had let in Adam Birchall, he sprinted back to nip the ball off the visiting striker's feet as he prepared to pull the trigger.
Jason Puncheon then fired over from 18 yards after an attempted clearance by Adie Moses fell at the Barnet man's feet. Nicky Bailey then replaced Barry Cogan on the right for the visitors.
Marriott then saved from Puncheon before Liam Hatch came on for Oliver Allen for the Bees. Thirteen minutes remained on the clock at the time of this switch and a couple of minutes later Jeff Hughes made way for Lee Beevers.
A deflected Punchon effort led to Barnet's sixth corner of the afternoon which was subsequently cleared by Green. Green was then upended by Joe Devera who earned a caution for his troubles.
A Scott Kerr free-kick gave City the chance to eat up some seconds courtesy of a corner in the 85th minute and when the ball was played in by the Sponsors' 'Man of the Match' Lee Frecklington it bobbled around before being hacked clear.
Paul Mayo then replaced Frecklington and Richard Graham came on for Adam Gross for Barnet and shortly afterwards an Amoo corner was nodded back across by Moses but Brown hooked over from six yards.
Weir-Daley then headed an Eaden centre over from a similar range as City again probed for a second goal. Three additional minutes were then indicated by the Fourth Official.
A few City hearts skipped a beat with just 30 seconds of the added time remaining when a loose ball from substitute Mayo let in Birchall who chipped the ball over Marriott only for the ball to bounce inches past the upright.
This turned out to be the final action of the game with the three points keeping the Imps well in touch with the promotion chasing pack at the top of the League 2 table.
FT: IMPS 1 BARNET 0
MATCH FACTS
LINCOLN CITY
1 Alan MARRIOTT
12 Nicky EADEN
4 Adie MOSES
23 Nat BROWN
6 Paul GREEN
7 Lee FRECKLINGTON
11 Scott KERR
14 Ryan AMOO
24 Jeff HUGHES
8 Dany N'GUESSAN
10 Junior MENDES
subs
34 Spencer WEIR-DALEY (for N'GUESSAN 63)
2 Lee BEEVERS (for HUGHES 79)
3 Paul MAYO (for FRECKLINGTON 86)
20 Owain WARLOW
21 Robert OLEJNIK
GOAL: FRECKLINGTON (51)
BARNET
1 Ross FLITNEY
3 Simon KING
5 Adam GROSS
8 Dean SINCLAIR
14 Ismail YAKUBU
15 Andy HESSENTHALER
17 Joe DEVERA
20 Jason PUNCHEON
23 Barry COGAN
27 Adam BIRCHALL
28 Oliver ALLEN
subs
2 Nicky BAILEY (for COGAN 72)
7 Liam HATCH (for ALLEN 77)
11 Richard GRAHAM (for GROSS 86)
4 Ian HENDON
18 Lee HARRISON
BOOKING: DEVERA (82)
MATCH OFFICIALS
REFEREE: Clive Oliver (Northumberland)
ASSISTANTS: Paul Barnes & Paul Simpson
FOURTH OFFICIAL: Craig Evans
ATTENDANCE: 4,339 (208 visiting supporters)
