An excellent first half effort from Jamie Forrester was enough to see the Imps get back to winning ways at the expense of Notts County at Meadow Lane on a blustery Tuesday evening.

In front of the lowest ever recorded attendance for a Football League game between the two teams at Meadow Lane - 3,858 - Forrester fired home what turned out to be the winner in the 16th minute when a weak clearing header from ex-Imp Paul Mayo following Dany N'Guessan's cross from the left landed at the feet of the City striker who promptly fired home with aplomb.

In a game which was dominated by a swirling wind, neither side managed to create any other chances of note and with skipper Scott Kerr controlling things in midfield and the back-line solid as a rock, it was a thoroughly deserved victory for stand-in boss Iffy Onuora to reflect on.

Match report by John Vickers at Meadow Lane:

With Lenell John-Lewis ruled out with the thigh injury he sustained at Chesterfield on Friday night, in came Ben Wright who replaced him at Saltergate, for this Coca-Cola League 2 encounter against Notts County at Meadow Lane. The other change came on the bench where second year scholar Gary King came in for his first taste of first team action since the away game at Hartlepool United last season.

County had no fewer than five ex-Imps in their squad, namely goalkeeper Russell Hoult, Paul Mayo, Richard Butcher, Spencer Weir-Daley and Jason Lee, the latter being on the bench.

Andy Hall from the West Midlands was the man in charge and he led the teams out on a pitch that had the potential to cut up considerably following a heavy shower a couple of hours before kick-off.

City, in their third strip of yellow shirts, blue shorts and white socks, got the game underway defending the end behind which sat their travelling band of fans, the number of which being considerably down on previous seasons, mainly due to the fact that it was made all-ticket for visiting supporters.

It was a scrappy opening with neither side able to get their foot on the ball in the opening five minutes; the only half chance coming when ex-Imp Paul Mayo drilled a left-footed effort well wide of Alan Marriott's left-hand upright.

The game was in its 12th minute when City pressed for the first time; a quick cross from Dany N'Guessan forcing a County to deflect the ball behind. Louis Dodds' deep delivery to N'Guessan though failed to come up with the goods with the ball drifting out for a throw-in.

Dodds and N'Guessan then swapped flanks and this switch paid dividends almost immediately as, with 16 minutes on the clock, the Imps took the lead. N'Guessan was the creator when he sent in another early cross, this time from the left which forced Mayo to only half-clear with his head. There to pick up the loose ball was JAMIE FORRESTER and he fired home a superb first-time effort with his left foot with the ball flying past past Russell Hoult and into the back of the net.

The goal seemed to bring County to life with Danny Hone seeing yellow three minutes later after tugging back Weir-Daley whilst the hosts' first corner saw Marriott spill the ball under pressure but N'Guessan was on hand to clear the danger.

Marriott then produced a good save to deny Ryan Jarvis before Hone hacked to safety whilst Paul Green did well to divert an Austin McCann cross off the head of the advancing Ali Gibb. This corner ended with Mike Edwards hooking well wide.

At the other end Dodds had an effort blocked on the edge of the box but it wasn't long before the Magpies pressed again but an excellent saving challenge from Hone denied Weir-Daley a run on goal.

The wind was getting stronger and stronger as the half-hour came and went with Michael Johnson requiring treatment after hitting the deck heavily following a challenge with Ben Wright.

A low centre from Dodds forced Hoult to save at the second attempt at his near post whilst Shane Clarke drilled a low right-footed shot wide of the upright as the Imps went in search of a second.

With the home fans starting to air their frustrations, Kerr got a block on Weir-Daley following a County attack two minutes before the break whilst Richard Butcher sent a lame volley straight at Marriott from just inside the box.

In the first of three added minutes, Marriott claimed a Gibb centre with ease under his bar and from the resultant counter-attack, N'Guessan jinked his way past a number of players before his lay back to Green ended with Hoult claiming his cross.

HT: NOTTS COUNTY 0 IMPS 1

With no changes being made at the interval it was as you were as the hosts got the second half underway.

With the strong wind being joined by a more than heavy drizzle, Paul Mayo seemed to fall over the ball five minutes after the restart but referee Andy Hall deemed that Louis Dodds had upended the Lincoln-born man and gave the Magpies a free-kick inches outside the penalty area. Justice was done though as McCann fired the set-piece straight at Green.

City replied with some good play down the left ending with the overlapping Green firing the ball in which led to N'Guessan flashing a left-footed effort just the wrong side of the post whilst at the other end Weir-Daley flicked an effort well wide with Marriott happy to watch the ball bounce out for a goal-kick.

The hosts made a change in the 59th minute with Andy Parkinson replacing Ali Gibb and shortly after this switch Butcher fired in a low left-footed effort which Marriott saved with ease.

City's response saw Wright win a corner which was brought to an abrupt halt after referee Hall spotted a push by a yellow-shirted man in the box. A surging run forward from Beevers after he disposessed Butcher ended with Forrester taking one touch too many as he looked to set his sights.

As the game entered the final quarter Butcher wasted a corner for the hosts whilst another County flag-kick saw Kerr head off the line from Mayo's header. The Magpies kept up the pressure, forcing two more corners but City stood firm; the pressure eased when Butcher dragged Clarke to the deck for a free-kick.

With temperatures on the pitch starting to rise a touch, Jason Lee was thrown into the fray; Austin McCann making way for the big front man with 14 minutes on the clock.

A strange decision by referee Hall saw him penalise Hone for handball as he challenged Weir-Daley 30 yards from goal. Jay Smith set his sights but fired a foot over the bar.

Another decision in the hosts favour then robbed Lee of a run on goal; after the home players surrounded the referee, the free-kick ended with Lee heading into Marriott's arms. The hosts kept up the pressure, forcing another corner with six minutes on the clock before Edwards flicked a long Mayo throw-in well wide.

Some vital seconds were eaten up when a long Beevers clearance went out for a throw-in close to the corner flag before Mayo played the ball out of play. A late challenge on Wright then earned Smith an 89th minute caution.

Just as three added minutes were indicated by the Fourth Official, Clarke fizzed in an effort which Hoult saved at the second attempt. Wright was then harshly penalised for a foul on Johnson but, once again, justice was done when Lee tamely headed Smith's delivery wide of the target.

Clarke then won a throw-in which saw some more seconds ebb away and once Forrester managed to get his foot on the ball, referee Hall brought and end to proceedings with the hard-earned three-points lifting the Imps up a place in the table whilst the defeat makes things somewhat nervy for County at the wrong end of the table.

FT: NOTTS COUNTY 0 IMPS 1

LINCOLN CITY
1 Alan MARRIOTT
6 Nat BROWN
5 Lee BEEVERS
27 Daniel HONE
2 Paul GREEN
11 Scott KERR
23 Shane CLARKE
19 Louis DODDS
17 Dany N'GUESSAN
15 Ben WRIGHT
8 Jamie FORRESTER

subs
4 Adie MOSES
16 Alex MORFAW
20 Owain WARLOW
21 Gary KING
13 Ayden DUFFY

GOAL: FORRESTER (16)

BOOKING: HONE (18)

NOTTS COUNTY
25 Russell HOULT
3 Austin McCANN
4 Mike EDWARDS
5 Adam TANN
7 Jay SMITH
15 Paul MAYO
21 Spencer WEIR-DALEY
23 Richard BUTCHER
24 Ali GIBB
27 Michael JOHNSON
28 Ryan JARVIS

subs
11 Andy PARKINSON (for GIBB 59)
9 Jason LEE (for McCANN 76)
8 Neil MACKENZIE
12 Gary SILK
18 Stephen HUNT

BOOKING: SMITH (89)

MATCH OFFICIALS

REFEREE: Andy Hall (West Midlands)
ASSISTANTS: Ken Haycock & Andy Hendley
FOURTH OFFICIAL: Russell Fletcher

ATTENDANCE: 3,858 (870 City supporters)