A Dany N'Guessan double saw the Imps get back to winning ways against promotion-chasing Hereford United in an enthralling League 2 encounter at Sincil Bank on Bank Holiday Monday.

After a relatively quiet opening to the game, things really hotted up around the half-hour mark when City skipper Scott Kerr was shown a straight red by referee David Foster for showing his studs in a challenge with Clint Easton.

Less than a minute later Dany N'Guessan drilled the Imps in front with a clinical finish after the big Frenchman had sprinted forward before firing across Wayne Brown and with Jamie Forrester sacrificed to allow Martin Pembleton to come into midfield, City definitely knew they were in for a game.

They managed to stand firm until the 62nd minute when Gary Hooper slotted past Alan Marriott and with Ben Wright playing a lone role up front, City were regularly forced on to the back foot.

With Marriott keeping the Bulls at bay with a string of fine saves, he was rewarded as, with five minutes on the clock, Wright was bundled over in the box by Easton. Up stepped N'Guessan from 12 yards to send Brown the wrong way.

Match report by John Vickers at Sincil Bank Stadium:

With Lee Beevers ruled out through injury, Nat Brown partnered Danny Hone in the centre of defence for this Easter Monday encounter against promotion-chasing Hereford United at Sincil Bank.

There were two further changes to the side that started against Barnet on Saturday with Lenell John-Lewis replacing Louis Dodds and Ben Wright coming in for Mark Stallard up front. Adie Moses, meanwhile, returned as one of the substitutes.

With the heavy snow which fell in the Lincoln area on Sunday having melted away, the pitch was in good nick, although slightly damp at the South Park end of the ground. Despite the sunshine, conditions remained somewhat wintry though with a biting cold wind making for a chilly afternoon for those present.

David Foster from Tyne & Wear was the man in charge and he got things underway with City attacking the IMPS Stand in the opening half.

The first half chance of the game came City's way with Lenny John-Lewis trying his luck from range only for his low right-footed effort to skid wide of the target. Dany N'Guessan then came close to connecting with a dangerous Paul Green centre as the Imps bossed the opening five minutes.

Hereford responded by firing in two dangerous free-kicks which Alan Marriott claimed whilst Lee Ridley did well to get a block in as Simon Johnson pulled the trigger after a cross from the left landed at the winger's feet.

City had Marriott to thank again in the 12th minute when he sprinted off his line to block from Gary Hooper after N'Guessan had lost possession in the middle third, and with snow starting to fall Ben Wright was denied by Dean Beckwith's outstretched leg as he looked to latch on to an N'Guessan flick-on.

The best move of the game led to the first corner for City in the 16th minute with some neat passing ending with N'Guessan seeing his cross take a deflection and shortly after this was cleared, the big Frenchman forced another flag-kick on the opposite side. Scott Kerr's subsequent delivery low to the edge of the box ended with a scramble which Hereford were fortunate to deal with.

With the snow starting to fall faster, Forrester tested Wayne Brown with a low curling effort from just outside the box whilst at the other end Green did well to block a shot from Hooper. City's reply saw them break forward with John-Lewis upended by John McCombe 25 yards out only for Kerr to fire the set-piece straight at the wall.

A corner to City in the 25th minute was taken after an orange ball was introduced by the officials but Bulls' stopper Brown claimed with ease. Controversy then reined as the game approached the half-hour mark when Scott Kerr and Clint Easton went for a loose ball.

There seemed nothing untowards as the pair went in for the challenge but referee Foster had other ideas and after awarding the visitors as free-kick, brandished the red card in the direction of the City skipper, much to the amazement of the City fans.

Kerr trudged off but within 60 seconds the Imps edged themselves in front when Dany N'Guessan gained possession, brought the ball forward, sprinted past his marker and planted a firm left-footed effort past Brown's left hand for his sixth of the season.

Before play restarted, Jamie Forrester was sacrificed for Martin Pembleton to come on for his Football League debut in the middle of the park and two minutes later Hone was cautioned after his aerial challenge on Theo Robinson ended with the United player on the deck whilst the resultant free-kick ended with Hooper firing wide.

Pembleton's first touch saw him swing in a corner which ended with Wright looping an effort on to the roof of the net, this bringing an end to a hectic five minutes.

City forced corners number five and six in the 44th minute but neither threatened Brown in the United goal. Three minutes were then indicated by the Fourth Official and in the first of these Marriott did well to re-adjust himself to hold a deflected Easton effort.

HT: IMPS 1 HEREFORD 0

Hereford boss Graham Turner sent his players out early ahead of the second half and once City emerged, play restarted and with referee Foster eventually realising that it had stopped snowing a good 30 minutes after it had, back came the white ball.

It was a cagey opening to the second period before Hereford forced a corner four minutes in but Wright headed clear what was their first flag-kick of the game. At the other end a surging run forward from N'Guessan ended with him dragging a shot wide.

Hereford's response saw Johnson see his cross cleared behind by Hone whilst another United corner ended when Ridley was bundled over as he went up amongst a group of players.

John-Lewis required treatment 10 minutes into the half after taking a knock to his right leg and when he returned to the fray, his run down the right ended with his cross being deflected off Wright by McCombe.

At the other end Johnson twisted and turned past Ridley before firing well wide whilst Marriott was forced to tip a shot from Ben Smith behind after Johnson played in his team mate just before the hour mark.

Two minutes after that hour mark, the visitors drew level when Robinson made the most of a lucky bounce midway inside the City half before threading the ball through to Hooper. The striker did the rest as he got the wrong side of the City back line before flicking past the onrushing Marriott.

Three minutes after the restart referee Foster dished out a yellow card to Smith after he went over the top in a challenge with on John-Lewis, who required treatment again. The decision saw some supporters question the consistency of the man in black.

Hereford kept pressing City back, winning their fifth corner of the half in the 70th minute before Johnson fired over after a weak clearing header from Clarke landed at his feet on the edge of the area.

Lee Ridley went to ground clutching his ankle as he blocked a Robinson cross out for a corner and he looked to be in some discomfort as he got back to his feet following a minutes' treatment from physio Michael Wait. Before the corner was taken, Steve Guinan replaced Simon Johnson for the Bulls.

Adie Moses came on for Ridley a minute later with the change seeing Green move to left-back and Brown to right back to allow Moses to partner Hone in the middle of the park. The two substitutes were immediately in the action with Guinan going down under Moses' challenge 30 yards out. Marriott did well to claim Hooper's low effort from the set-piece.

The play switched to the other end and, with five minutes on the clock, City were handed a chance to regain the lead from the spot when a John-Lewis flick-on put Wright free. Just as the big City striker prepared to pull the trigger, Easton brought him down.

Referee Foster didn't seem interested but his assistant was quick to raise his flag in City's favour. After a consultation, Easton was shown a yellow card and up stepped Dany N'Guessan who neatly sent Brown the wrong way for his second of the game.

Hereford pressed quickly from the restart with Marriott standing up well to Robinson's drilled effort before the City keeper claimed a Robinson cross at his near post. At the other end some superb work from John-Lewis saw him cut inside from the right before firing goalwards; the crossbar saving the Bulls though before McCombe headed clear.

United were quick to respond with Marriott denying Robinson again and with the Fourth Official indicating that five minutes were to be added, the outcome of the game was far from over.

N'Guessan looked set for his hat-trick as Pembleton set him free. The offside flag went up though, with Iffy Onuora and Grant Brown sprinting from the dugout to air their frustrations at the man with the flag.

Good work from both John-Lewis and Pembleton saw the teenage duo eat up some time and 30 seconds over the five added minutes referee Foster eventually brought proceedings to a close with City's 10 men thoroughly deserving of the three points.

FT: IMPS 2 HEREFORD 1

MATCH FACTS

LINCOLN CITY
1 Alan MARRIOTT
2 Paul GREEN
6 Nat BROWN
27 Daniel HONE
30 Lee RIDLEY
11 Scott KERR
23 Shane CLARKE
17 Dany N'GUESSAN
29 Lenell JOHN-LEWIS
8 Jamie FORRESTER
15 Ben WRIGHT

subs
25 Martin PEMBLETON (for FORRESTER 32)
4 Adie MOSES (for RIDLEY 76)
9 Mark STALLARD
19 Louis DODDS
13 Ayden DUFFY

GOALS: N'GUESSAN (31, 85 pen)

BOOKING: HONE (34)

SENDING OFF: KERR (30)

HEREFORD UNITED
1 Wayne BROWN
2 Trent McCLENAHAN
5 John McCOMBE
28 Dean BECKWITH
4 Richard ROSE
23 Simon JOHNSON
8 Ben SMITH
20 Toumani DIAGOURAGA
11 Clint EASTON
29 Gary HOOPER
22 Theo ROBINSON

subs
9 Steve GUINAN (for JOHNSON 75)
10 Kris TAYLOR
15 Sam GWYNNE
18 Lee COLLINS
33 Ryan ESSON

GOAL: HOOPER (62)

BOOKINGS: SMITH (65), EASTON (84)

REFEREE: David Foster (Tyne & Wear)
ASSISTANTS: Michael Naylor & Mark Sutton
FOURTH OFFICIAL: David Coote

ATTENDANCE: 3,614 (381 visiting supporters)