Games at Barnet are rarely dull affairs and Saturday's was no exception with a late goal seeing City slip to a 3-2 defeat at Underhill.

Things were looking good early on for the Imps when Michael O'Connor fired home his first for the Club but after Dany N'Guessan missed a great chance to double the advantage, the hosts pulled one back when John O'Flynn met a Yannick Bolasie cross to head past Rob Burch.

N'Guessan saw another chance go begging whilst Burch superbly kept out Albert Adomah but the impressive Barnet winger fired his side into a 63rd minute lead after he cut in from the right before fizzing a drive into the top corner.

Within the space of two minutes, Adrian Patulea levelled after the home defence failed to deal with an Aaron Brown free-kick but that man Adomah was always a threat and he created what turned out to be a winner for O'Flynn with just three minutes on the clock.

Match report by John Vickers at Underhill:

Adrian Patulea for Geoff Horsfield was the only change for this Coca-Cola League 2 encounter against Barnet at Underhill.

Sunny conditions greeted the two teams as they were led out of the tunnel by match referee David Phillips from Sussex with City kicking up the infamous Underhill slope in the opening period.

Barnet got the game underway and they were the first to press with Albert Adomah seeing his goalbound shot take a deflection for the first corner of the match in the third minute. This was duly cleared behind by Aaron Brown whilst Nicky Deverdics' follow-up effort ended with Yannick Bolasie firing wide.

Adrian Patulea was cautioned in just the fifth minute after he kicked the ball away as the hosts prepared to take a free-kick after the Romanian was pulled up for offside whilst a couple of minutes later Dany N'Guessan got hold of the ball before cutting in and forcing Jake Cole to superbly tip behind. Brown's corner was then met by Janos Kovacs who saw his header flicked over by Patulea.

At the other end a sweeping Barnet move ended with Paul Green heading a dangerous Adomah centre behind but this ended with the experienced Paul Furlong firing over the stand. Shortly afterwards Furlong turned Kovacs but Rob Burch was well positioned to claim his effort.

City's response was immediate as, with 15 minutes on the clock, an Imps' attack down the right from N'Guessan saw the Frenchman get the wrong side of his man before firing in a low centre which was dummied by both Ben Wright and Patulea and picked up by Brown. The City number three showed a cool head and after looking up he squared the ball and there to plant the ball past Cole was MICHAEL O'CONNOR for his first goal in Lincoln colours.

Seconds after the restart Brown fired wide as City, backed by a noisy band of travelling fans, pressed again whilst more good work on the right by N'Guessan saw him draw a foul out of Matt Lockwood. Brown's free-kick was cleared by Mark Hughes before referee Phillips had words with goalscorer O'Connor following a hard challenge on Adomah.

A speculative quickly-taken free-kick from Neil Bishop close to the half-way line almost saw him catch Burch off guard but the Barnet captain's effort landed on the roof of the net and midway through the opening period home full-back Hughes required treatment, which gave players the chance to get some fluid on board.

City had a great chance to double their advantage just before the half-hour mark when N'Guessan was set free. He outpaced the home defence well but the ball bobbled at just the wrong time, forcing him to fire his shot well over as Brown screamed for a pass 12 yards out. A minute later another Imps' attack was halted when Bolasie fouled Patulea and when Kerr picked out Kovacs from the set-piece, Cole did well to push the ball clear.

The injury to Barnet's Hughes got the better of him in the 36th minute as he was replaced by Joe Devera. Within the space of 60 seconds the Imps were pegged back when a cross came in from Bolaise on the Bees' left and there was JOHN O'FLYNN to leap high and power home a header which Burch had no chance of claiming.

The goal clearly lifted the home side who then enjoyed their best spell of the game but City held firm and another quick break from N'Guessan saw him upended by Lockwood inches outside the box. Brown's delivery from the set-piece was disappointing though and the game remained 1-1.

The Fourth Official indicated that a minimum of two minutes were to be added on but neither side threatened to add a second during this extra time.

HT: BARNET 1 IMPS 1

The same 22 players emerged for the start of the second half with the Imps restarting things and now playing 'down-slope'.

The Bees were the first to press after the restart with Sinclair upending the lively Adomah on the Barnet right but Wright was back to head clear. As the ball was pumped back in City conceded another free-kick and after this was played in, Beevers took a knock to his face as he challenged Furlong. The Imps' defender looked to be pretty groggy as he received treatment from Michael Wait and he was down for around three minutes before he got back to his feet. Beevers was helped off and he eventually returned with Paris Simmons' number 26 shirt on.

It was a pretty scrappy opening to the second half with chances at a premium but this changed in the 58th minute when Bolasie set Adomah free but Burch got his angles right and saved with his feet. City immediately responded with a clever ball over the top from Kerr setting N'Guessan free. The Frenchman only had Cole to beat but promptly fired straight at him.

N'Guessan then had a shot deflect for a corner whilst at the other end a great saving challenge from Green saw him block as Bolasie pulled the trigger 20 yards out. City weren't so fortunate when Barnet's next foray saw O'Flynn set ALBERT ADOMAH free. After getting the ball under control, the lively winger cut inside Beevers and blasted a powerful drive into the roof of the net from the edge of the box.

Within the space of two minutes City were level. After Brown was upended on the left, the free-kick was played in and after it clipped a Barnet defender there to help the ball into the net was ADRIAN PATULEA for his ninth of the campaign.

It was all action now with Barnet forcing two corners shortly after the restart whilst at the other end good control from Patulea saw him create space before testing Cole with a low left-footed effort. Barnet's reply saw Adomah tripped by O'Connor just outside the City box and when Lockwood fired in the set-piece, Burch did superbly well to keep the ball out.

The next attack came City's way when Kerr released Brown who saw his cross missed by Wright before N'Guessan volleyed over the target whilst at the other end Gary Breen fired well over from Barnet's seventh corner of the game.

A change for City came along in the 75th minute when Geoff Horsfield replaced Ben right up front and his first touch saw him release N'Guessan who was denied a run on goal following good covering work by Lockwood.

With 10 minutes remaining, brave goalkeeping from Cole saw him rush off his line to clear as O'Connor closed down whilst after a City free-kick was half-cleared, Kerr fired just over after the ball landed at the Imps' midfielder's feet.

Barnet's Breen was booked in the 83rd minute after he flicked the ball away after fouling Horsfield and a couple of minutes later O'Flynn saw a free-kick clip the City wall, forcing the Imps to defend a corner. Shortly afterwards Adomah went on the attack before fizzing a right-footed shot wide of the target.

Adomah's next foray forward, however, saw him come up with the goods. This time he crossed instead of shooting and sneaking in betwen Kovacs and Green at the far post was JOHN O'FLYNN to dive in and nod home his second of the match. Just three minutes were left on the clock when the net bulged for the fifth time.

Those three minutes passed without incident and City had four added minutes to salvage something from the game.

In the first of those aded minutes, Lockwood went straight through N'Guessan from the back earning himself a yellow card. O'Connor joined him for a foul on Adomah before the hosts brought on Adam Birchall for O'Flynn as the four added minutes elapsed.

With the ball at the City end, the hosts were happy to see out time with O'Flynn's double proving enough to see the Bees emerge with the points.

FT: BARNET 3 IMPS 2

MATCH FACTS

LINCOLN CITY
1 Rob BURCH
2 Paul GREEN
4 Janos KOVACS
6 Frank SINCLAIR
5 Lee BEEVERS
11 Scott KERR
17 Michael O'CONNOR
3 Aaron BROWN
12 Dany N'GUESSAN
15 Ben WRIGHT
23 Adrian PATULEA

subs
9 Geoff HORSFIELD (for WRIGHT 75)
7 Stefan OAKES
19 Shane CLARKE
21 Gary KING
13 Ayden DUFFY

GOALS: O'CONNOR (15), PATULEA (65)

BOOKINGS: PATULEA (5), O'CONNOR (90+1)

BARNET
1 Jake COLE
4 Neal BISHOP
5 Ismail YAKUBU
7 Albert ADOMAH
11 Nicky DEVERDICS
23 Mark HUGHES
27 Gary BREEN
21 Matt LOCKWOOD
28 Paul FURLONG
29 John O'FLYNN
30 Yannick BOLASIE

subs
2 Joe DEVERA (for HUGHES 36)
10 Adam BIRCHALL (for O'FLYNN 90+4)
3 Kenny GILLET
8 Max PORTER
25 Ran KADOCH

GOALS: O'FLYNN (37, 87), ADOMAH (63)

BOOKINGS: BREEN (83), LOCKWOOD (90+1)

REFEREE: David Phillips (Sussex)
ASSISTANTS: John Magill & Gavin Muge
FOURTH OFFICIAL: Declan Ford

ATTENDANCE: 1,979 (339 City supporters)