A first minute goal from Cleveland Taylor was enough to condemn the Imps to an undeserved defeat at Burton Albion on Wednesday night.

Taylor's volley from a Tom Parkes cross with just 55 seconds on the clock proved enough to settle the contest but the Imps can feel unlucky not to have gained something from the game, having dominated for long spells of the match.

Joe Anderson came the closest to scoring when he rattled the woodwork with a free-kick shortly before the interval whilst only the legs of home goalkeeper Artur Krysiak denied Chris Herd a last gasp leveller in the dying stages of the game.

Home striker Greg Pearson was lucky to stay on the field, meanwhile, after he kicked out at substitute Moses Swaibu, who came on at the break for the injured Nathan Baker.

Match report by John Vickers at the Pirelli Stadium:

With midfielder Matt Saunders ruled out through injury, Clark Keltie came in for his City debut for this Coca-Cola League 2 encounter against Burton Albion at the Pirelli Stadium. Also missing from the 16 was Michael Uwezu, who was also on the injured list, with Danny Hone and Michael Gordon coming back on the bench.

It was a chilly and blustery evening as referee Graham Horwood led the two teams out of the tunnel and it was the hosts who got things underway with Steve Kabba quickly forcing Nathan Baker into an early foul close to the corner flag.

Although the Imps dealt with the set-piece, Burton kept up the pressure and when Tom Parkes swung the ball back into the mix, it was met by former Scunthorpe United man Cleveland Taylor who rifled home a volley which gave Rob Burch no chance. The clock showed just 55 seconds played.

City looked for a quick response following this first minute set-back with Cian Hughton winning a corner but when the flag-kick was played short, Clark Keltie's cross was too deep and the ball drifted straight out of play for a goal-kick.

Play switched to the other end with Kabba skidding a low effort six feet wide after the wind held up a long ball forward whilst the home striker's next effort in the eighth minute was blocked by Adam Watts for his side's first corner, which was headed clear by Baker.

Shortly afterwards a crunching challenge on Paul Green by Jacques Maghoma saw both players require treatment; referee Horwood telling the Brewers' man to calm things down having awarded City a free-kick which was taken as both players were off the field. Kelltie's delivery flicked a home defender before home stopper Artur Krysiak gathered the ball under his bar.

The windy conditions were certainly making it difficult for the Imps to get a foothold on the game and when they did get a chance to get the ball down and play, Krysiak claiming a Baker header following a corner which was cleverly won by Scott Kerr.

At the other end Baker thwarted a Maghoma break forward only to come off second best in the challenge, forcing physio Michael Wait to enter the field for a second time in the opening 21 minutes.

Six minutes later a trip on Kabba by Watts earned the City defender the game's first yellow card but the Imps then enjoyed a couple of minutes of good possession, although they failed to make the most of some decent build-up play down the right.

In the 31st minute City skipper Scott Kerr joined Watts in the book for a mistimed challenge on Taylor, who was then lucky to escape a caution after he hacked down Baker as he brought the ball out of defence.

Despite the Imps enjoying the majority of possession, the home side almost netted a a second on the break in the 38th minute. Striker Shaun Harrad was the man involved but, after he had latched on to one of the many long balls that were being played out of the Burton defence, he saw his low effort beat Burch only for the ball to hit the post before going behind for a goal-kick.

Two minutes before the break Watts sent a header wide from City's third corner of the half whilst just ahead of the interval a trip on Chris Herd by John McGrath gave City the chance to create something from a set-piece 25 yards out.

Joe Anderson set his sights but, with Krysiak stranded in the centre of the goal, his effort crashed against the inside of the left-hand upright before bouncing to a yellow shirted player who hacked clear. This proved to be the last action and following two minutes of added time referee Horwood blew for half-time.

HT: BURTON 1 IMPS 0

A change for the Imps at the break saw Moses Swaibu replace Nathan Baker at the centre of defence; Baker obviously not fully recovering from the knock he sustained midway through the opening 45 minutes.

In the fourth minute of the second period, home midfielder Russell Penn was cautioned for a late challenge on Herd close to the touchline whilst a couple of minutes later Hughton was flagged offside after Keltie played a ball over the top to the new City signing.

At the other end a Burton corner ended with the Imps piecing together an excellent counter-attack which saw a number of players exchange passes before Kerr saw his low drilled effort claimed by Krysiak.

City continued to press forward with Hughton caught in two minds as to whether he should go for goal or play in a team mate; this hesitation giving home skipper McGrath the chance to intercept and clear the danger.

Herd then stabbed in an effort which Kryziak claimed to his right before an offside flag denied Hughton again after a clever reverse pass from Gilmour released the City number 25.

Gilmour then forced Krysiak into a save from a looping header as City continued to control matters and in a bid to unlock the home defence a second City change in the 67th minute saw Lenny John-Lewis replace Delroy Facey up front.

John-Lewis was quickly in the action, showing good strength to win a corner on the right but when Keltie swung the flag-kick in, home 'keeper Krysiak got up well to emerge with the ball in his gloves.

In the 72nd minute Paul Green saw yellow for a foul on Taylor before Burton's first substitution saw ex-Imp Greg Pearson replace Steve Kabba; a couple of minutes later a great challenge from Watts saw him deny Maghoma who drilled the loose ball well wide.

City pressed forward again though with Hughton winning what turned out to be an unproductive corner and in a last gasp bid to get something from the game Paul Connor replaced Clark Keltie for his first appearance since the early stages of the season. Twelve minutes remained on the clock.

A trip on John-Lewis two minutes later brought about a City free-kick in a similar position to the one which the Imps had in the closing stages of the first half. Anderson again came close but this one hit the wrong side of the netting for a Burton goal-kick.

Time was quickly running out, though, for the Imps to make their second half possession count with two home corners keeping the ball at the wrong end of the field as the game entered its final five minutes.

Cian Hughton picked up an 87th minute booking for dissent after he was flagged offside for the third time in the half and 30 seconds later good work from John-Lewis saw him get the better of his man only for Krysiak to claim his ball into the danger area.

In the closing stages of normal time Gilmour needed treatment after taking a knock to his knee and the Scot looked to be in some discomfort as he got back to his feet before the Fourth Official indicated that a minimum of five minutes were to be added.

A strong challenge by Parkes on Gilmour saw the City man in the wars again and when the ball was was cleared, Pearson clearly kicked out at Swaibu on the halfway line. A red card seemed inevitable but referee Horwood just produced a yellow, much to the astonishment of the watching City bench.

City kept pushing men forward and the last action of the game saw Herd come close to snatching a leveller in the final minute of added time but his stabbed effort was somehow kept out by home 'keeper Krysiak's legs.

FT: BURTON 1 IMPS 0

MATCH FACTS

LINCOLN CITY
1 Rob BURCH
2 Paul GREEN
22 Adam WATTS
33 Nathan BAKER
38 Joe ANDERSON
11 Scott KERR
23 Clark KELTIE
25 Cian HUGHTON
34 Chris HERD
35 Brian GILMOUR
36 Delroy FACEY

subs
5 Moses SWAIBU (for BAKER h/t)
14 Lenell JOHN-LEWIS (for FACEY 67)
9 Paul CONNOR (for KELTIE 78)
6 Danny HONE
19 Shane CLARKE
31 Michael GORDON
20 Paul MUSSELWHITE

BOOKINGS: WATTS (27), KERR (31), GREEN (72), HUGHTON (87)

BURTON ALBION
30 Artur KRYSIAK
8 Andy CORBETT
3 Aaron WEBSTER
5 Tony JAMES
25 Tom PARKES
23 Cleveland TAYLOR
9 Shaun HARRAD
6 John McGRATH
16 Russell PENN
26 Steve KABBA
16 Jacques MAGHOMA

subs
18 Greg PEARSON (for KABBA 73)
10 Richard WALKER
12 O'Neil THOMPSON
14 Marc GOODFELLOW
20 Guy BRANSTON
22 James KNOWLES
1 Kevin POOLE

GOAL: TAYLOR (1)

BOOKINGS: PENN (49), PEARSON (90+4)

MATCH OFFICIALS

REFEREE: Graham Horwood
ASSISTANTS: Danny Roberts & Nigel Smith
FOURTH OFFICIAL: Carl Dunn

ATTENDANCE: 2,109 (339 City supporters)