Burton Albion marked their first ever visit to Sincil Bank by securing their first ever Football League away win with a 2-0 victory for the League newcomers making for a disappointng afternoon for the Imps.

The Brewers took the lead midway through the first half when full-back Ryan Austin powered home a header from a corner which gave Rob Burch no chance in the City goal.

City struggled to get a foothold on the game during the opening period with Burch saving well from both Andy Corbett and Greg Pearson but the second 45 minutes was spent almost entirely in the Burton half yet that killer final touch didn't come along.

Visiting 'keeper Artur Krysiak was rarely troubled between the sticks with a looping header from the hard-working Rene Howe being the best chance that came along but the Albion stopper claimed the ball with ease under his bar.

It was left to Burton substitute Russell Penn to wrap up the victory with his stoppage time volley looping over Burch to make it a miserable Saturday afternoon for the City faithful.

Match report by John Vickers at Sincil Bank Stadium:

Whilst Scott Kerr and Stefan Oakes missed out through injury, Richard Butcher returned to skipper the Imps for this Coca-Cola League 2 game against League newcomers Burton Albion at Sincil Bank Stadium. Lenell John-Lewis also returned to the starting line-up having come off the bench in the previous couple of matches.

Burton, meanwhile, had two ex-Imps in their squad with Guy Branston, who was part of the Kettering Town squad which defeated City in last season's FA Cup, and leading scorer Greg Pearson named in the Brewers' starting line-up.

Glorious sunny conditions greeted the two teams as they were led out of the tunnel by referee Geoff Eltringham and it was the Imps who got things underway, with John-Lewis on the left and Jamie Clarke on the right, attacking the GoCar Stand in the opening period.

A foul on Jimmy Phillips in the third minute by Janos Kovacs gave the visitors the first chance to create something from a set-piece. Full-back Ryan Austin set his sights from a good 30 yards out but his powerful drive flew over the bar and into the Stacey West Stand.

At the other end a succession of throw-ins down the City right hand flank failed to find a way through the Brewers' defence whilst the offside flag denied Chris Fagan a sight of goal after visiting 'keeper Artur Krysiak failed to hold a deep Aaron Brown free-kick.

In the 13th minute Fagan forced the first corner of the game when his cross hit Branston before going behind but the big centre-back was there to clear his lines when Brown swung the flag-kick into the danger area.

Burton's response saw Andy Corbett volley just wide before they won their first corner which was headed clear by Shane Clarke before Branston was penalised for a push on Kovacs.

This led to a short spell of Burton pressure with Brown doing well to block a Corbett shot for the visitors' second corner of the afternoon but Brown was there again to clear his lines after Branston headed goalwards.

A third Burton corner as the half reached its midway point forced the Imps on the defensive again and this time they made the opportunity count as in came Ryan Austin to power home a header which gave Rob Burch no chance in the City goal.

The Imps looked for a quick response with Krysiak saving a low Butcher drive at the second attempt whilst a foul on Fagan by John McGrath gave City a chance from a free-kick 25 yards out. Fagan took the set-piece himself but saw his curling effort go a couple of feet over the bar.

The action quickly switched to the other end and when Pearson got the wrong side of the City defence he saw his volley superbly tipped behind by Burch. This time the Imps dealt with the resultant corner. Burch then saved from Pearson at his near post as the Brewers pressed forward again.

Ten minutes before the break Fagan won a corner after a Brown free-kick, given after Branston flattened John-Lewis, but before the flag-kick could be taken, Burton 'keeper Krysiak required treatment. When the flag-kick was taken, it led to another one on the opposite flank it was somehow scrambled clear by the Albion defence.

Neither side threatened in the run up to the break with the best chance coming midway though two minutes of added time when Jamie Clarke fired a weak effort wide of the target after a spell of late City pressure came to nothing.

HT: IMPS 0 BURTON 1

Neither side made any changes during the break so it was as you were as the Brewers got the game underway again.

Within 30 seconds of the restart Branston was left grounded as he went up for a header with Howe; the big centre-back hitting the ground somewhat hard before returning to the fray following treatment.

A couple of minutes later an inswinging free-kick from Brown to Howe saw the striker just beaten to the ball by Kryziak for the first corner of the second period whilst shortly afterwards a Howe drive had the pace taken off it by a visiting defender before Krysiak gathered with ease.

Good work from Cian Hughton saw him force another corner and when this was pumped into the mix, Kovacs and Branston squared up to each other after the ball went out for a goal-kick.

A crude challenge on Jamie Clarke saw Paul Boertien pick up a deserved 56th minute caution whilst two minutes later Hughton won another corner which was duly punched clear by Krysiak. The resultant counter-attack ended with Pearson firing over after he was played in by strike partner Shaun Harrad.

Krysiak then claimed a Howe header after he connected with a Fagan centre and as City pressed again Butcher was denied by a fine Tony James, a Shane Clarke cross just evaded John-Lewis and Jamie Clarke ran out of room as he advanced down the left.

It was all City as another corner came along in the 66th minute but again Brown's delivery failed to come up with the goods. A minute later Russell Penn replaced Jimmy Phillips for the visitors.

City's fifth corner of the half and Burton's first came either side of the midway mark of the second period; the Brewers' set-piece seeing Burch save from Branston before James fired the loose ball over. Andy Hutchinson then replaced Lenny John-Lewis for the Imps.

Shortly afterwards Fagan had an effort blocked and saw another go a foot wide of the target whilst Hutchinson's first touch saw him drive goalwards only for the visiting defence to get another block in and the frustrations in the final third continued.

With 15 minutes remaining good Butcher volleyed over from 20 yards out and three minutes later another City corner was met by Kovacs only for Kryziak to claim under pressure from Fagan.

Both sides made their second change as the game approached its final 10 minutes with Jacques Maghoma replacing Greg Pearson for Burton and Nathan Adams coming on for Jamie Clarke for City. Time was quickly running out for the Imps though and a free-kick to the Brewers gave them a chance to eat up some seconds as the final couple of minutes came along.

The Fourth Official indicated that a minimum of three minutes were to be added and as the last seconds of these approached, Shane Clarke was cautioned for handball before Burton substitute Russell Penn wrapped things up when he sent a looping long range volley over Burch.

FT: IMPS 0 BURTON 2

MATCH FACTS

LINCOLN CITY
1 Rob BURCH
25 Cian HUGHTON
4 Janos KOVACS
25 Moses SWAIBU
3 Aaron BROWN
8 Richard BUTCHER
19 Shane CLARKE
14 Lenell JOHN-LEWIS
15 Jamie CLARKE
10 Chris FAGAN
18 Rene HOWE

subs
26 Andy HUTCHINSON (for JOHN-LEWIS 70)
24 Nathan ADAMS (for J CLARKE 80)
6 Danny HONE
17 Sam CLUCAS
30 Luca COLEMAN-CARR
32 Lee BENNETT
20 Paul MUSSELWHITE

BOOKING: S CLARKE (90+2)

BURTON ALBION
30 Artur KRYSIAK
8 Andy CORBETT
15 Ryan AUSTIN
2 Paul BOERTIEN
20 Guy BRANSTON
5 Tony JAMES
17 Jimmy PHILLIPS
4 Michael SIMPSON
6 John McGRATH
9 Shaun HARRAD
18 Greg PEARSON

subs
16 Russell PENN (for PHILLIPS 67)
19 Jacques MAGHOMA (for PEARSON 79)
7 Darren STRIDE
10 Richard WALKER
12 Robin SHROOT
14 Marc GOODFELLOW
13 Shane REDMOND

GOALS: AUSTIN (23), PENN (90+3)

BOOKING: BOERTIEN (56)

MATCH OFFICIALS

REFEREE: Geoff Eltringham
ASSISTANTS: Gary Beswick & Paul Davison
FOURTH OFFICIAL: Scott Duncan

ATTENDANCE: 3,590 (405 visiting supporters)