A quick-fire second half treble by Aldershot Town condemned the Imps to defeat in their final away game of the season on Saturday afternoon.
After Brian Gilmour and Steven Lennon had wasted good opportunities to put the Imps in front, Davide Somma fired City into a 57th minute lead but three goals in the space of six minutes midway through the second period was enough to see the hosts to victory.
Marvin Morgan fired the Shots level in the 69th minute and after a deflected Dean Morgan shot saw the home side get their noses in front, the aforementioned Morgan headed home a Scott Donnelly centre to make it 3-1 to an Aldershot side who booked themselves a place in the play-offs as a result.
Match report by John Vickers at The EBB Stadium:
With Matt Saunders being passed fit, manager Chris Sutton named an unchanged starting line-up for this afternoon's Coca-Cola League 2 game against play-off chasing Aldershot Town at the EBB Stadium.
It was a pleasant May Day afternoon as the teams were led on to the pitch by referee David Phillips and once the pre-match formalities were completed, the Imps got things underway.
City started the game brightly, enjoying the majority of the possession in the opening three minutes, but the offside flag - raised on a number of occasions early on - made sure home keeper Jamie Young remained troubled between the Shots' sticks.
Aldershot's first attck saw Anthony Straker break down the middle only to be denied by the outstretched leg of Danny Hone and from the resultant corner, centre-back Aaron Brown headed a foot wide. At the other end Steven Lennon latched on to a forward ball from Clark Keltie only to slice his effort the wrong side of the upright.
The home side responded with Dean Morgan having a downward header hacked away by Joe Anderson before Marlon Jackson had a low drilled effort blocked by David Stephens for a second Town flag-kick. This one ended in a goal-kick to City, although Rob Burch appeared to be pushed as the ball was floated into the danger area.
With Brian Gilmour appearing to be holding the bottom of his back as the quarter-hour mark approached, Saunders sliced a clearance from an Aldershot free-kick leading to a unproductive corner for the home side.
City responded with Lennon winning the Imps' first corner of the game but Saunders' low delivery was easily cleared at the near post, whilst in the 18th minute Davide Somma spotted Young off his line but his speculative long-range volley went well over the bar.
As the half approached its midway point, the hosts won their fourth corner, which was played straight out play, whilst their fifth came along when good defending from Stephens saw him deny Damian Spencer. The Town striker headed the resultant flag-kick wide.
A cross from Andy Sandell was then headed over by Marlon Jackson as the Shots pressed again whilst at the other end a trip on Lennon by Scott Donnelly saw referee Phillips award the Imps a free-kick before showing a yellow card to the home player. Gilmour fired the set-piece straight at the wall, however, but City remained on the offensive with an Anderson free-kick, awarded after Cian Hughton was dragged to the deck by Sandell, being hurriedly cleared by the home defence.
It was City's turn to enjoy a spell of pressure now with Clark Keltie having a shot from the edge of the box blocked but having stood firm, the Shots pressed themselves, th Spencer heading their sixth corner of the game wide in the 36th minute.
The Imps responded with Somma playing in an overlapping Hughton who was tripped by Brown who earned himself a caution for his troubles. The resultant free-kick, taken by Anderson, flew well over though.
At the other end a push on Marvin Morgan by Stephens gave the home side a chance to create something from a free-kick 20 yards out. Sandell set his sights but Rob Burch was happy to see his curling effort fly a foot over the bar.
City's response saw Somma release Gilmour with a clever ball down the middle but, as Young sprinted off his line, the Scot saw his chipped effort go inches the over the crossbar. Two added minutes then passed without further incident.
HT: ALDERSHOT 0 IMPS 0
Neither side made any changes during the half-time interval and within 30 seconds of the second period, Burch did well to claim a Sandell free-kick from the home left. Three minutes later a quick break froward from Gilmour saw him play in the over-lappin Anderson who saw his pass back to the Scot get intercepted by Brown.
A cagey start to the second half was interrupted when Donnelly fizzed a low shot wide of Burch's right-hand upright and nine minutes after the restart the Imps had a great chance to break the deadlock but, after a ball over the top from Kerr released Lennon, the Rangers loanee lobbed the ball over the advancing Young but also the wrong side of the post.
City had a scare at the other end shortly afterwards when Spencer met a free-kick but saw his header go straight at Burch and with the former Cheltenham striker left with his hands on his hips, the Imps went for the jugular and when a long ball out of defence set Davide Somma free, the in-form front-man did the rest by forcing Young to commit himself before drilling onto the bottom corner for his ninth goal in Lincoln colours.
Two minutes after the goal, Saunders was booked for a foul on Spencer whilst in the 63rd minute Kirk Hudson replaced Marlon Jackson for the home side. John Halls came on for Spencer a minute later.
Dean Morgan, pushed up front following this double switch, forced a corner which was chested behind by Stephens for another flag-kick which was claimed by Burch. But, in the 69th minute, the City 'keeper was left hopelessly exposed as, after Dean Morgan got the better of Hughton, he advaced forwards before squaring for namesake Marvin to bundle the ball home.
Dave Winfield was immediately brought on for Andy Sandell and as City looked for a response, Hughton was crudely upended by Anthony Charles who remarkably escaped a yellow card. In fact it was Hughton who went into the book for dissent after he aired his frustrations to vociferously in the direction of referee Phillips.
Shortly afterwards the hosts edged themselves in front as when the ball was played to Dean Morgan on the right he fired goalwards with his effort beating Burch with the aid of a deflection.
The hosts' tails were well and truly up now and after Keltie was cautioned for a foul in front of the dugouts, the Shots broke forward and when Donnelly swung in a centre from the left, up rose Marvin Morgan to power home a header for his second in the space of six minutes.
Andy Hutchinson replaced Gilmour in the 78th minute for his first appearance under Chris Sutton's tenure as Imps' manager and with things having calmed down a bit following the flurry of goal action, an 84th minute Somma free-kick was deflected off the Aldershot wall for a corner which ended up seeing Young claim Somma's header.
Hutchinson and Hughton then combined before the latter saw his cross fired over by Somma whilst an offside flag denied Lennon a sight of goal as the game entered its final minute.
The Fourth Official indicated that a minimum of three minutes were to be added on and both sides came close to adding to the scoreline towards the end with Somma being denied by Charles whilst Stephens did well to hook a Hudson effort off the line.
FT: ALDERSHOT 3 IMPS 1
MATCH FACTS
LINCOLN CITY
1 Rob BURCH
25 Cian HUGHTON
6 Danny HONE
15 David STEPHENS
38 Joe ANDERSON
11 Scott KERR
23 Clark KELTIE
39 Matthew SAUNDERS
16 Steven LENNON
35 Brian GILMOUR
18 Davide SOMMA
subs
26 Andy HUTCHINSON (for GILMOUR 78)
8 Richard BUTCHER
14 Lenell JOHN-LEWIS
19 Shane CLARKE
21 James REID
20 Paul MUSSELWHITE
GOAL: SOMMA (57)
BOOKINGS: SAUNDERS (59), HUGHTON (71), KELTIE (74)
ALDERSHOT TOWN
41 Jamie YOUNG
3 Anthony STRAKER
4 Chris BLACKBURN
5 Aaron BROWN
6 Anthony CHARLES
10 Marvin MORGAN
15 Scott DONNELLY
20 Damian SPENCER
26 Marlon JACKSON
27 DeanMORGAN
28 Andy SANDELL
subs
17 Kirk HUDSON (for JACKSON 63)
11 John HALLS (for SPENCER 64)
18 Dave WINFIELD (for SANDELL 70)
7 Louie SOARES
14 Danny HYLTON
19 Ben HARDING
33 Mikhael JAIMEZ-RUIZ
GOALS: M MORGAN (69 & 75), D MORGAN (72)
BOOKINGS: DONNELLY (28), BROWN (38)
MATCH OFFICIALS
REFEREE: David Phillips
ASSISTANTS: Barry Holderness & Gavin Muge
FOURTH OFFICIAL: Wade Norcott
ATTENDANCE: 4,506 (257 City supporters)
