Ten-man City slipped to defeat against Rotherham United on Saturday afternoon with the Millers emerging 2-1 victors.

It was as early as the 13th minute when the game sprung to life as Adam Le Fondre latched on to a ball over the top before going to ground somewhat easily under Moses Swaibu's challenge as he headed away from goal. Referee Jarnail Singh, with the help of his assistant, indicated a foul and a penalty but to make matters worse Swaibu was shown a red card. Le Fondre picked himself up before drilling hard past Burch to give his side the lead from the spot.

Brian Gilmour came close to levelling matters on the half-hour mark but the Scot saw his 30-yard drive rattle the post with Andy Warrington well beaten but in the 65th minute substitute Steven Lennon lose possession in midfield, Gary Roberts was released before neatly slotting past the advancing Burch.

The Imps kept battling, however, and Lennon made amends by firing home his first goal in City colours in the 77th minute but the equaliser wouldn't come along and appeals for a penalty after Chris Herd went to ground in the closing stages fell on deaf ears.

Match report by John Vickers at Sincil Bank Stadium:

Manager Chris Sutton made one change to the team that started Tuesday night's match at Darlington for this Coca-Cola League 2 game against promotion-chasing Rotherham United at Sincil Bank Stadium. The switch saw midfielder Stefan Oakes come in for striker Delroy Facey whose loan spell from Notts County came to an end in midweek. With sickness ruling out Michael Gordon, Sutton named just six substitutes, including his assistant Ian Pearce.

Chilly, but bright, conditions greeted the two teams as referee Jarnail Singh led them out of the tunnel and it was the Imps who were first to press with Chris Herd winning a free-kick in a dangerous position 25 yards from goal. Joe Anderson, however, fired the set-piece straight at the Rotherham wall.

Herd and Ian Sharps were then spoken to by Mr Singh following an altercation in the centre-circle and when play restarted Herd was involved in a move which ended with Paul Connor having a volley saved by Andy Warrington.

Visiting midfielder Danny Harrison then picked up a fifth minute yellow card for a foul on Herd, who was seeing plenty of the ball in the opening stages whilst a push in Connor's back by Sharps gave City the chance from another dead-ball situation. Stefan Oakes too the responsibility this season with his drilled effort clipping the wall before going behind for what turned out to be an unproductive corner.

At the other end Adam Le Fondre was upended by Moses Swaibu and after Kevin Ellison's delivery was looped into the air, Tom Pope saw his header land on the roof of the City net.

There was a moment of controversy in the 13th minute when Le Fondre latched on to a ball over the top before going to ground somewhat easily under Swaibu's challenge as he headed away from goal. Referee Singh seemed happy to let play carry on but his assistant was quick to indicate a foul and a penalty. To make matters worse Swaibu was shown a red card after the officials deemed that he had denied Le Fondre of a goalscoring opportunity. The Rotherham striker picked himself up before drilling hard past Burch to give his side the lead from the spot.

Swaibu's dismissal saw Danny Hone move inside to partner Adam Watts whilst Cian Hughton dropped back to right-back. Heavy rain started to fall, just to add to the frustrations, whilst Herd drilled a 25-yard effort wide of the target.

The action was back at the Stacey West Stand end with City forced to defend a Rotherham corner whilst in the 25th minute, ex-Imp Ellison found himself one-on-one with Rob Burch but the current City man came out on top, pulling off a fine one-handed save.

City's response saw skipper Scott Kerr win a corner courtesy of a deflected drive which flew inches past the post but the Imps were back on the defensive again shortly before the half-hour mark when they were forced to clear a second United flag-kick.

The action again switched to the other end and after referee Singh let play carry on after both Herd and Kerr were upended, Brian Gilmour fired in a 30 yarder which rattled the post before the ball was hacked behind for a corner. Watts duly headed wide from Oakes' delivery.

This brought about a spell of City pressure, although Warrington between the Rotherham sticks remained relatively untroubled as the half wore on. His opposite number Burch, meanwhile, kept the Imps in the game again five minutes from time as he pushed away a Harrison snap-shot.

In the final minute of the opening 45, Harrison volleyed another effort and in the first of two added on, Gilmour curled a free-kick a foot wide of the target for the last action of the first period.

HT: IMPS 0 ROTHERHAM 1

Neither side made any changes during the break so it was as you were as 10-man City got the second half underway. Within 30 seconds of the restart, Gilmour was upended by Mark Lynch on the left and when the Scot swung the set-piece into the mix, Watts fired wide.

The visitors responded by winning a corner and when the ball was half-cleared as far as Harrison, his low drilled effort through a crowd of people was well held by Burch. At the other end a foul on Connor saw Oakes have free-kick clip the wall for a corner. With Hone and Pope squaring up to each other in the area, the corner was brought to a halt when Herd fouled Gary Roberts.

A change for City in the 53rd minute saw Lenell John-Lewis come on for Paul Connor up front and good work from Hughton a minute later saw him win a corner on the right. Oakes took the flag-kick but Ellison hammered clear.

Oakes then fizzed a free-kick a foot wide before he was penalised for high feet at the other end; Ellison's effort being easily held by Burch. City's response saw Gilmour set his sights with Warrington scrambling his effort wide for a fruitless corner.

Two corners at the other end made it six apiece whilst a second City substitution in the 62nd minute saw Steven Lennon replace Oakes; the Scot lined up alongside John-Lewis as a result.

Lennon's first taste of the action, however, was to lose possession in the middle of the park and this lapse was duly punished as after Gary Roberts was set free, he neatly slotted past the advancing Burch to double his side's advantage.

Le Fondre came close to adding a third a couple of minutes later but he went for goal and fired wide as Ellison sprinted up in support and as the visitors kept up the pressure a loose back pass from Hone went wide for a corner which Burch claimed.

Burch then produced a brilliant save to deny Le Fondre following another swift Rotherham break and with the Millers full of confidence another quick attack ended with Le Fondre prodding a Pope cross wide.

City had a quarter of an hour in which to salvage something from the game and they certainly gave themselves a good chance when, in the 77th minute, Hone flicked a free-kick into the path of Lennon who promptly smashed the ball past Warrington for his first goal in Imps' colours.

Play restarted with John-Lewis off the pitch receiving treatment having taken a bang on his nose in the build-up to Lennon's goal and when he returned he was flattened by Fenton. The free-kick found its way to Herd who went to ground but referee Singh was having none of it and waved play-on, much to the annoyance of the City bench.

It was fast and furious stuff as the clock continued to tick on with Burch keeping out a Pope effort and when the loose ball was hammered clear Roberts came off worse in a challenge with John-Lewis. Roberts required treatment before play restarted with a drop-ball.

In a last-gasp bid to come away with something Ian Pearce came on for Danny Hone in the final minute. Shortly afterwards, the Fourth Official indicated that a minimum of four minutes were to be added.

The ball just wouldn't run for City though and the visitors ate a few more seconds up when Ryan Taylor replaced Tom Pope before Pearce was penalised for a foul on Fenton. The Millers were quite happy to keep possession afterwards and subsequently emerged victorious.

FT: IMPS 1 ROTHERHAM 2

MATCH FACTS

LINCOLN CITY
1 Rob BURCH
6 Danny HONE
5 Moses SWAIBU
22 Adam WATTS
38 Joe ANDERSON
7 Stefan OAKES
11 Scott KERR
34 Chris HERD
25 Cian HUGHTON
35 Brian GILMOUR
9 Paul CONNOR

subs
14 Lenell JOHN-LEWIS (for CONNOR 53)
16 Steven LENNON (for OAKES 62)
13 Ian PEARCE (for HONE 89)
19 Shane CLARKE
23 Clark KELTIE
20 Paul MUSSELWHITE

GOAL: LENNON (77)

SENDING OFF: SWAIBU (13)

ROTHERHAM UNITED
1 Andy WARRINGTON
14 Mark LYNCH
6 Nick FENTON
5 Ian SHARPS
19 Gavin GUNNING
10 Nicky LAW
4 Danny HARRISON
17 Gary ROBERTS
15 Kevin ELLISON
9 Tom POPE
39 Adam LE FONDRE

subs
20 Ryan TAYLOR (for POPE 90+3)
7 Micky CUMMINS
11 Stephen BROGAN
12 Marc JOSEPH
21 Marcus MARSHALL
22 Drewe BROUGHTON
25 Pablo MILLS

GOALS: LE FONDRE (14 pen), ROBERTS (65)

BOOKING: HARRISON (5)

REFEREE: Jarnail Singh
ASSISTANTS: Dean Mohareb & Adrian Sannerude
FOURTH OFFICIAL: Keith Lawson

ATTENDANCE: 4,152 (941 visiting supporters)