A stoppage-time own goal by Accrington Stanley defender Darran Kempson saw City come from behind to earn three vital points at Sincil Bank Stadium on Tuesday evening.

Things were looking grim for City after Robert Grant fired Stanley into the lead on the half-hour mark but after Rob Burch kept the Imps in the game with a succession of impressive saves, Steven Lennon slotted home his second in as many games in the 83rd minute to give some hope to his side.

The leveller clearly lifted City and in the first minute of added time a Joe Anderson cross was helped back into the area by assistant manager Ian Pearce with the ball trickling over the line after hitting Kempson on the back of the leg.

Match report by John Vickers at Sincil Bank Stadium:

Although Moses Swaibu was suspended and Paul Connor was out injured, City boss Chris Sutton welcomed fit-again Nathan Baker and loan signing Drewe Broughton to his starting line-up for this Coca-Cola League 2 encounter against Accrington Stanley at Sincil Bank Stadium.

A third change to the side that started against Rotherham United on Saturday saw Danny Hone drop to the bench to allow Steven Lennon to make his full Imps' debut. Joining Hone amongst the substitutes was Matt Saunders, back at City for a second loan spell from Fulham.

Prolonged pre-match rain made for a soggy pitch as referee Rob Shoebridge led the two teams out of the tunnel and once the formalities were complete, the visitors got things underway attacking the GoCar Stand end in the opening period.

It was a not unexpected scrappy opening to proceedings, although Accrington probably shaded the opening five minutes possession-wise, and it was John Coleman's side who won the first corner when John Miles saw his drive clip Adam Watts.

At the other end the offside flag denied Brian Gilmour a shot on goal after Steven Lennon and Scott Kerr had linked up well before the latter headed into the Scot's path. A minute later Chris Herd volleyed wide after a quickly-taken Stefan Oakes free-kick opened up the Stanley defence.

In the 12th minute, Broughton headed a Herd cross wide as the Imps pieced together another decent move down the right but four minutes later a trip on Michael Symes by Cian Hughton gave the visitors a chance from a free-kick a foot outside the area. Symes took the responsibility himself but duly sliced his effort closer to the corner flag than the net.

A slip from Oakes then gave Jimmy Ryan a chance to set his sights but his effort from 25 yards was always rising and flew well over Rob Burch's bar. Gilmour sent a similar effort over at the other end from the Imps' next foray forward and from their next Kerr prodded wide after a Gilmour cross caused problems in the visiting defence.

The action switched to the other end on the half-hour mark and after Symes capitalised on some gained possession midway inside the City half he played a clever pass through to Robert Grant who subsequently produced a neat finish, slotting the ball across the advancing Burch and into the corner of the net to give his side the lead.

It was all Stanley now with Symes firing wide and five minutes after the goal, the visitors came within inches of doubling their advantage when skipper Andrew Procter connected with a cross only to see his header superbly tipped on to the bar by Burch before Grant flicked the loose ball over under pressure from Watts.

Before play restarted, Nathan Baker - who picked up a knock in the build up to the aforementioned cross, was forced to limped off and was replaced by assistant manager Ian Pearce.

A foul on Broughton by Darran Kempson gave the Imps a chance to carve out a leveller but Herd could only smash the ball straight at the wall before Oakes sliced well wide.

The Imps were almost gifted that equaliser when Phil Edwards made a hash of a clearance, giving Lennon a chance to bear down on Ian Dunbavin. The Scot delayed his final effort though, and after he cut inside a back-tracking defender, he saw his shot blocked for a corner which Herd headed wide.

One minute of added time passed without incident so it was the visitors who went into the interval with their noses in front.

HT: IMPS 0 ACCRINGTON STANLEY 1

Neither side made any other changes during the break so it was as you were as the Imps got the second half underway.

As was the case at the beginning of the game, the start to the second period was a pretty scrappy affair with play centered mainly in the middle third of the field. In a bid to inject some fresh impetus, Matt Saunders replaced Stefan Oakes in the 53rd minute.

Shortly after this switch, Herd saw an attempted curler drift wide of the target before the Australian sliced another effort the wrong side of the right-hand upright. At the other end Miles volley well over as he went in search of a second for his side.

Pearce was then forced to clear a Miles centre out for a corner, which was claimed by Burch and at the other end a good break forward from Herd saw him win a flag kick for the Imps. Gilmour's delivery, however, flew over a packed area and the Stanley defence were able to clear their lines.

The visitors responded with Miles latching on to a through ball before going down in the box somewhat theatrically under Anderson's challenge. Out came the yellow card, but it was to the Stanley man for simulation whilst a third and final City change saw Lenell John-Lewis come on for Brian Gilmour in the 64th minute.

It was Stanley who continued to look the more likely to add a second and when Miles sent in a lovely floated centre the ball was headed against the outside of the post by Symes. At the other end Broughton was penalised for handball as a Herd effort was deflected into his path.

John-Lewis' first impact since coming on was to win a free-kick for obstruction close to the corner flag but Saunders' pacy centre failed to find a red and white shirted player and once again the visitors were able to clear their lines.

In the 74th minute a third City corner ended with Stanley going on the attack and when Symes was played through he fired in a low effort which forced Burch to get down well to his left before superbly pushing the ball past the post. The corner ended with Symes fizzing a volley wide.

At the other end John-Lewis saw a diving header from a Lennon cross held by Dunbavin and as the clock ticked into its 82nd minute, Herd had a drive deflected wide for another corner. Once again, though, the visitors cleared with ease.

The Stanley back-line were undone, however, a minute later when a low ball into the mix found Lennon who did the rest, neatly firing past an exposed Dunbavin for his second goal in as many games.

The leveller ensured an enthralling close to the game with Pearce forced to concede a corner but when City dealt with the danger Kerr played in Herd who laid off to Lennon who unfortunately dragged wide.

The Fourth Official indicated that a minimum of three minutes were to be added and in the early stages of this extra period of play, City got their noses in front. The goal came when an Anderson cross to the back post found Pearce whose ball back into the mix hit Stanley defender Darran Kempson before trickling over the line with Dunbavin unable to keep the ball out.

The goal clearly knocked the stuffing out of the Stanley players and City were able to eat up the remaining stages to earn three vital points.

FT: IMPS 2 ACCRINGTON STANLEY 1

MATCH FACTS

LINCOLN CITY
1 Rob BURCH
25 Cian HUGHTON
22 Adam WATTS
33 Nathan BAKER
38 Joe ANDERSON
7 Stefan OAKES
11 Scott KERR
34 Chris HERD
35 Brian GILMOUR
15 Drewe BROUGHTON
16 Steven LENNON

subs
13 Ian PEARCE (for BAKER 36)
39 Matthew SAUNDERS (for OAKES 53)
14 Lenell JOHN-LEWIS (for GILMOUR 64)
2 Paul GREEN
6 Danny HONE
19 Shane CLARKE
20 Paul MUSSELWHITE

GOALS: LENNON (83), KEMPSON (90+1 og)

ACCRINGTON STANLEY
25 Ian DUNBAVIN
5 Darran KEMPSON
12 Phil EDWARDS
15 Dean WINNARD
26 Tom LEES
6 Andrew PROCTER
11 Robert GRANT
14 Jimmy RYAN
17 Sean McCONVILLE
7 John MILES
19 Michael SYMES

subs
9 Billy KEE
16 Chris TURNER
18 John MULLIN
20 Peter MURPHY
24 Gary KING
31 Johnny FLYNN
1 Dean BOUZANIS

GOAL: GRANT (30)

BOOKING: MILES (62)

MATCH OFFICIALS

REFEREE: Rob Shoebridge
ASSISTANTS: Darren England & Andrew Smith
FOURTH OFFICIAL: Darren Drysdale

ATTENDANCE: 2,779 (110 visiting supporters)