A superb stoppage-time header from Lenny John-Lewis saw the Imps secure a maximum haul against Barnet at Underhill on Saturday afternoon.

On a heavy surface which passed a morning inspection, City took the lead on the half-hour mark when Cian Hughton drilled home following a quick break forward but the Imps were pegged back with a quarter of an hour on the clock when Ismail Yakubu nodded a free-kick past Rob Burch.

The Imps kept pushing forward, however, and were rewarded in stoppage time when John-Lewis connected with a Joe Anderson cross; the former City scholar seeing his header fly past Jake Cole to claim the points at the death.

Match report by John Vickers at Underhill:

City boss Chris Sutton made two changes to the side that started at Bolton Wanderers in the FA Cup a fortnight ago with Nathan Baker and Delroy Facey coming in for Moses Swaibu and Lenell John-Lewis for this Coca-Cola League 2 encounter against Barnet at a soggy Underhill.

With the pitch cleared of the snow which threatened to put the match in doubt, the hosts got the game underway, kicking down the slope from the first whistle.

After a pretty cagey opening few minutes, Cian Hughton won a sixth free-kick for the Imps 20 yards from goal which saw Matt Saunders fizz a low effort a couple of feet wide of the target but it was safe to say that the opening exchanges were a pretty quiet affair with neither goalkeeper troubled.

In the 13th minute a strong challenge on Brian Gilmour by Ryan O'Neill saw referee Jock Waugh have words with the Barnet man whilst a minute later the hosts won the first corner of the game which was easily cleared by Cian Hughton.

Another Barnet corner in the 20th minute was hacked away by Matt Saunders whilst at the other end a clever ball forward from Gilmour skidded through to home 'keeper Jake Cole as Delroy Facey looked to put the pressure on the home number one.

The hosts continued to put the Imps on the back foot with another corner ending with Rob Burch superbly tipping a Mark Hughes header over but City responded well to this scare and on the half hour mark the deadlock was broken.

With home full-back Kenny Gillet off the pitch receiving treatment, City broke forward at pace and when the ball found Cian Hughton on the right he did the business, planting a fine right-footed effort past Cole for his second goal in Imps' colours.

Three minutes after the goal Gillet was replaced by Ahmed Deen and shortly afterwards Burch preserved the lead by pulling off a fine block as a ball into the City box forced the Imps on the back foot. Lincoln's response saw Hughton stab an effort goalwards which Cole did well to hold.

Three minutes of added time passed withou incident so it was the Imps who went into the break a goal to the good.

HT: BARNET 0 IMPS 1

A change for the Imps at the break saw Michael Uwezu come on for Brian Gilmour in the role just behind Delroy Facey and he was quickly in the action as as he set up a Paul Green cross which was cleared behind for a corner.

The flag-kick immediately led to another one on the City right which in turn led to flag-kick number three and when this was half-cleared Uwezu had a low effort deflected behind for another corner which was cleared by Albert Adomah.

A quick break from the Imps 10 minutes after the restart saw Matt Saunders bring the ball forward before finding Chris Herd who saw his flicked effort with the outside of his right foot held by Cole.

Good work from Herd shortly afterwards saw him cut in from the right before seeing Cole palm away his low effort and as the Imps kept up the pressure, home substitute Deen was cautioned for a late challenge on Uwezu.

Herd joined Deen in the book a couple of minutes later after he delayed the taking of a free-kick whilst from Barnet's first real attack following the interval John O'Flynn headed a Jarrett cross well over. At the other end Joe Anderson fizzed a free-kick a foot wide before Lee Sawyer replaced Mark Hughes for the home side.

in the 74th minute a clever ball forward from Saunders to Hughton saw the latter denied by Cole who spread himself well as he came off his line. Shortly afterwards, the Imps were pegged back when a free-kick was pumped into the area where home centre-back Ismail Yakubu rose well before planting a firm header past Burch to bring his side back on level terms.

Barnet immediately brought on Paul Furlong for John O'Flynn up front before Sawyer was cautioned for a late challenge on Herd and as an end-to-end spell continued, City won a corner which Barnet cleared. Good defending at the other end meanwhile from Baker saw him clear a cross under pressure from Furlong for a corner

Lenny John-Lewis replaced Delroy Facey in the 83rd minute as the fog started to descend on proceedings and after City stood firm from a Barnet attack five minutes later, Micah Hyde was booked for a foul on Herd. The Imps immediately pressed with herd firing just wide.

Just as the Fourth Official indicated that a minimum of four minutes were to be added, Hughton chipped an effort a foot wide before Scott Kerr had an effort well held by Cole as City pushed forward again.

With just over 60 seconds remaining the Imps pushed forward again and when Anderson gained possession on the left he swung in a peach of a cross towards John-Lewis. The former City scholar did the rest, leaping high and connecting with the ball and his superb header flew past Cole and nesting in the bottom corner of the net for a dramatic last-gasp winner.

FT: BARNET 1 IMPS 2

MATCH FACTS

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

subs
37 Michael UWEZU (for GILMOUR h/t)
14 Lenell JOHN-LEWIS (for FACEY 83)
5 Moses SWAIBU
9 Paul CONNOR
23 Clark KELTIE
31 Michael GORDON
20 Paul MUSSELWHITE

GOALS: HUGHTON (30), JOHN-LEWIS (90+3)

BOOKING: HERD (61)

BARNET
1 Jake COLE
2 Joe DEVERA
3 Kenny GILLET
4 Mark HUGHES
5 Ismail YAKUBU
7 Abert ADOMAH
9 John O'FLYNN
10 Micah HYDE
12 Ryan O'NEILL
14 Albert JARRETT
16 Jake HYDE

subs
22 Ahmed DEEN (for GILLET 33)
32 Lee SAWYER (for HUGHES 66)
15 Joe TABIRI
17 Danny HART
20 Daniel LEACH
28 Paul FURLONG
23 Phil CARPENTER

GOAL: YAKUBU (75)

BOOKINGS: DEEN (59), SAWYER (76), M HYDE (88)

REFEREE: Jock Waugh
ASSISTANTS: Stephen Dalys & Glenn Hambling
FOURTH OFFICIAL: Mick McCoy

ATTENDANCE: 1,810 (362 City supporters)