A goal from Janos Kovacs was enough to get the Imps' 2009/10 season off to a winning start against a lively Barnet outfit on Saturday afternoon.
Kovacs netted what proved to be the winning goal when he followed up his own header which hit the post before firing past Barnet 'keeper Jake Cole just before the hour mark.
Prior to the goal the Imps were mainly on the defensive, with Rob Burch producing a fine save to deny Yannick Bolasie on the half hour whilst his defensive unit stood firm and repelled everything that the Bees could throw at them.
Summer signings Paul Connor and Jamie Clarke had the best of the chances after Kovacs' goal with the former firing over the bar and the latter seeing an effort trickle just the wrong side of the upright.
All in all though three points at Sincil Bank on a Saturday afternoon was just the start that Peter Jackson and his squad wanted.
Match report by John Vickers at Sincil Bank Stadium:
The Imps welcomed Barnet to Sincil Bank Stadium for this 2009/10 season opener and manager Peter Jackson named all eight of his summer signings in his squad with six of them being in starting line-up.
Of the six, Chris Fagan and Cian Hughton were making their bow in the Football League; Jamie Clarke, Paul Connor and loanee Joe Heath were making their Imps' debuts whilst Richard Butcher started his third spell with the Imps by leading the team in the absence of injured skipper Scott Kerr. Jacko's other new signings, Lincoln-born Sam Clucas and Peterborough United loanee Rene Howe were on the seven-strong substitutes' bench.
The Imps got the game underway attacking the GoCar Stand but the action was at the Stacey West Stand end in the opening minute when a ball into the City boss saw the experienced Paul Furlong go down under a challenge from Janos Kovacs but referee Trevor Kettle waved play on before Joe Heath was able to hack the ball away to safety.
City replied with Cian Hughton exchanging passes with Paul Connor before advancing forward and seeing his low centre deflected behind for a corner. Aaron Brown swung
the ball in to the mix and as Connor went up it was flicked off his head for a flag-kick on the opposite flank. This corner, again taken by Brown, ended up being headed over by Jamie Clarke.
The next Imps' attack came in the seventh minute when a high ball forward from Brown was laid into Chris Fagan's path by Connor but the Irishman saw his snap shot go wide of the target. Barnet's response saw them force their first corner but Albert Jarrett's delivery was poor and Brown cleared at the near post.
An end-to-end opening period continued in the 13th minute when good play from Jarrett saw him make it two corners apiece and this one ended with Ismail Yakubu hooking the ball well over the bar.
The Bees certainly hadn't come to defend and had plenty of pace going forward , particularly on the flanks where the two Alberts - Adomah and Jarrett - were looking to cause problems. The latter came close in the 21st minute but when Moses Swaibu stook out a long leg to deny him a run on goal, the City defender picked up a knock and required treatment from physio Michael Wait before he hobbled to the sidelines.
With Swaibu back amongst the action, Jarrett was felled by Stefan Oakes who earned himself a 24th minute caution for his troubles whilst five minutes later the Imps had Rob Burch to thank as he tipped behind a low Yannick Bolasie effort which seemed destined for the bottom corner of the net. Burch punched the resultant corner away before Kovacs blocked Bolasie's follow-up effort with his chest.
City were on the defensive again in the 33rd minute when another swift Barnet move ended with midfielder Mark Hughes curling an effort on to the roof of the net whilst the Imps' response saw a deep cross from Brown end with Clarke firing straight at Jake Cole in the Barnet goal.
Five minutes before the break another surging run forward from Bolasie ended with him being upended by Swaibu, who joined Oakes in Mr Kettle's notebook, and when Jarrett swung in the free-kick the ball was claimed well by Burch.
The Imps replied with Clarke beating his man and squaring to Fagan only for the ball to go between his legs and shortly before the Fourth Official indicated that a minimum of three minutes were to be added, a foul on Fagan gave Oakes the chance to set his sights from a set-piece in a central position. The midfielder was denied though with the Barnet wall doing its job well.
As the added time appoached its conclusion Bolasie went down somewhat theatrically under Heath's challenge in the area but referee Kettle was having none of it and waved away his appeals. This proved to be the last action of the opening half.
HT: IMPS 0 BARNET 0
Both sides emerged unchanged for the start of the second period and within the opening few seconds Paul Connor seemed to take a knock as he went up for a high ball but he was able to resume duties.
Three minutes later a good City move ended with the overlapping Hughton see his cross cleared behind for a corner. Brown swung the ball and and when it was played back in by Butcher, Kovacs appeared to be held down but just as he did before the break, referee Kettle kept his whistle in his pocket.
More good goalkeeping from Burch saw him come off his line to deny Bolasie who had sprinted trough the middle whilst at the other end Oakes had a free-kick held well by Cole.
Having weathered the Barnet storm, City took the game by the scuff of the neck just before the hour mark when JANOS KOVACS fired the Imps in front. The goal came when a free-kick was pumped into the danger area and after Kovacs beat Cole to the ball he saw his header crash against the upright. The big Hungarian was the first to react though and duly planted a firm drive into the corner of the net from a narrow angle. He duly powered away in celebration in front of the Echo Stand.
Three minutes after the game had restarted Hughes saw yellow for a foul on Fagan whilst a clever pass from Oakes released Connor who saw his low centre hurriedly cleared by Daniel Leach.
A change for the Imps in the 66th minute saw Rene Howe replace Chris Fagan up front and his first touch from a long Burch clearance almost saw him play in Connor but Cole was quickly off his line to gather the ball on his six-yard line.
Aaron Brown required treatment a couple of minutes later with the stoppage allowing players from both teams the chance to get some fluids on board. When play restarted a Barnet corner was headed wide by Paul Furlong.
At the other end some excellent link-up play between Connor and Howe saw the latter play in Clarke who held off his man before seeing his low effort trickle inches the wrong side of the post.
Another stoppage came when Bolasie left a foot in on Rob Burch as the pair went for a loose ball but the Imps' number one was able to carry on and 13 minutes from time Kovacs picked up a caution after he flattened Adomah and before the free-kick could be taken Shane Clarke came on for Stefan Oakes.
The next effort at goal came in the 82nd minute when Brown fired wide following some patient build-up play down the left flank whilst Barnet's first change came two minutes later with Jake Hyde coming on for Yannick Bolasie.
Before Hyde had chance to touch the ball Howe flicked a Burch clearance on to Connor who, after holding off his marker, fired a rising effort over the bar. Heath then required attention in the centre circle, leading to yet another break in play. It was soon clear that the left-back was unable to continue so teenager Luca Coleman-Carr came on as his replacement with the game now in its final minute.
Undertandably because of the numerous stoppage, five additional minutes were indicated by the Fourth Official and 90 seconds into it, Butcher played in Howe who saw his low cross met by Connor only for the ball to go wide.
Elliott Charles was given a stoppage-time run out in place of Furlong for the Bees whilst clever play from Howe saw him win a couple of throw-ins in order to eat up some valuable seconds.
Butcher picked up a deserved yellow card for a blatant trip on Charles as the substitute broke forward midway inside the City half and with the clock in its final 45 seconds Kovacs rose to clear the resultant free-kick before Burch held Jarrett's ball in.
The game continued with Kovacs winning a free-kick and when Burch pumped the ball forward, Connor took it into the corner flag before referee Kettle blew for time.
FT: IMPS 1 BARNET 0
MATCH FACTS
LINCOLN CITY
1 Rob BURCH
25 Cian HUGHTON
4 Janos KOVACS
25 Moses SWAIBU
16 Joe HEATH
7 Stefan OAKES
8 Richard BUTCHER
3 Aaron BROWN
15 Jamie CLARKE
9 Paul CONNOR
10 Chris FAGAN
subs
18 Rene HOWE (for FAGAN 66)
19 Shane CLARKE (for OAKES 77)
30 Luca COLEMAN-CARR (for HEATH 90)
6 Danny HONE
17 Sam CLUCAS
26 Andy HUTCHINSON
20 Paul MUSSELWHTE
GOAL: KOVACS (59)
BOOKINGS: OAKES (24), SWAIBU (41), KOVACS (77), BUTCHER (90+4)
BARNET
1 Jake COLE
3 Kenny GILLET
4 Mark HUGHES
5 Ismail YAKUBU
7 Albert ADOMAH
10 Micah HYDE
11 Yannick BOLASIE
12 Ryan O'NEILL
14 Albert JARRETT
20 Daniel LEACH
28 Paul FURLONG
subs
16 Jake HYDE (for BOLASIE 84)
19 Elliott CHARLES (for FURLONG 90+2)
2 Joe DEVERA
8 Nicky DEVERDICS
21 Clovis KAMDJO
22 Ahmed DEEN
18 Phil CARPENTER
BOOKING: HUGHES (63)
MATCH OFFICIALS
REFEREE: Trevor Kettle
ASSISTANTS: Michael Naylor & Tony Peart
FOURTH OFFICIAL: Ian Dudley
ATTENDANCE: 3,753 (233 visiting supporters)
