City survived an FA Cup giantkilling act at the New Bucks Head Stadium on Saturday afternoon with a 3-1 win over AFC Telford United securing a place in the Second Round.

Having started brightly, City took the lead shortly before the quarter-hour mark when Sergio Torres brought a Jamie Clarke cross under control before clinically finishing past Telford 'keeper Ryan Young but within five minutes of the restart a superb Liam Blakeman header brought the hosts level.

Rob Burch kept City in the game as he brilliantly tipped a powerful Carl Rodgers volley onto the crossbar and he was rewarded as, somewhat against the run of play, City regained the lead in the 65th minute when Rene Howe set up Jamie Clarke who duly blasted home low effort for his first goal in Lincoln colours.

Ten minutes later an Imps' counter-attack put the game beyond the Bucks and after he exchanged passes with Howe, Aaron Brown blasted home number three. There was still time for the home side to hit the woodwork for a second time but City stood firm and rode their luck to earn their passage into Round Two.

Match report by John Vickers at the New Bucks Head Stadium:

The magic of the FA Cup came to Shropshire with AFC Telford United hosting the Imps for this First Round clash at the New Bucks Head Stadium.

Manager Chris Sutton was forced to switch things around due to the fact that loanee Adam Watts wasn't allowed to feature due to a clause in his loan contract from Fulham so Janos Kovacs returned to partner Moses Swaibu in the centre of defence. Other changes to the side that started last Saturday's game at Morecambe saw Aaron Brown, Sergio Torres and Jamie Clarke return to the starting line-up with Danny Hone, the suspended Eric Lichaj and Khano Smith the men making way.

There was a distinct chill in the November air as referee Graham Scott led the two teams out of the tunnel and after a minute's silence to mark Remembrance Sunday, play got under way.

Telford kicked off and quickly pumped the ball forward, looking to put the Imps' defence under pressure right from the off.

City responded by winning the first corner of the game but Hughton's ball in from the quadrant was too deep and the ball floated out for a Telford goal-kick.

A Fagan effort which went over the bar saw City's appeals for a deflection fall on deaf ears whilst a curling effort from Jamie Clarke - who began the game up front alongside Rene Howe - was easily claimed by United 'keeper Ryan Young.

City were certainly enjoying the better of the opening exchanges with Howe having a shot blocked by Shane Killock in the ninth minute whilst a Fagan ball in a minute later was hurriedly cleared by home skipper Gavin Cowan.

United 'keeper Young was called into action again as the quarter hour mark approached when he palmed away a powerful Jamie Clarke drive but the City man was quickly on the loose ball and when he played it back into the danger area, Sergio Torres superbly brought the ball under control before drilling a low shot across Young to give the Imps a deserved lead.

Five minutes after the goal, City were forced on the defensive with Kovacs heading behind for a corner but Rob Burch remained untroubled with Phil Trainer heading well over when the flag-kick came in.

Goalscorer Torres seemed to be covering every blade of grass as the half passed its midway point with the Argentinian showing good defensive skills to repel a Telford attack before drawing Jon Adams into a foul a couple of minutes later.

Good play from the lively Jamie Clarke saw City win another free-kick on the half-hour mark and when Brown swung the ball into the mix, Shane Clarke headed inches over the bar. More good work from Jamie Clarke shortly afterwards saw him get past his man before feeding Fagan on the right but the Irishman's cross was poor and flew out for a throw-in on the opposite side of the pitch.

A scything challenge on Torres by Carl Rodgers earned the Telford man a 38th minute yellow card with the resultant free-kick eventually leading to City's second corner of the game which came to nothing.

A pretty scrappy period unsued with play concentrated mainly in the middle third of the field and the half came to a close after just the one added minute.

HT: TELFORD 0 IMPS 1

Neither side made any changes during the interval so it was as you were as the Imps restarted proceedings, attacking the end behind which stood their travelling supporters.

Ninety seconds after the restart, good persistence from Jamie Clarke saw him win a corner which was duly taken by Hughton and headed over by Howe. The play switched to the other end three minutes later and the roof was lifted off the stadium as the home side levelled the scoring. Jon Adams was the creator as his cross into the area was met by the flying Liam Blakeman who saw his powerful header fly past Rob Burch's fingertips.

Telford's tails were well and truly up now and a trip by Anthony Pulis on Steve Thompson gave the Bucks a chance from a free-kick in an attacking position. Sean Newton drilled in the set-piece but Burch commanded his area well and emerged with the ball in his gloves.

In was fast and furious stuff and as City looked for a reply, an unfortunate slip from Jamie Clarke as he tried to twist his way past a couple of markers robbed him of a sight on Young's goal.

Telford goalscorer Blakeman required treatment in the 58th minute, forcing a welcome break in play and two minutes later Pulis was in the wars as he took the full force of a Telford clearance which seemed to jar his shoulder, forcing physio Michael Wait to quickly enter the playing area.

When play resumed, Burch tipped a long-range Trainer effort over before claiming the resultant corner and when Thompson tried his luck, the City stopper spread himself well to gather his curling effort.

Play switched to the other end of the pitch and, somewhat against the run of play, City regained the lead when a throw-in found Howe who laid the ball to Jamie Clarke and he did the rest, blasting home an unstoppable low effort past Young for his first goal in Lincoln colours.

When play restarted, Howe was cautioned for persistent infringement before Blakeman dragged a low effort well wide and a thunderbolt Rodgers volley was brilliantly tipped onto the crossbar by Burch with the ball bouncing to safety. A Telford corner quickly followed and this was cleared by Shane Clarke to calm things down a bit.

At the other end Howe fired a left-footed effort over and in the 74th minute City's second scorer Jamie Clarke was replaced by Lenny John-Lewis up front. The substitute hadn't had chance to touch the ball as, less than 60 seconds later, a great break forward from Aaron Brown saw him exchange passes with Howe before fizzing a left-footed effort into the top corner to give City a two-goal cushion.

Telford's response saw Burch palm away a low Lee Vaughan effort and from a corner shortly afterwards, City had Hughton to thank as he cleared a header off the line. It continued to be a cracking Cup tie!

Trainer then saw his rasping drive clip Swaibu before flying behind and when the corner came in the ball hit Kovacs in the face before landing in Burch's gloves. A few City hearts then skipped a beat or two when a Newton free-kick crashed against the woodwork before Vaughan sliced over an unguarded net.

With five minutes remaining, assistant manager Ian Pearce replaced Rene Howe and he was quickly in the action, winning a throw-in on the right before Shane Clarke was bundled to the deck giving the Imps a free-kick in a decent attacking position. Nothing came, however, from the set-piece.

City continued to withstand the Telford pressure and as they pressed themselves, John-Lewis clipped the outside of the post shortly after the Fourth Official indicated that a minimum of four minutes were to be added on.

Good play from Torres saw him win a corner midway through the added stages and this proved to be the final incident of an entertaining game; a game which saw City emerge victorious.

FT: TELFORD 1 IMPS 3

MATCH FACTS

LINCOLN CITY
1 Rob BURCH
25 Cian HUGHTON
4 Janos KOVACS
5 Moses SWAIBU
3 Aaron BROWN
19 Shane CLARKE
23 Anthony PULIS
15 Jamie CLARKE
21 Sergio TORRES
10 Chris FAGAN
18 Rene HOWE

subs
14 Lenell JOHN-LEWIS (for J CLARKE 74)
13 Ian PEARCE (for HOWE 85)
6 Danny HONE
7 Stefan OAKES
11 Scott KERR
27 Khano SMITH
20 Paul MUSSELWHITE

GOALS: TORRES (14), J CLARKE (65), BROWN (75)

BOOKING: HOWE (66)

AFC TELFORD UNITED
1 Ryan YOUNG
2 Lee VAUGHAN
3 Shaun NEWTON
4 Gavin COWAN
5 Shane KILLOCK
6 Carl RODGERS
7 Jon ADAMS
8 Liam BLAKEMAN
9 Steve THOMPSON
10 Andy BROWN
11 Phil TRAINER

subs
12 Danny CAREY-BERTRAM
14 Tom FIELD
15 Stuart WHITEHEAD
16 Danny EDWARDS
17 Scott EMBREY

GOAL: BLAKEMAN (48)

BOOKING: RODGERS (38)

MATCH OFFICIALS

REFEREE: Graham Scott
ASSISTANTS: Peter Bankes & Colin Harwood
FOURTH OFFICIAL: Marvyn Amphlett

ATTENDANCE: 2,809 (329 City supporters)