An Elliot Benyon brace condemned the Imps to their third successive defeat of the new season with Torquay securing the points at Sincil Bank Stadium.

City had started the game brightly with Gavin McCallum having a goal ruled out for offside and Drewe Broughton twice heading wide but, in the 26th minute, it was the visitors who broke the deadlock when Benyon got in front of skipper Adam Watts to head home a Kevin Nicholson free-kick.

Chances remained at a premium in the second half as far as the Imps were concerned and the match was 71 minutes old when Benyon wrapped things up; the striker heading home again after Chris Zebroski picked him out with a cross from the right

Match report by John Vickers at Sincil Bank Stadium:

Manager Chris Sutton opted for a switch in formation to 4-4-2 for this npower League 2 game against early season pace-setters Torquay United at Sincil Bank Stadium.

The changearound saw Paul Green switch to left-back in place of Joe Anderson with Cian Hughton dropping to right-back whilst in midfield Clark Keltie came in for Scott Kerr. Drewe Broughton returned to partner Gavin McCallum up front.

With Kerr amongst the substitutes, Adam Watts took the captain's armband against a Torquay side that was unchanged from their extra-time midweek Carling Cup exit at the hands of Reading.

The Gulls got things started as the sun tried to break through the cloud and were quickly on the attack with Elliot Benyon dragging a low effort well wide of Joe Anyon's right hand upright.

City responded with former United winger Mustapha Carayol spreading a cross-field pass to Albert Jarrett who drilled wide from the edge of the box but shortly after Scott Bevan launched the resultant goal-kick up field, a block on Danny Stevens blocked by Clark Keltie gave Nicky Wroe the chance to set his sights. The midfielder curled well over though.

In the 12th minute Anyon was called into action to claim a Mark Ellis volley after the centre-back, up for an earlier throw-in, connected with a Kevin Nicholson cross whilst two minutes later a deflected Lee Mansell shot led to the game's first corner. Paul Green dealt well with Nicholson's delivery from the quadrant and the danger was gone.

The Imps responded by piecing together a sweeping attack which saw Carayol find Jarrett again and once the latter created space for himself, swung in a great ball for McCallum to rifle the ball into the roof of the net. His celebrations, however, were cut short due to am offside flag.

With City enjoying a good spell of possession, another excellent break forward down the City right then ended with Carayol heading a Hughton cross wide at the back post whilst a Jarrett free-kick appeared to strike a Torquay player on the arm but the appeals for a penalty fell on deaf ears.

Drewe Broughton then knocked another Jarrett set-piece over the bar but City were made to pay for these missed chances as, in the 25th minute, a Torquay free-kick led to the visitors taking the lead.

Nicholson was the architect and after he whipped in a decent ball with his trusty left foot, there in front of Watts to divert the ball past Anyon was Elliot Benyon who saw his low header fly into the bottom of the net.

Torquay immediate pressed for a second, with a Nicholson corner finding Ellis who was denied by Anyon's left arm. As the ball was cleared, Green took a knock and required treatment from Michael Wait as a result.

City's first attack since falling a goal behind came in the 34th minute when a long clearance from Anyon found Josh O'Keefe whose effort clipped Ellis for a corner but when Jarrett swung the ball in, Broughton could only divert the ball over the bar.

Broughton came close again five minutes before the break when he headed a McCallum centre a foot wide whilst at the other end Stevens blazed over after the Imps' defence failed to clear a Chris Robertson ball into the danger area.

Just as the Fourth Official indicated that a minimum of two minutes were to be added on, City made it two corners apiece and when this was played back in by Jarrett having first been cleared, Broughton fired at Bevan.

The half ended with Moses Swaibu grounded following an accidental collision with Anyon as the latter cleared a long ball over the top.

HT: IMPS 0 TORQUAY 1

Swaibu was okay to resume his duties so it was as you were as the Imps restarted proceedings attacking the GoCar Stand end.

A United corner five minutes in was the first highlight of the second half, although Anyon and Benyon squared up to each other a minute or so earlier following an altercation in the City area. At the other end Bevan easily claimed an inswinging Carayol free-kick but it was a pretty uneventful opening 15 minutes with neither 'keeper troubled.

In a bid to inject some fresh impetus, a double switch for City saw Andy Hutchinson and Delroy Facey replace Gavin McCallum and Drewe Broughton up front on the hour mark.

Shortly after this change Jarrett fizzed a left-footed effort over the bar after he cut inside from the right before Eunan O'Kane replaced Billy Kee for the Gulls. O'Kane's first touch saw him win corner off Green.

Another United corner followed as the visitors started ot up the tempo but as City cleared the danger, Carayol threaded a ball forward to Hutchinson but the teenager, after cutting in on to his right foot, drilled wide of the target from 25 yards.

Torquay's response saw Wroe test Anyon from the edge of the box but the visitors went one better in the 71st minute when they doubled their advantage. The dangerous Chris Zebroski created the chance and, having found space down the right, crossed for an unmarked Benyon to head home his second of the game from eight yards out.

City looked for a quick reply with Hutchinson forcing Robertson to concede a corner but, after the ball was played back to taker Jarrett, his cross was headed wide by Watts.

Bevan was then forced to block a downward Facey header at his near post after the striker was picked out by Carayol's free-kick but once again the resultant corner failed to come up trumps.

In the 77th minute Wayne Carlisle for Danny Stevens was the Gulls' second switch a they prepared to defend another City flag-kick, which was duly claimed with ease by an unchallenged Bevan. Jarrett, Carayol and Facey then combined before the latter saw his header claimed by the United 'keeper.

The final Torquay change saw Kieran Charnock replacing a hobbling Guy Branston with seven minutes of normal time remaining whilst a couple of minutes later, there was a stoppage due to Swaibu having taken a knock to his head.

Swaibu was helped to the sidelines by therapist Michael Wait and was replaced by Jamie Clapham with Green moving into central defence. Clapham's first touch saw him block a cross for a corner and after this was half-cleared O'Kane fired into the side netting from a narrowing angle.

In the first of four added minutes, the sponsors' "Man of the Match" Josh O'Keefe was forced off and made to change his shirt due to a blood spillage, but the visitors were happy to play out the other three to emerge with the points and their ninth successive League shut-out.

FT: IMPS 0 TORQUAY 2

LINCOLN CITY
1 Joe ANYON
2 Paul GREEN
4 Adam WATTS
5 Moses SWAIBU
25 Cian HUGHTON
8 Clark KELTIE
14 Josh O'KEEFE
7 Mustapha CARAYOL
17 Albert JARRETT
9 Gavin MCCALLUM
10 Drewe BROUGHTON

subs
22 Andy HUTCHINSON (for McCALLUM 60)
18 Delroy FACEY (for BROUGHTON 60)
19 Jamie CLAPHAM (for SWAIBU 85)
3 Joe ANDERSON
11 Scott KERR
13 Ian PEARCE
20 Paul MUSSELWHITE

TORQUAY UNITED
1 Scott BEVAN
5 Chris ROBERTSON
4 Mark ELLIS
23 Guy BRANSTON
3 Kevin NICHOLSON
7 Lee MANSELL
11 Nicky WROE
26 Chris ZEBROSKI
19 Danny STEVENS
8 Billy KEE
9 Elliot BENYON

subs
10 Eunan O'KANE (for KEE 63)
15 Wayne CARLISLE (for STEVENS 77)
2 Lathaniel ROWE-TURNER
6 Kieran CHARNOCK (for BRANSTON 83)
14 Lloyd MACKLIN
22 Damon LATHROPE
16 Danny POTTER

GOALS: BENYON (25, 71)

MATCH OFFICIALS

REFEREE: Michael Naylor
ASSISTANTS: Richard West & Ian Dudley
FOURTH OFFICIAL: Geoff Law

ATTENDANCE: 3,033 (194 visiting supporters)