An early Cian Hughton effort was enough to see City secure their first win of the season with a solid team performance coming up with the goods at Gillingham on Saturday afternoon.

The game was in its ninth minute when Hughton drilled home after Gillingham 'keeper Alan Julian failed to hold a rasping Albert Jarrett shot and in truth the Imps were never really threatened by the hosts, whose best effort came late on when Adebayo Akinfenwa rattled the woodwork.

Prior to this City had a great chance to double their advantage but Delroy Facey, released by Jarrett, prodded over the bar whilst in the dying stages of added time, Tony Sinclair cleared a Drewe Broughton effort off the line.

In the end Hughton's early effort proved to be enough to secure the three points for the men in red and their 178-strong band of travelling supporters who had made the long trek to Kent.

Match report by John Vickers at Priestfield Stadium:

Manager Chris Sutton made five changes to his starting line-up following last weekend's home defeat against Torquay United for this npower League 2 clash against Gillingham at Priestfield Stadium.

Two of the changes were enforced with Mustapha Carayol (bruised shin) and Gavin McCallum (hip) out through injury whilst Moses Swaibu, Josh O'Keefe and Drewe Broughton found themselves on the bench. Joe Anderson, Ian Pearce, Jamie Clapham, Delroy Facey and new signing Ben Hutchinson were the men handed a starting place.

With Scott Kerr also absent after picking up a dead leg in training, Adam Watts led the Imps for the second successive match and once the pre-match formalities were over, things got underway with the home side kicking off.

City, with ex-Gills Delroy Facey and Albert Jarrett starting on the left and just behind lone striker Ben Hutchinson respectively, were forced to defend the first corner of the game on the 90 second mark whilst in the fifth minute a long Danny Spiller throw-in forced Joe Anyon to punch clear under pressure fro Kevin Bentley.

The Imps response was clinical as, with the game in its ninth minute, some patient build-up play ended with Jarrett firing in a long-range effort which Alan Julian was only able to parry away. The loose ball fell kindly for City with Cian Hughton on hand to drill home his first of the season.

Three minutes after he had found the back of the net Hughton won a corner following a sweeping cross-field ball by Jamie Clapham but Jarrett's delivery from the quadrant flew over a packed box and out for a throw-in on the opposite side of the pitch.

City kept up the pressure with Facey winning another corner shortly afterwards and when the ball was played back in by Clark Keltie, debutant Hutchinson appeared to be held down and when Watts got a foot on the loose ball, appeals for handball against a Gillingham defender fell on deaf ears, as did those for the challenge on Hutchinson.

A quickly-taken Clapham free-kick released Jarrett in the 19th minute and his cross flew inches over Hutchinson's head as the Imps remained on the offensive and a couple of minutes later Jarrett was clattered by Tony Sinclair, forcing him to receive treatment as a result. Referee Brendan Malone, after some considerable deliberation, brandished a yellow card in the direction of the home defender.

Five minutes later a late challenge on Anderson by Spiller saw the latter join Sinclair in the book and with a number of passes going astray from the men in blue and black, the home fans were starting to get somewhat frustrated.

Just after the half-hour mark a Gills corner came to nothing thanks to good defending by Hutchinson whilst another home flag-kick was cleared by the Celtic loanee before Hughton blocked a Spiller drive. The hosts pressed again, winning another corner in the 37th minute but City stood firm again, as they did from a free-kick shortly afterwards.

Hutchinson picked up a 41st minute caution for delaying the taking of a free-kick after he was adjudged to have been in an offside position, whilst Josh Gowling should have joined him in the book after he pushed the Celtic loanee in the chest.

One added minute passed without incident so Hughton's ninth minute goal separated the two sides as they went in for the half-time break.

HT: GILLINGHAM 0 IMPS 1

Both sides emerged unchanged for the start of the second half and with the sun starting to break through the clouds, the Imps restarted proceedings.

Spiller had the first effort at goal following the break but Anyon easily gathered his long range effort whilst at the other end Facey tested Julian with a downward header from a Hughton centre. Anyon then held a curling shot from Adebayo Akinfenwa before Curtis Weston replaced Kevin Maher for the home side, just five minutes into the second period.

Two minutes later a Gillingham corner ended with an unmarked Sinclair heading a foot wide and as the hosts upped the tempo again, Spiller went down as he turned in front of Pearce but his appeals for a free-kick were laughed off by referee Malone, much to the annoyance of the home faithful.

City had a great chance to double their advantage in the 57th minute when some great play from Jarrett saw him twist past a number of opponents before slotting a clever ball through for Facey to run on to. Unfortunately the big striker, after he bore down on Julian, lifted his effort over the bar.

A double Gillingham change came in the 59th minute with Luke Rooney and Stefan Payne replacing Chris Palmer and Mark Bentley whilst a couple of minutes later Jarrett was cautioned for a foul with Hutchinson heading the resultant free-kick out for a corner. This saw Watts scramble the ball out under pressure from Gowling. Another Gillingham corner followed shortly afterwards but Spiller sent his delivery straight out of play.

The hosts remained on the offensive with their ninth and tenth corners coming as the game entered its final quarter before Payne headed a Nutter cross well wide. At the other end Hutchinson fired into the side netting after he received the ball from Clapham.

With a quarter of an hour remaining Anyon was forced to save a curling Rooney shot whilst at the other end good work from Hutchinson saw him win a corner. Taken by Jarrett, the cross saw Julian palm away under pressure from Pearce.

Another Rooney effort had Anyon flying through the air to tip the ball behind for a corner, which saw Gowling head wide. Before the 81st minute goal-kick could be taken, Andy Hutchinson replaced Albert Jarrett for the Imps.

A shot on the turn from Ben Hutchinson forced Julian into a save shortly after this switch and from the Imps' next attack, the striker was left clutching his head and when referee Malone brought play to a halt, the home fans were on their feet and aiming jeers at the first year official.

Clapham earned himself a 87th minute booking for delaying the taking of a Gillingham free-kick and when the set-piece was taken the ball found its way to Akinfenwa who was left holding his head in his hands as his low effort hit the post before the ball trickled straight into Anyon's gloves.

The Fourth Official indicated that a minimum of four minutes were to be added on and as City prepared to take a free-kick midway through these extra stages, Drewe Broughton came on for Ben Hutchinson.

Referee Malone played five added minutes in the end with the closest either side coming to a second being right at the death when Broughton flicked a long Anyon clearance only for Sinclair to clear the ball as it trickled to the goalline.

In the end Hughton's early effort proved to be enough to secure the three points for the men in red and their 178-strong band of travelling supporters behind the goal.

FT: GILLINGHAM 0 IMPS 1

MATCH FACTS

LINCOLN CITY
1 Joe ANYON
2 Paul GREEN
4 Adam WATTS
13 Ian PEARCE
3 Joe ANDERSON
19 Jamie CLAPHAM
8 Clark KELTIE
25 Cian HUGHTON
17 Albert JARRETT
18 Delroy FACEY
27 Ben HUTCHINSON

subs
22 Andy HUTCHINSON (for JARRETT 81)
10 Drewe BROUGHTON (for B HUTCHINSON 90+2)
5 Moses SWAIBU
14 Josh O'KEEFE
20 Paul MUSSELWHITE

GOAL: HUGHTON (9)

BOOKINGS: B HUTCHINSON (41), JARRETT (61), CLAPHAM (87)

GILLINGHAM
1 Alan JULIAN
3 John NUTTER
7 Kevin MAHER
8 Mark BENTLEY
11 Andy BARCHAM
12 Chris PALMER
16 Josh GOWLING
17 Danny SPILLER
27 Adebayo AKINFENWA
15 Matt LAWRENCE
29 Tony SINCLAIR

subs
4 Curtis WESTON (for MAHER 50)
14 Luke ROONEY (for PALMER 59)
23 Stefan PAYNE (for BENTLEY 59)
20 Nicky SOUTHALL
22 Andy WHITE
25 Connor ESSAM
26 Lance CRONIN

BOOKINGS: SINCLAIR (23), SPILLER (29)

MATCH OFFICIALS

REFEREE: Brendan Malone
ASSISTANTS: Carl Berry & Harry Lennard
FOURTH OFFICIAL: Simon Long

ATTENDANCE: 4,838 (178 City supporters)