First half goals from Sam Mullarkey and David Graham plus a second half hat-trick from Romanian trialist Adrian Patulea and a Gary King header saw the Imps lift the John Reames Memorial Cup at the expense of Lincoln United on Sunday afternoon.

Manager Peter Jackson used the pre-season game to give his all of his players a run out but in the end it the trialists on show took centre stage with striker Mullarkey getting things underway in the 18th minute when he slotted in a Dany N'Guessan centre.

Graham added a second just before the break and in the second half it was left to Romanian striker Patulea to steal the headlines with a neatly taken triple before teenager King rounded things off in the final minute.

Match report by John Vickers at Sincil Bank Stadium:

Manager Peter Jackson used this Community Day pre-season game, which was being played for the John Reames Memorial Cup, to give all of his squad a run out, whilst trialists Stuart Giddings, Sam Mullarkey and Romanian Adrian Patulea were also on show.

With the Echo Stand approaching capacity, City got things underway and enjoyed the better of the opening exchanges, although United 'keeper Mario Ziccardi remained untroubled in the first three minutes.

A David Graham snap-shot from the edge of the box saw the ball fly into the side netting for the first half-chance of the game whilst the experienced striker also came close in the eighth minute after a Dany N'Guessan centre fell at his feet. Giddings then fizzed a low left-footed drive past the left hand upright.

Good link-up work between Graham and strike partner Sam Mullarkey led to the first corner of the game in the 13th minute; the flag-kick seeing Lee Beevers come close to connecting with Scott Kerr's outswinging delivery.

Another corner followed a couple of minutes later following excellent trickery from Lenny John-Lewis on the right. This one was taken short by Kerr to Paul Green and when he whipped in his centre, the ball was headed just over by Graham at full stretch.

City's pressure eventually paid off in the 18th minute when some good build-up play down the left involving Graham an N'Guessan saw the latter jink his way past a couple of defenders before squaring for trialist Sam Mullarkey who did the rest; the Grantham Town striker composing himself well before drilling a firm drive past a static Ziccardi.

United responded by forcing their first corner, a cross from the right seeing Frank Sinclair chest the ball behind. From the flag-kick, centre-back Danny George heading just wide of the target whilst a couple of minutes later, Sam Wilkinson beat Rob Burch to a cross but Green was on hand to clear off the line.

City replied to this brief spell of United pressure by forcing a corner of their own through good N'Guessan persistence whilst the big Frenchman forced Ziccardi to make a good save after he fired Frecklington's drag-back goalwards. Before play restarted, ex-Imp Ian Wilkins required treatment before returning to the fray.

Some excellent control from the impressive Mullarkey saw him force Ziccardi to tip his rasping effort behind for City's fourth corner of the half whilst Graham dragged a clever Beevers chip over the top wide of the mark.

With heavy July drizzle falling on proceedings as the opening period entered its final five minutes, Frecklington nodded a Green centre just the wrong side of the post. As the half approached is climax, the ball went the right side of the post as David Graham doubled the scores. The goal came when a John-Lewis cross was headed back across goal by N'Guessan and there at the far post was Graham to slide the ball into the roof of the net.

Seconds after the restart a late challenge on Green from Nigel Wallace saw the former City youngster pick up a yellow card and once the free-kick was taken referee Gary Sutton blew for half-time.

HT: IMPS 2 UNITED 0

It was all change for the Imps at the break with a different XI taking to the field, including Romanian trialist striker Adrian Patulea.

The second half was less than a minute old when Patulea found himself in space only for the United defence to get in a block. When the ball ran free, Gary King rattled the crossbar with his follow-up volley.

A trip on Martin Pembleton seven minutes in saw Stefan Oakes fire into the United wall but a minute later, trialist Patulea got his name on the scoresheet, flying in to meet an Aaron Brown centre following a surging run forward from the left-back.

City continued to press with both Owain Warlow and Ben Wright having shots at goal before the latter saw his effort from the former's cross hit the right hand upright before bouncing away to safety.

A trip on King by Brendan McDaid gave Warlow a chance to set his sights from 25 yards but substitute 'keeper Richard Ossai produced a fine save to deny the Welshman.

With United making a number of changes it was pretty much stop-start stuff as the game entered its final quarter but once play was able to go ahead, City added a fourth when good work from Pembleton saw him release Warlow and his first time centre was met by the head of Patulea who headed home his second of the game.

The lively Romanian came close to adding another when he fired inches wide from the edge of the box shortly after play resumed but, in the 80th minute, he did chalk up his hat-trick when he ran on to an excellent ball forward from Stefan Oakes before rounding Ossai and rolling home.

Ben Wright came close to making it six a couple of minutes after the restart but Ossai saved well with his legs after Patulea played him in. This came before Pembleton required treatment following a hefty challenge by Wren close to the touchline.

King was then denied by the busy Ossai and with Pembleton struggling, he was forced off and the biggest cheer of the afternoon duly followed with Grant Brown slotting into right-back with Shane Clarke pushing forward into midfield.

Brown hadn't had chance to touch the ball when Gary King made it 6-0, heading home an Oakes corner and shortly after play resumed in the final minute Patulea was inches away from connecting with an Aaron Brown cross.

This proved to be the final action of the game with the Imps presented with the John Reames Memorial Cup shortly after the final whistle.

FT: IMPS 6 UNITED 0

MATCH FACTS

LINCOLN CITY (First Half)
Rob BURCH
Paul GREEN
Stuart GIDDINGS
Scott KERR
Lee BEEVERS
Frank SINCLAIR
Lenell JOHN-LEWIS
Lee FRECKLINGTON
Sam MULLARKEY
David GRAHAM
Dany N'GUESSAN

(Second Half)
Ayden DUFFY
Shane CLARKE
Aaron BROWN
Danny HONE
Janos KOVACS
Stefan OAKES
Martin PEMBLETON
Gary KING
Owain WARLOW
Adrian PATULEA
Ben WRIGHT

SUB: Grant BROWN (for PEMBLETON 87)

GOALS: MULLARKEY (18), GRAHAM (45), PATULEA (53, 71, 80), KING (89)

LINCOLN UNITED
Mario ZICCARDI
Jack McGOVERN
Ryan PORTER
Ian WILKINS
Danny GEORGE
Brendan McDAID
Luke FORBES
Tom MALLINSON
Sam WILKINSON
Gary WALTERS
Nigel WALLACE

subs
Richard OSSAI (for ZICCARDI h/t)
Jake KEYWORTH (for WALTERS 53)
Ryan CREANE (for GEORGE 59)
Scott LOWMAN (for FORBES 69)
Adam WILCOXSON (for WILKINSON 69)
Chris DENISIUK (for WALLACE 73)
Jon WREN (for McGOVERN 77)
Callum SMITH (for PORTER 80)
Eric DEC (for MALLINSON 80)

BOOKING: WALLACE (45+2)

REFEREE: Gary Sutton
ASSISTANTS: Danny Cook & Ben Cass

ATTENDANCE: 1,235