An emotional Friday night at Sincil Bank Stadium saw City emerge 3-1 victors over Hereford United.

With tributes being paid to Keith Alexander before the game and the appearance of the FIFA World Cup during the interval, City took the lead in the 11th minute when Davide Somma was picked out by Scott Kerr before cutting inside his marker and unleashing a left-footed bullet which whistled past Adam Bartlett and into the net via the underside of the crossbar.

The lead was doubled 10 minutes later when Matt Saunders fired home a spectacular first goal for the Club. The Fulham loanee gained possession midway inside the Hereford half and after bringing the ball under control he let fly from fully 35 yards with his effort flying over Bartlett who was left clutching thin air.

Hereford's heads didn't drop, however, and three minutes before the break Marc Pugh halved the arrears but City rallied after the break with Somma playing in Saunders who fired home his second of the game in the 71st minute.

MATCH FACTS

LINCOLN CITY
1 Rob BURCH
25 Cian HUGHTON
5 Moses SWAIBU
13 Ian PEARCE
38 Joe ANDERSON
39 Matthew SAUNDERS
11 Scott KERR
19 Shane CLARKE
16 Steven LENNON
15 Drewe BROUGHTON
18 Davide SOMMA
 
subs 
6 Danny HONE (for SWAIBU 69)
2 Paul GREEN (for PEARCE 81)
9 Paul CONNOR (for BROUGHTON 90+2)
21 James REID
31 Michael GORDON
35 Brian GILMOUR
20 Paul MUSSELWHITE

GOALS: SOMMA (11), SAUNDERS (21 & 71)

HEREFORD UNITED
1 Adam BARTLETT
2 Ryan GREEN
3 Ryan VALENTINE
20 Darren JONES
6 Kenny LUNT
7 Marc PUGH
10 Leon CONSTANTINE
26 Craig KING
31 Gavin McCALLUM
14 James McQUILKIN
17 Daniel PRESTON
 
subs
22 Mathieu MANSET (for KING 81)
23 Matthew DONE (for CONSTANTINE 81)
4 Richard ROSE
12 Edrissa SONKO
15 Sam GWYNNE
16 Paul DOWNING
30 Chris ADAMSON

GOAL: PUGH (42)

BOOKING: VALENTINE (75)

REFEREE: Darren Deadman
ASSISTANTS: Mark Brown & Danny Markham
FOURTH OFFICIAL: David Benton

ATTENDANCE: 6,012 (130 visiting supporters)