A young reserve side slipped to a 3-0 defeat against Middlesbrough at the Riverside Stadium on Tuesday evening.

The home side opened the scoring after just 32 seconds when Lee Miller beat Kerry Nicholas with a flying header and having kept up the pressure, the lead was doubled in the 23rd minute through Andrew Holliday.

Rob Brewer came close to pulling a goal back shortly before the break but eight minutes after the interval, Nicholas was picking the ball out of his net for a third time after Lee Miller has stroked home from the edge of the box.

Thunder, lightning and heavy rain made things even more miserable for the City youngsters as the game continued but the heads didn't drop as Sam Turner was denied by Conor Ripley before Andy Hutchinson fired just wide from 25 yards for the Imps' best chances of the second period.

City res: Kerry Nicholas, Dan Coupland, Kieran Heap (Elliott Green 46), Josh Barker (Frazer Cobb 75), Jack Davies, Kern Miller, Karl Cunningham, Sam Turner (James Wilson 84), Nathan Adams, Andy Hutchinson, Rob Brewer. Subs (not used): Tom Thacker, Paul Musselwhite.