Report
There were three changes to the starting line-up for this Vanarama Conference home game against bottom-placed AFC Telford United. Out were Tony Diagne, Marcus Marshall and the suspended Hamza Bencherif with Tom Anderson, Jon Nolan and Jordan Burrow the men coming in.
Heavy drizzle greeted the two teams as they were led out of the tunnel by referee Craig Hicks and once the pre-match formalities were done and dusted play got underway with Telford kicking things off.
It was a cagey opening to the game and it wasn't until the fifth minute when the first action of note came along with a Telford corner being cleared by the Imps defence. Nick Townsend needed treatment before the flag-kick was played in having taken a knock going up for the cross which saw Nat Brown hack the ball behind.
City's respose saw them win a couple of throws on the right with the second leading to a corner which was taken by Sean Newton and nodded goalwards by Brown only for a covering defender to clear.
In the 12th minute a quick break from Ben Tomlinson ended up with Delano Sam-Yorke winning another corner and when Newton curled this one in, Anderson helped the ball on only to see Ryan Higgins clear off the line.
Shortly afterwards, Tomlinson was penalised for a hand ball but Townsend commanded his area well to punch Sean Clancy's inswinging free-kick away.
In the 19th minute, ex-Imp Sam Smith crashed into Tom Miller who went to ground holding his head. Smith was also grounded and when he got to his feet out came a deserved yellow card. Miller was fortunately able to continue.
Arnaud Mendy and Kristian Platt then clashed as the pair went for a loose ball; the latter appearing to lead with an arm on the City man as they tussled on the turf. Referee Hicks spotted nothing untoward though and play continued.
In the 28th minute Nolan was bundled over by Rod Rod McDonald 20 yards out but Newton's free-kick hit the wall before his follow-up corner was cleared. City's next free-kick ended up seeing Anderson fire goalwards only for Jonathan Hedge to parry before Andy Parry helped out.
A deflected Karl Ledsham strike led to another corner in the 35th minute but Brown headed Newton's delivery well wide whilst at the other end Andy Todd fizzed in a drive which flew straight at Townsend.
As the half wore on Telford won their second corner of the game but Anderson headed clear. A cross into the box was then headed wide by Parry as the visitors kept the ball alive.
Two additional minutes saw Brown drill a low effort across the face of goal and out of play before Andy Todd was booked for bundling Miller over as City man went to take a free-kick.
HT: IMPS 0 TELFORD 0
Both teams emerged unchanged for the start of the second half and the first action following the break was a booking for Miller who went in hard on McDonald. Smith was then denied by Townsend before teh City stopper blocked the follow-up effort for a corner.
A rasping Platt free-kick was then tipped over by Townsend as the visitors threatened again before skipper Clancy volleyed over from the edge of the box. City's response saw Mendy pick out the overlapping Newton who saw his first time shot fly a foot wide of the target.
City rallied with a Newton cross tipped over by Hedge and after the full-back's corner led to another the ball wouldn't run for the Imps before Anderson fired well over. Platt was then booked for a late challenge on Ledsham.
In the 63rd minute the Imps were given the chance to open the scoring when Mike Phenix sent Nolan flying in the box and up stepped SEAN NEWTON to drill home powerfully from the spot.
Telford looked for a quick response with Townsend pulling off a fine save to deny Clancy whilst at the other end a sweeping City move saw Tomlinson square for Sam-Yorke who was denied by a superb Hedge save.
The visitors made the first change of the game with Adam Farrell replacing Neill Byrne in the 69th minute and three minutes later a Telford corner was cleared before Newton felled Clancy inches outside the box. Before the free-kick was taken, and cleared, Sean Cooke replaced Andy Todd for the visitors.
City's response was quick and when a long Miller throw was missed by Hedge, there to capitalise was BEN TOMLINSON who drilled powerfully home into an unguarded net for his sixth of the season.
Miller was inches away from making it 3-0 when he headed against the bar following the best move of the match. A number of passes on the deck opened up the Telford defence before Miller connected with Nolan's right-sided cross.
Three minutes later another excellent City move almost added to the scoring; Newton's cross headed wide by Sam-Yorke before the striker was penalised for handball when Tomlinson and Miller combined to keep the ball alive.
Persistent infringement cost Tomlinson an 88th minute booking whilst a minute later Burrow was denied after Tomlinson drilled in a low centre following another swift City attack.
In the first of three added minutes good work from Nolan saw him jink his way forward before forcing Hedge to save with his legs whilst the last action of the game saw the Imps clear a corner.
FT: IMPS 2 TELFORD 0
LINCOLN CITY
26 Nick TOWNSEND
2 Tom MILLER
23 Nat BROWN
25 Tom ANDERSON
3 Sean NEWTON
12 Arnaud MENDY
14 Jon NOLAN
10 Karl LEDSHAM
11 Ben TOMLINSON
9 Jordan BURROW
15 Delano SAM-YORKE
subs
6 Tony DIAGNE
8 Alan POWER
17 Jake CAPRICE
22 Marcus MARSHALL
31 David PREECE
GOALS: NEWTON (63 pen), TOMLINSON (76)
BOOKINGS: MILLER (47), TOMLINSON (88)
AFC TELFORD UNITED
1 Jonathan HEDGE
4 Neill BYRNE
7 Mike PHENIX
11 Sean CLANCY
16 Rod McDONALD
17 Kristian PLATT
18 Sam SMITH
20 Godfrey POKU
21 Andy TODD
23 Ryan HIGGINS
24 Andy PARRY
subs
6 Mike GROGAN
8 Charlie BARNETT
9 Adam FARRELL
12 Sean COOKE
25 Freddie HALL
BOOKINGS: SMITH (20), TODD (45+2), PLATT (61)
MATCH OFFICIALS
REFEREE: Craig Hicks
ASSISTANTS: James Thornhill & Paul Evans
FOURTH OFFICIAL: Mark Hutchinson
ATTENDANCE: 2,529 (46 visiting supporters)
